Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-09-27
SCHLEY COURT HAS
ONLY ONE SESSION
Adjourned to Attend Judge
Wilson's Funeral.
CAPTAIN WISE ON STAND

continues Narration of Retrograde
movement of Flying Squadron to
Key West on May % and of What He
Knew at Time of Spanish Fleet.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26.-The Schley
court of inquiry began its session today
with the intention of holding one sit.
tlng' having decided to forego the after.
noon session in order to permit the
members of the court and counsel to at.
teno the funeral of Judge Wilson.
Counsel for the navy department to.
day continued their efforts to show that
Admiral Schley had information of the
presence of Admiral Cervera and his
meet III the harbor of Santiago, and in
troduced for this purpose additional
oI1cers OF the auxiliary cruisers which
were at the time doing duty SIS scout
boats IN West Indian waters. Admiral
Schley's counsel on the other hand
maintained their purpose of trying to
ho1d the testimony down to the require.
ments of civil courts.
captain Wise, who commanded the
scout ship Yale during the Spanish war,
continued his narration of the retro.
grade movement of the flying squadron
toward Key West on May 81. He first
told OF how the Yale had taken the Mer-
rlmac In tow under direction of Ad.
m1ral Schley. He said that the admiral
mad slgnalled on the starting to ask ii
tnere was coal enough to carry him to
hey West, to which he had responded
In the affirmative.
Coal For Two Days.
On the next day he had reported in re-
sponse to any inquiry that he had coal
sufflclent for two days of full steaming
and for four days of moderate steaming.
He was then dispatched to Newport
News, reporting to Admiral Sampson on
the way. He had told Admiral Samp-
son, he said, that the flying squadron
was about 30 miles west of Santiago
In response to a question of the admiral
he had said he did not know what it
was doing there. In detailing the trip
westward to Key West the witness told |
of breaking of the Yale's hawser on the
Merrimac. He said this had caused de-
lay.
"What was the difficulty?" asked
Captain Lemley.
Improper securing of hawser on the
Merrimao
''Was it due to tempestuous weather
or not?"
"Not at all"
Mr.. Hanna read the following extract
from Admiral Schley's report of Feb.
l6, beginning:
"After having been informed by the
scouts commander by such officers as
Sigsbee, Jewall and Wise that although
they had all been off Santiago de Cuba
for a week they had seen nothing of it
(the Spanish fleet) and knew nothing of
it's movements or its whereabouts, etc" "
He then asked Captain Wise if he had
made such communication to the ad.
miraL
II did not" was the response.
did you give Admiral Schley any in.
formation respecting the Spanish squad
ron?''
"Only through Captain sigsbee, " was
the responee. Il did not go on board
the Brooklyn at all l gave Captain
Sigsbee all the information had"
Had you been off Santiago for a
weekP"
II was there from the morning of
May 20 until the evening Of May 26,
when the flying squadron arrived"
Wise Cross Examined.
Captain Wise was cross examined on
this point by Mr.. Raynor. He asked:
From the merning of May % to the
arrival of the flying squadron on the
evening of May 26 you were trying to
get in touch with the enemy and watch.
ing the harbor2"
eyes"
'You saw nothing in there?'
II could not see any harbor at alp"
"You saw around the corner of Cape
Smith,"
"Ws saw the masts of small vessel.
Gould not distin guish what it was. 3"
'You sent no one on shore to try to
establish communication"
'Not at all"
''Isn't the natural condition of the
harbor such that 1t is impossible to see
considerably up the harbor?"
"You can see only a short distance up
the harbor."
"And there was nothing in sight
whatever, was thereP'
Nothing at all, "
The witness said that Captain Sigs.
bee had taken the dispatch beginning
"Get in touch with the enemy"
The court through Admiral Dewey
asked:
"Was it your duty or Captain Sigsbee's
to convey the information in the dis.
patch referred to toCommodore Schley?"
81 think 1t was Captain Sigsbee's, as
he went Immediately on duty and was
intercepted by orders from the oommo-
dore to take the Merrimao in tow"
Mr.. Hanna-"Did you receive any in
Quiry, or did the commanding officer of
the flying squadron ask you for any in
formation at any timer"
Nothing"
Not In Hailing Distance.
Mr.. Raynor continued his questions,
devoting himself especially to the sig.
Mailing between the Yale and flagship.
The witness said he was sure that on
May 90, when he hailed the Texas, ne
had not passed within hailing distance
of the Brooklyn, being IL miles dis.
tant.
Mr.. Raynor read from a report made
on May 80 by Admiral Sampson, in
which he stated that Captain Wise had
teld him that he believed Santiago har-
ber to be strongly fortified.
''Is that true?" Mr.. Raynor asked.
''Ie is" was the response.
Captain Wise said in reply to ques. |
tions of Captain Parker that he would |
at any time when off Santiago have
been able TO signal any information he |
might have had in regard to the situa. |
tion. He had seen the masts of a ves-
sci and thought 1t to be a small military |
vessel. He had gone far enough to OBJ. |
serve the land batteries.
In reply to an inquiry from the court |
the witness said tie land batteries did |
not fIre upon the Yale while that vesse. |