The Washington times., 1901-10-17

ANYTHING about any ship delaying tn,
| fiylng Squadrons progress toward San
| uago, ana he said he didn't remember
anylhing about II. 1t was shown by Tho
! notes of the witness that the accident
! TO the Nixen's manhole gas let happened
/ on May y after the SQUADRON had turned
| pack toward Santiago so that this acci
utHI uld not delay the squadron In pro
cetulns from Cienfuegos to Santiago. II
! reporting this the Vixen signaled: "Thinl
I We can keep up
Texas Men Tired.
Some Of the questions developed that
on the morning of May 2S. when the
squadron was going back to Santiago
after having coaled the Texas and the
MarbIchcad, the Texas asked the flagship
10 steam slower, as her men were tired
! out from coaling all night. The Court
! asked question about this as follows:
Gid the Texas signal when she was
ready to resume standard speed after
having requested the flagship to slow
down on May 2S?
Lieutenant MeCauley (after examining
his notes)-I find nothing from the Texas
to the flagship after that, except at Il :4a
a m-"We can steam between six and
seven knots"
Lieutenant Charles Webster. another
officer who served on the Brooklyn. told
OF the Cienfuegos and Santiago blockades.
and the battle OF July g. He is now sta
toned in the Bureau of Navigation At
Cienfuegos he said the Flying Squadron
headed in toward the entrance during the
day and steamed out at night to seven or
eight miles, and spent the night steaming
in column in front of the port. Picket
boats were stationed inside the squadron
lines at night.
At Santiago the vessels steamed at
night two and one-half to three and one
half miles to each side of the harbor en-
trance, with picket boats inside The
shlps We're about four miles off the en-
at night.
Cross-examination brought out that
Lieutenant Websters statement about the
Cienfuegos blockade agreed with the
BrooklynS log. One entry showed that
on the morning OF May % the ships
steamed in for an hour from their night
ton.
Lieutenant Webster told of the attack
on the Colon on May 81 by the Massa-
chusetts, Schley's temporary flagship; the
Iowa and the New Orleans. He saw this
with glass from the fighting top of the
brooklyn. One shot, he said fell under
the Colons s counter. All others fell short.
lie was>&sked by Mr.. Rayner how many
modore Schley, snd his reply was Three
bonbardments and the action of July 81
Q.-What was the conduct and bearing
occasions2
Al never saw Commodore Schley dur
ing the engagements. l saw him immedi-
ately after the battle of July 3. He was
then perfectly cool and collected
Lieutenant Webster gave briefly an ac-
count of the battle of July 3. He had
charge OF the forward gun deck battery.
Nhen the signal was given to clear ship
for action he had run to his station and
had then seen the Texas and the Iowa a
little abaft the Rrooklyn's beam. As the
snip steamed IN the helm was moved once
or twice to starboard, and it seemed to
the witness that it was eased a bit to
port, and then put hard aport. His esti-
mate was that the enemy's vessels were
! 400 70 900 yards distant when the Brook
lyn began her turn and that when this
was completed she was 300 yards, in
creased to $500 yards when the Nizcaya
turned ashore.
The vessel swung around rapidly with
port helm, and began firing with her star
board battery at range of $500 yards.
The Teresa was then little inshore, and
the Viscaya farther in. The Brooklyn. as
she turned, engaged the Teresa and the
Niscaya, with an occasional shot at the
Oquendo.
By the Court:
Q.-When the Flying Squadron was
blOCkadirg Cienfuegos did the vessels lie
parallel to the shore?
Any recollection is that they lay par
Illel TO the shore-line.
Q.-How did the Spanish vessels bear
rom the Brooklyn when the Brooklyn's |
lelm was put hard aport on July 3?
At seems to me that the Teresa was !
'ery near her port bow, and the Vizcaya |
perhaps thrce-quarters off her port bow |
{ was hard to tell at the beginning how |
hey bore.
Q.-What were the relative positions Of
he Brooklyn and the Colon when the /
'olon passed the Yizcaya? How was the
Brooklyn heading at the time?
A.-The Colon passed inside of the
'izcaya at a distance OF about 200
ards l should think. AS she was pass
ng the ViZcaya her range from the
BROOKLYN would probably have been about
800 yards. The Brooklyn was heading
rObably near west
The Court then adjourned until today.