The age-herald., 1901-10-08

TIC SalQ LIldI the SHOlS Ol bnc 1SCW VT leans on that day had been fired at a range of from 5000 to 10000 yards and that ali had fallen short.
 What damage was done to the enemy on that occasion?" asked Captain Lem ley.
 q don't think there was any" replied the witness.
 Was there any further effort to cap ture or destroy the Colon?"
 Not to my knowledge"
 Were all the vessels available engaged in that action?''
 NO; the Texas and the Brooklyn were in the rear"
 Was the fire of the enemy's batteries heavy enough to seriously endanger the attacking ships?"
 ''I do not so consider"
 What was developed as to the shore batteries?'
 That they had not strength enough to do any material damage
 Referring to the bombardment of May 31, Captain Folger expressed the opinion that the shots which had fallen near the fleet on that date were from Spanish ships in the harbor, fired over the hills, and not from the shore batteries. For this reason he had directed all the New Orleans fire on that occasion at the Colon, instead of the land batteries
 Four Miles From Moro.
 Describing the blockade of Santiago harbor maintained by Commodore Schley the witness said that the distance out was from five to eight miles, and tltit at night the vessels steam ed back and forth in column, gradually going. He did not believe that the vessels were more than four miles from Moro on that date
 MT. Rayner-"What knowledge did you acquire as the result of the reconnois- Sance or bombardment? 2"
 By the number of shots that were fred by the character of the discharge, the smoke, etc.. as indicating the calibre of the guns; by the fall of the projectiles the amount of water they would throw up and the evident direction of the fall as indicating whether the projectiles were moving with great velocity or with slow speed. In that way judged alone"
 Those things were developed as the result of the reconnaissance were they not?'
 ''I consider the reconnaissance in that particular to have been eminently suc- cessful."
 When the judge advocate again took the witness he asked: .
 Referring to your answer that the firing of the 31st was eminently successful in developing the strength of the Santiago batteries. what, as a matter of fact was developed as to the strength of such bat teries; were they strong or otherwise?"
 "They were weak"
 Not Furnished Plan of Battle.
 The court asked questions of Captain Folger as follows:
 Were you furnished any plan of battle by Commodore Schley to be followed in case the Spanish squadron should come out?"
 'sNo sir"
 Admiral Dewey-You referred to a sig nal from the flagship. The court would like to know what that signal wasp
 "The signal was, New Orleans, clear ship for action;' and think 1t was fol- lowed by the signal, the New Orleans. Iowa, Massachusetts will engage the forts indicating that there was to be a reconnaissance or the bombardment. do not remember any conversation with ject."
 Admiral Dewey-The court would like to know from the signal book exactly the signals made by the Massachusetts.
 The Witness (reading): At 12:4S, in obedience to flagship, Massachusetts sig naled to the New Orleans and Iowa to clear for action. Sounded to general quarters and cleared ship for action. At once started ahead, both engines. Massa- cnuSettS ledQiIlS. IneTe were nO Otner signals in that watch"
 Could Have Escaped at Night. By the Court: Were the blockading vessels near enough to the entrance of the harbor at night to prevent the escape of the enemy had such an attempt been nader
 Had the weather been persstently clear, yes; if the weather were thick, rainy or foggy mo-" Captain Parker: Were not the Vixen and Marblehead inside the lines?'
 "They were"
 "was the weather good or bad during these nights?"
 'The weather was very bad-rainy."
 Lieut. c. w. Dyson was recalled. He testified concerning the coal supply of the scoutboats on May 26, the day the retrograde movement toward Key West was begun. He said in reply to ques- tions that no battleship could travel for more than eight to twelve hours on forced draft, and that on the day of the battle of Santiago the flagship New York had all her boilers on and was making l, knots, but that neither the Brooklyn nor the Oregon made full speed on that occasion, their maximum for the day be- ing IA to 15 knots. At 3:55 o'clock the court adjourned un- til tomorrow.