New-York tribune., 1901-09-29
DETAILS OF THE INQUIRY.
CAPTAIN MCALLA FINISHES HIS STORY
-LIEUTENANT-C COMMANDER SOUTH
ERLAND FOLLOWS HIM
[By The Associated Press.I

IBy The Associated Press.1
Washington, Sept. 2s.-To-day's session Of the
schley court Of inquiry began at II o'clock with
the recall of yesterdays witnesses for the purpose
of correcting mistakes In their testimony and al
lowing other questions be asked them, when
necessary to make clear any point which had not
been sufficiently elucidated Captain McCalla, who
had commanded the Marblehead during the Span
ish war, then continued his testimony, which he
began yesterday.
The counsel for Rear-AdmiraI Schley have
reached agreement with the counsel for the
Navy Department as TO the parts of the logs of
the various vessels engaged in the Santiago cam
paign which are to be put in as evidence and print
ed In the record of the courts proceedings. 1t
found impracticable to print the entire logs, not
only because to do so would have been confusing,
but because of the delay it would have occasioned
in getting out such volume of material they
would have made. Counsel have eliminated all
parts of the logs which do bear upon the in
quiry. and such as will be printed expected to
be useful TO the court, well SIS to counsel
Mr.. Hanna made a brief explanation of his
of the term accused" in yesterdays proceedings
as applied to Rear-Admiral schley. He said:
l should like to say word in explanation of one
record that used the word accused in referring
court t6 Of Of inquiry wish to state. with respect
expression until this morning It was used in the
Tapidity OF debate, and simply for the reason that
word generally employed in such cases. Before
this court of inquiry began the judge advocate
gentleman who had requested it. and. desiring to
we Selected P term Wsb 10 o IN the
the term of applicant and I believe I have used
ceedngs | wish to add only my sincere and
earnest and most cordial expressions of regret that
ployed word that would imply any such refec-
MCALLA RESUMES.
When Captain McCaIa took the witness stand
Mr.. Hanna asked him: Were any ships assigned
to the duty of engaging the batteries on the morn
ing Of May 81. 1898, during that day, or to the
duty of enflading the batteries"
The reply was 'None that know of"
MI Hanna then asked Were there any shoals
or other obstacles of any kind prevent the battle
ships from approaching the mouth of the harbor of
Santiago sufficiently close have been within easy
range of the Colon?"
Captain Parker objected TO the question but the
court refused to sustain the objection. and the
question repeated. Captain McCalla replied:
None that know of. The only shoal I knew Of
was the shoal the west side of the channel op-
posite the Moro"
Did the battleships go within range of the
Colon?'
Not from my observation"
Were you situated as to observe the fall Of
shots from the heet?"
II was
Where did they fall?"
Il think I saw every shot fired They all fell
Colon
The witness said that the American ships
gagged in the Colon bombardment steamed in dis
tance OF about two miles.
Captain McCaIla testified at some length con-
cernng the weather and the May 26 and 81
He said there difficulty In coaling on the
9th the smooth The witness said he
had been present during conference Of command
ing officers the Brooklyn while the feet off
Santiago on May %. Describing what took place
he said:
THE commanding officers were ordered on board
the Brooklyn May %. 1t with regard 10 the
work of blockade. 1 can only remember one specific
thing which took place at the close. and that was
that Captain Evans asked Commodore Schey if
the Spanish ships came if he was going for
them. He said Certainly and then arranged for
a subdivision of fire from the ships under his COM
mand on the Spanish ships should they come out"
Mr.. Hanna-Prior TO that conference Of May %
had you at any time received definite instructions
respecting the order of battle the mode of pro-
cedure which the fleet should follow in the
Spanish vessels should suddenly appear?
Il do not remember"
ENOUGH GLORY FOR ALL.
Did you have any further conversation with
Commodore Schley?'
Il had conversation with him in his cabin after
the battle Of Santiago about July in Guantanamo
Bay | went board making official call, to
pay my respects, and during the visit Commodore
Schey read what understood to be part of
his official report of the battle After he had FIN
ished ] said Commodore. you remember that after
the battle of Lake Erie there unfortunate
and ] hope that there will be none
after the battle of Santiago, because there was
glory enough for everyb
Captain McCalla said that when the Flying squad
ron encountered the scout ships TO the south of
Santiago May 26, they of a direct line
south.
If they had continued as they were then going,
could they have arrived at Santiago?" ne was
asked, and replied:
Certainly not"
Where would they have arrIved?'
'If they had continued they were going they
would have struck the coast Of Hayti"
Relating the particulars of the blockade of San
tiago before June 1, Captain McCalla said the
Marblehead and the Vixen had at night occupied
positions inside the large ships. about miles
from the shore line and that the line easily
discernible.
On oss-examinat tion by Mr. Rayner the witness
said he had failed to execute order from Ad-
miral Remey delivered while he was in command
off Cienfuegos directing that all except the small
est vessels be withdrawn. He had, he said. failed
to leave the small vessels there.
did you do that your own responsibility
"On my responsibility"
Referring to the fact that he had informed Cap
tain Chadwick. Admiral SIMPSONS chief of staff
of the code of signals arranged for communicat
ing with the insurgent Cubans. he said that he
did not in any way communicate with the com
ma nder in chief. Mr. Rayner then asked: "Ac- |
cording TO the regular custom and regulations OBJ |
served in Of that sort was it not your pur- |
pose that this communication should go TO the |
-in-chief through his chief of staff?'
Certainly was the reply
The witness said further that he thought It had |
been knowledge at Key West after his |
arrival there May 10 that the Cuban nsur- |
gents the coast near Cienfuegos. but that |
no information was given concerning the secret |
code. He had he said. failed to give the code to |
Commodore Schley when he passed him. when the /
on his way to Cenfuegos, because |