The sun., 1901-10-11
SANTIAGO BLOCKADE
Lieutenant Commander Leiper Before
Schley Court.
SHIPS OUT SEVEN MILES.
mn Not Go In Closer mt Night, Says
,hr witness, COntrndicting the
Testimony Of other Om-
GERS.

rnyal court began DuSlnesS ~ -
,,,rlock with the recall Of witnesses for |
In correction of their testimony ana
thr addition of such points as might
hnye suggested themselves since their
retirement from the witness STAND.
.rhrsr were Admiral Taylor, Lieuten-
amt Commander Potts and LIEUTENANT
Brstol. They were followed by Lieu
tenant Edward Il. Leiper.
Lieutenant Leiper was an officer on
thr New Orleans and participated IN
,br hombardnent or reconnaissance OF
,ho Spanish steamer Cristobal Colon
~ NAV 81, 1898. the day before the
arrival mt Santiago of Commander IN
Chief Sampson. lie was also on the
New Orleans when that vessel pom
bartled the Spanish shore batteries OF
Santiago. His testimony dealt with
those events.
Assistant Judge Advocate Hanna
was not present in the courtroom
lie was detained Mt his home ny III
ness. and the entire presentation or
the ease on behalf of the government
was directed by Judge Advocate
\ i
Admiral Schley also was absent, nav
ing gone to his home in New Jersey.
Captain I.cmly resumed the question
ing of Lieutenant Leiper by asking
him concerning the blockade of San
tiago by Commodore Schley. The wit
ness said that when the New Orleans
ioined the blockade the vessels were
lying in column from six TO eight miles
off shore. little to the eastward OF
directly south Of the mouth of the mar
bor At night they steamed slowly
back and forth in front of the harbor
800 yards apart. They We're 50 far out
the witness said. that ii was impossible
TO distinguish points on the shore or
to determine where the shore line met
the water line. He could distinguish
the vessel nearest to him ahead. On
the first night OF the blockade he had
rot been able to distinguish the Brook
lyn and the Vixen. The Marblehcad
and the Vixen had occupied places be.
tween the blockade line and the shore
but he had not been able to distinguish
them. Practically the distance of Tho
main vessels from the shore line was
the same in the day MS mt night. liz
could not say how far east or west o.
the mouth of the harbor the fleet hnt
steamed, as he could not see the har
Dor.
Not Closer at Night.
On cross examination Mr.. Rayne
called the attention Of the witness I
the statement of Captain Folger, VIII
had been in command of the New o.
leans, that the feet was nearer til
shore at night than in daytime and ash
ed whether he agreed with his con
mandng officer. The witness replied
"As fleet or squadron | do not agre
that they moved closer to the shore ;
night | have an indistinct recolle
ton that the New Orleans the fir
evening was lying a little farther OF
shore than the Brooklyn. When ii
Rrooklyn took mp her course east, Il
New Orleans had to 20 in probably
quarter or possibly half a nile to e
her position in the rear Of the Broo
lyn. hut II was no more than that.
was simply to stand in. II may ha'
been that that gave the captain or col
manding officer the impression that '
were closer in ut night
Mr. Rayncr called attention to I
fact that the log of the New Orlca
placed the distance of that vessel fra
the MORO at AZ miles, and the witnt
said this was true.
Lieutenant Leipcr said in further
ply to questions that his estimate
the distance out was entirely due
visual observation
Asked whether he agreed with O.
tain Folger i'm stating that the rec
noissance Of May 81, when the Co
was bombarded, was Il success in
veloping the strength and number
the shore batteries, the witness repl
that he thought 1t had been n succ
to that extent but that he could
agree with Captain Folger in all t
he had said. He found that the fire
the batteries was slow. He also fol
that the greatest calber probably '
six inch gun on the Xocapa bate
that there appeared to be only tive
three guns there not Of that CALL
that on the battery east of the Nc
there appeared to be four or five 9
fired. 'and from the volume Of SIN
and the range attained il appeared
me That they were llght guns, less I
six inches in caliber.
In response TO Captain T.emly on
direct examination Lieutenant lie
said that the distance of the blocl
ing vessels from the entrance to
tiago harbor was about eight miles
the point where the vessels turned
night
weakness of Batteries.
The Judge advocate asked, wv
really. as n matter of fact was d,
oped by the affair of May 81 as to
strength or weakness of guns?"
The witness replied, "As comp
with the strength of the ships of
squadron or as compared with
strength of the guns of any shi
the squadron, any of the battles
the Brooklyn. New Orleans or the
blehead, the batteries were weak"
Lieutenant Leiper was then exc
and Lieutenant Bristol called fol
purpose of correcting his testimon.
While Lieutenant Bristol was ol
stand Mr.. Rayner read to him re
from Captain II. d. Evans, Ca
Henry Glass and Lieutenant '
wright Kelog, dated in 1893, 81
that the stadimeter, whose accura
had dscre(lited, is reliable With