The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-14


ment looks upon you to ascertain fact,
and that enemy, If therein, does not. leaYs
without decisive action Cubans fanlil
lar with Santiago de Cuba say that there
west or six 60 from mouth of harbor and
that there insurgents probably will be
found and not Spanish. From the sur
rounding heights can see every vessel i'll
the port. AS soon as ascertained notify
department whether enemy is there. Could
not squadron and also the Harvard coal
from Merrimac, leewardGaps Cruz, Cuba;
Gonaives, Hayti channet or Mole, HaytP
The department will seIsdscoa1 Immediate
ly to Mole, Hayti. Report without delay
situation at Santiago de Cuba
This dispatch was answered by Commo-
dore Schley about noon May o. as fol-
lows: 81
sch1ey's Reply.
Received dispatch of May 26th, deliv-
cred by Harvard off Santiago de Cuba
Merrimac'S engine is disabled and she is
helpless; am obliged to have her towed
to Key West. Have been absolutely UNI
Brooklyn from collier, owing to very
rough seas and boisterous weather since
leaving Key West Brooklyn is the only
one in squadron having more than suffi-
Gent coal to reach Key West Impossi-
BILE to remain off Santiago in present state
of coal account of the squadron. Not pos
sible to coal to leeward of Cape Cruz in
summer, owing to southwest winds. -Har-
enough to reach Jamaica, and she will
proceed to Port Royal; also reports only
small vessels could coal at Gonaives or
Mole, Hayti. Minneapolis has only coal
enough to reach Key West. and same of
Yale, which will tow Merrimac 1t is to-
be regretted that the departments orders
cannot be obeyed, earnestly as we. have,
striven to that end. l am forced to re-
turn to Key West via Yucatan passage
for COAL Can ascertain nothing certain
concerning enemy. Was obliged to send
Eagle to Port Antonio, Jamaica, yester-
day. as she has only twenty-seven- tons
Of coal on board. Will leave st. Faul
here. VIII require $500 tons of coal at
Key West"
Status of Coal supply.
the coal supply of the vessels of the
flying squadron at noon on May q was
sufficient to have enabled them to steam
for liz days; iowa, HIs Massach htf ).
10; Texas 81; Marblehead, SA; Vixen.
11l2. Or to have remained on blockade
duty off Santiago de Cuba: The Brook
lyn for rs days; Iowa, Is; Massachusetts,
90; Texas, 10; Marblehead, s. Vixen. %,
and then steam to Gonaives, Hayti, or to
Cape Cruz. Cuba, to coal.
At that date the flying squadron was
accompanied by the collier Merrimac
containing 1850 tons of COAL The
amount Of coal required to completely
FIJI the coal bunkers of all the vessels
of the flying squadron on this same date
was 2, $50 TONS The conditions of wind,
sea and weather from noon on MAY 25
to June were favorable for taking
coal from a collier at sea off Santiago
de Cuba.
The Iowa, Castine and Dupont coaled
at Cienfuegos from the collier Merri-
mac on May %, and the Massachusetts,
and Castine on May "a. The Texas asked
permission to coal first on May % and
was refused by Commodore Schley, who
ordered the Iowa to coal first and TIE
Massac husetts second.
No
the collier on May "a, but the order was
revoked, as the Massachusetts, was
alongside of the collier and the command
ing officer of the collier deemed it unsafe
tlesRips.
The Texas and Marbiehead coaled at
sea off Santiago from collier May 81 and
Is; the Massachusetts, and Vixen on
May 20: the Brooklyn and iowa on May5l
80; the Brooklyn, Texas and Marblehead
on May 81.
At 3:S5 p. M, May 27, Commodore scnIey
signaled to the St. Paul IF Sampson
comes here tell him half of squadron out
OF coal and collier engines broken down.
at 1915 p. M, May q, Commodore
Schley signaled to the Texas: .'The
more coal you take in this smooth |
weather the less you will have to take
at Haiti.
Allegations of Negligence.
Commodore Schley' made no effort IN |
ascertain whether the Spanish squadron
was in the harbor of Santiago; he left |
said harbor entirely unguarded from 6 |
p: m, OF May e to p. m,aof May Il,
and guarded only by the scout St. Paul |
from 5fp, m., May ri. until about 6 p. m.
of May g. e- !
The flying squadron arrived off the har-
Dor of Santiago de Cuba, seven miles
south of the MORO, at 6 p. M. May 2e,
and established. a blockade The dis |
tance from Cienfuegos to Santiago is S15 |
miles. Commodore Sehley did not pro-
coed with all dispatch from Cienfuegos
to Santiago de Cuba.
Early ON the morningxsef May 20 the |
Cristobal Colon and other vessels of the
Spanish squadron were discovered at an
Choir in the harbOr of Santiago about |
LOO yards from the entrance. No at |
tempt was made by Commodore SchIey
on May 20 or May 30 to capture or de-
sstroy the Spanish vessels, At 100 p. M,
collier Sterling Joined the flying squad
ron.
Shooting at theSCoIon.
At 1866 a. M. May 81. Commodore
Schley shifted his flag to the Massachu-
sets, and at lilo a. m. the flagship sig
nailed: The Massachusetts, New Orleans
and Iowa will go in after dinner to dis
lance of 1000 yards and fire at the Girls |
tobal Colon with eight, twelve and thir-
teen-inch guns. Speed. about ten knots" |
At 1:SO p. m. the three vessels desig-
mated steamed, in column,5 towards the |
u
Ing to the eastward, at about ten knots |
speed. The ships passed the harbor en-
trance about 1000 yards distant from the |
MORO, firing at the Colon and the shore !
batteries with ranges varying from 1000 |
yards to $500 yards. All projectiles fell |
short.
When the ships had passed to the east
ward of the entrance the flagship turned |
off-shore, followed in succession by the |
other ships, repassed the entrance and |
fired as before, but with ranges varying |
from 9,0c0 to Il 900 yards. Some of these |
projectileS fell near the Colon.
The fire was returned by the ships in |
the harbor and by the land batteries, but
no large guns We're used by the batteries. |
Several projectiles passed over our yes |
sells, but no injuries were sustained
The flying squadron did not Withdraw |
at night from the entrance to Santiago |
harbor to a distance at sea. The block |
ace was maintained at an average dis |
lance Of about six to seven miles from |
the harbor entrance during the day, and |
probably somewhat nearer during the |
night. Two vessels performed picket duty |
at nlght, TWO miles inside of the line Of
vessels.
Coming Out of Spaniards.
The Spanish squadron was discovered |
to be in the entrance to Santiago harbor,
steaming out, about $3.50 a. m. July 9,
1898. The Brooklyn at that time was
= beading eao to the westward Of north, about
the Moro, which was practically her
blockading position
Large vessels coming out of the har-
Dor of Santiago were obliged to hold
about southwest by SOUTH and the Span
ish vessels, therefore, in steaming out.
until clear of the shoaI to the westward.
Were obliged to head directly for the po-
sition of the Brooklyn. When clear of
this shoal, the Spanish vessels turned in
succession to the westward and took a
course nearly parallel to the land.
The Brooklyn stood towards the Span
ish vessels, with VARYING helm, fired one