The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-10-10
TOfxPiAIN DEAR SCHIfY"lfTTfR
WHETHER HE MEANT CIENFUEGOS
WHEN HE WROTE SAN
TIAGO.
TOUCHING the COAL QUESTION
MASS OF FIGURES REGARDING
SUPPLY ON THE FLYING
SQUADRON.


naval court of inquiry Mr.. RayneI,
chief Of counsel for Admiral Schley,
asked Judge Advocate Lemly to sum-
mon Admiral Sampson as a witness In
the case. The request grew out of a
difference in the construction of a SEN
tence in Admiral SIMPSONS letter to
Commodore Schley, written from Key
West May 20, while Commodore Schley
with his flying squadron lay off Glen
fuegos. This is known as the Dear
Schley letter." and it was printed in
the navy department documents sup
piled to the senate. The admiral said,
after expressing his opinion that not
withstanding the report that the Span
ish squadron was In Santiago, it were
better to continue to blockade Cien-
fuegos and Havana, I'VE shall con.
tinue to hold Havana and Santiago un-
til We receive more positive informal
ton"
During the examination of Com
mander Raymond p. Rodgers this dis
patch was under consideration, when
Mr.. Rayner expressed the opinion that
the word Santiago had been mad
vertently used by the commander in
chief, assuming that he meant to use
the word Cienfuegos as better COR
responding with the context. AS the
document was printed there was
PnrenthetfcaI Note,
to which Admiral schley's initials were
attached. saying that evidently 1.-The
wrong city had been mentioned. Mr..
Rayner asked Judge Advocate Lemly
to make this concession, but the latter
70 Il ~
produce the original of Admiral Samp-
sons dispatch to prove that he had
said Santiago. Then Mr.. Rayner said:
II cannot take that word Santiago
to mean anything but Cienfueeos. 1t
is an imputation upon Commodore
Schley, and / cannot permit it to rest
without summoning the author of that
Dispatch TO which Capt. Lemly re-
sponded: Il have told you once be-
fore you can summon any one you
please"
Then" retorted Mr.. Rayner. SUM
mon Admiral Sampson"
This occurred only short time be-
fore the adjournment of the court for
the day, and was the subject of more
or less conversation of an animated
character after the days work was
concluded. Mr.. Rayner would only say
that he would insist upon the acmirars
being summoned unless the correction
was conceded.
As to Coal supply.
The witnesses for the day were Lieut..
c. w. Dyson of the bureau Of steam
engineering concerning the coal supply
OF the flying squadron; Commander
Raymond p. Rodgers, who was second
in command Of the battleship Iowa dur
ing the Spanish war and carried Ad-
miral SIMPSONS dispatches OF May 20
to Commodore Schley. and Commander
ALBION c. Hodgson, who was the navi-
gator Of the flagship Brooklyn.
Lieut.. Dyson presented mass Of
figures giving the coal supply of the
flying squadron, and the number of
tons consumed by the different vessels
at various speeds. This testimony was
intended to show that there was no
necessity for Schley to leave the block
ade off Santiago to go to Key West for
coal. He made good case until
Schley's attorneys took him in hand,
and when they got through with him
his elaborate display of mathematics
was torn to tatters.
the stand Mr.. Rayner submitted com.
putation of shells from the American
fleet which had struck the wrecked
vessels Of Cervera's squadron, show
ing that at least "a per cent of them
were
Fired by the Brooklyn.
This computation Mr.. Rayner said had
been prepared by Admiral Schley upon
the basis of a report made by board
Of survey. OF which the witness was
the serior member. Comma nder
Hodgson gave a graphic description of
the battle OFF Santiago. describing the
part taken in /. by the Brooklyn, and
explaining the change in the entry Of
that vessels log. During his testi-
mony the colloquy between himself and
Admiral Schley on the bridge Of the
Brooklyn was referred to. In response
to Capt. Lemly's questions he said that
when the Brooklyn made the much dis
cussed turn he remarked to Schley
that they were in danger of ramming
the Texas. To this he alleges that
Schley replied; Damn the Texas; let
her take care of herself. I am not GO
ing to take chances Of being blown up
by torpedo boat"