The San Francisco call., 1901-10-11

Lieutenant commander Albert w. Grant, WIN
was senior watch officer on the MASSACHUSETTS,
during the war with Spain, was called. -
Asked by Captain Lemly concerning the
blockade of Cienfuegos, Commander Grant said
there were no directions giving an order OF
battle. but there was upon arrival signal
from the flagship that Cienfuegos was to be
blockaded He had on the occasion of the
maneuver off Cienfuegos seen the Spanish
earthworks there and the masts Of one vessel
lying in the harbor, but nothing to his knoWl-
edge had been done to destroy those works.
GTan5 SAID that he fe4
Cienfuegos saying the fleet was bound for
Santiago and would rendezvous at GonaiVes
slow, because the smaller vessels were affected
by the weather. He said that on the firsf
which had enormously been supposed to be
long to the enemy, had been sighted. The
Brooklyn, which had been steaming just in
front of the Massachusetts, changed it's course
soon he observed this maneuver he turned
the Massachusetts so as to protect the snip
following
Then he said, "as knew going to
clear the Brooklyn 1 went ahead with port
gave the whistle signal"
Were the ships in formation Of column
Captain I.emly asked.
The witness replied: 'They were not. There
was mix-up."
The Retrograde Movement.
Commander Grant then told about the retro
grade movement of the flying squadron toward
Key West, as well as the blockade of Santiago.
Colon May 81 and said that on that oc.
casion he had no conversation with Admiral
Schley.
Have you stated all or did you understand
that I want all that the commodore may have
said within your hearing in relation to this
Il was only in Commodore Schley's presence
once and that was when he went over the side
after the firing was over l heard these words.
that the reconnaissance had developed the bat
teries and he was satisfied. or words to that
Mr. Raynor questioned the witness concern
ing the signals of May 2S, with the end in view
of showing that Commodore Schley's signal at
place will be twenty-five miles south of San
tiago, was modified by the preceding signal
OF u:SO a. m, saying, In case OF separation
the fleet will rendezvous at place designated
by signal"
The witness declined to admit that this was
true calling attention to the fact that the
IL 80 signal also specified the latitude and longi
tude of Gonaives Bay, showing, as he held,
that that signal referred to a former signal
and that the 4:3O signal for rendezvous twen-
ty-five miles south of Santiago was Independent
and not modified.
ing the encounter with suspicious vessel
while en- route to Santiago.
You say there was a melee or mix-up on
the night of the 25th. That the time you
were your way from Cienfuegos to San
tiago. Is there anything in your log book about
that?'
II do not think so, but next morning made
a written statement to Captain Hfgginson.
am very sorry have not copy of the letter
The court asked the following questons:
Were any efforts made by the flying squad
ron to discover whether or not Cerveras squad
ron was in the harbor of Cienfuegos?"
None to my knowledge"
Were any orders given from the flagship
by signal or otherwise for the guidance of the
ships composing the flying squadron in the
event of meeting Cervera's SQUADRON on in the
passage from Cienfuegos to Santiago?"
None to my knowledge.
Commander Grant was then excused and
Lieutenant ]. H. Holden, who was watch officer
on ha d,,r:Y, he mic ch
called
Captain Lemly only asked Lieutenant Holden
boat from Commodore Schey to the Harvard
off Santiago on May %. He then stated that
Lieutenant Holden was the writer of the log
of the Scorpion in which entry made
concerning the message conveyed to Commodore
Schley through the Eagle and the Scorpion
from Captain McCalla. when the flying squad
ron was en- route to Cienfuegos.
Message to the Scorpion.
Mr. Raynor then addressed the court. quoting
the message which Lieutenant Commander
Switzerland, in command of the Eagle, testi-
fed he had megaphoned to the Scorpion on May
10 in order to intercept the Eagle. This
sage as the lieutenant commander gave 1t,
1--WE left Cienfuegos on the night of the 18th.
at which time, we learned from insur-
gent camp about thirteen miles to the westward
of Cienfuegos some of the people from which
were inside the town every night, that the only
vessels IN that harbor were a torpedo boat and
nine canoneros."
Mr.. Raynor then inquired of Captain Iemly
whether Commander Mark, who commanded
the Scorpion, was not now in Manila. Without
Immediately replying to this Captain Lenly
said
Il believe that Lieutenant Commander South
erland is right in his statement to the mes
sage he communicated to the Scorpion, but it
is like any other of communicating through
persons-there is a disagreement between the
log of the Scorpion, which 1 have before me,
and Mr.. Southerland's statement, and we are
not able to carry that message, which was de-
llveTed to the Scorpion, to Commodore Schley
RrTnl xlxrV1f IN
is at Cavite. l have every reason to believe
there would be a disagreement between Mark
and Southerland If Mark We're summoned from
TINS great distance, and we are prepared to ad-
NIT that If he were summoned he would NOT
say that communication had been made to the
Brooklyn as to the presence of the insurgents
Cienfue:os." --"0 4ie0i
Reading from the log, Captain Lemly quoted
the entry from a. m. to meridian for NAV
49, showing that the Brooklyn had Instructed
the scorpion to speak the Eagle and obtain
fuegos.'' O-
The entry then proceeds to tell of the carrv-
ing out of the order and reports the following
as being the message signaled to the BrooIx1v6
py the scorpion as the result of the interview
with the Eagle:
Eagle sent by McCalla from Cienfuegos n
report Nashville following about twenty-five
miles in rear to westward. Starboard high
pressure cylinder disabled. Proceed slowly
Cincinnati and Vesuvius off Cape San Antonio.
about fifteen miles to northward Flying SQUAD.
ron mas left Cienfuegos for Key West No
Mr.. Raynor-Are you able to state what
Lieutenant Commander Mark would testify to
before the court if he were here?
Captain Lemlv-I have it in the shape of a
cablegram and letter, neither of which is
properly evidence before the court because II
is not sworn to-
Mr.. Raynor-I will agree to accept that let
ter and cablegram. 1 do not know what is in
either Of them.
Captain Lemly-I am perfectly willing the
court should have them.
The cablegrHm and letter were then read
as was Assistant Secretary Hackett's cable
gram requesting the information. The Secre-
tarys cablegram was follows:
WASHINGTON, Aug II, 1901-Remey
Manila: See Mark and obtain correct state
ment Of information communicated through
Eagle. May 49, Did he communicate informa-
ton Schley? Give date of. All messages to
be in cipher. HACKETT."
Statement From Mark.
The cable received in reply was as follows:
"CAVITE. P L. Aug IA. 19o1-secretary
Navy Washington: Referring telegram Au-
gust H. Mark has deposed follows:
% The message communicated to the COM
mander of Eagle, May 10, to Schley from
McCalla to the effect that before leaving Glen
fuegos with his ships did not believe Spanish
ships had arrived there when Marblehead left
The message communicated to BROOKLYN
and Scorpion by hail.. REMEY.''
The letter which followed, and which con-