Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-30
FOR COUNCIL MEN.

| and my impression Is we did not get
under way until after O'clock"
The witness was asked whether he
| did not steer westerly course before
and after the interval Of stopping Ola
| May2G and n.
mo" replied the admiral (referring
| to the Brooklyn's log). 1T shows We
were steering to the eastward up to 8
| y. NJ May 26, from 10 IL o'clock TO
| the westward, and from I to o'clock
on the 2Sth west-northwest, to pick up
the Yale with the Ardois signals"
1--WE CAN TRY"
Referring to the signal OF the Texas
on May q, saying Eve can try" in re-
spouse to the inquiry whether she
could coal, Admiral Schley said that
the Texas did make the trial and that
she not only succeeded In coalng, but
! that she succeeded In doing some injury
to herself and also to the Merrimac In
the transaction. The damage was not
great but II Indicated that there was
reason for the doubt which Capt. Phil
lips signal had indicated him TO be in.
He also said that the collier Merrimac
had used her own steam In going to
Santiago on the return after the retro
grade movement. He placed the
Brooklyn's position on the first arrival
off Santiago at twenty miles south
ward.
DISPATCH OF MAY 25.
Capt. Lemly--lf having brought the
flying squadron to the vicinity of San
tiago and having In your possession a
dispatch from the navy department.
dated May 49, $685. which directed the
| Harvard to proceed at,iunce and inform
you and the senior officer present off
Santiago, "All departments informa-
| ton Indicates Spanish division is still
at Santiago whether you did not, with
this dispatch in your possessi.n from
the department signal, Destination
Key West" without consulting the
commanding officers of the several ves-
sells composing your SQUADRON?
Il did not get that dispatch until the
9th Of May, although dated the 25th
at Washington, and did hoist the sig
nal afterward for the reason / stated
little while ago, that the information
In my possession az that time from
Capt Sigsbee, the positive assertion
that the Spanish squadron was not
there. supported by the testimony OF
Nunez that they could not get In on ac-
count OF certain difficulties of draught
and narrowness Of channel consld-
cred then that had to act on my own
responsibility. | did not call the COM
mandIng officers on board for, as I
stated In my direct testimony. that !
was always ready to assume the re-
sponsibility for any movement that
might involve censure rather than
throwing myself back upon anybody
else That was the motive and reason
for this action" The admiral said that
he had In his possession the depart
ment's communication OF May 25 and
May q, when he had again signaled in
dicating a purpose to go to Key West.
CoNFIDED To CAPT. COOK.
In response to an inquiry he said he
thought he had conilded to Capt. Cook
his purpose in returning TO Key West,
but he could not recall certainly that he
had done so.
Where could you have coaled II you
had gone TO Key West?" asked Capt.
lemly.
MY purpose was to coal at the first
opportunity whenever II was possible 20
DO so. IL / had gone TO Key West |
should have coaled on the outside-just
outside the lighthouse"
Asked about the condition Of the coal
supply at 1856 D. M, May "a, when a
dispatch was sent from him saying that
half the squadron was out OF coal. he
said that evidently there was an error
In that dispatch, that while the original
as written read that way he could not
have dictated IT, because" he said.
that was not true"
Continuing his interrogations concern
ing the coal sunDy. Capt Lemlly asked:
What was then the condition OF the
Merrimac?"
"She had 1000 tons Of coal aboard but
she was disabled replied the witness.
When you started on the retrograde
movement did YOU not take with you
all the United States vessels there ana
leave the port Of Santiago unguarded?"
mo. we did not leave the immediate
vicinity upon the 18th. We were south
OF the harbor fifteen or eighteen miles"
But when you did start 10 the vest
ward. did you not take all the ships
with you2'
II don't recollect exactly The 81.
Paul must have been with US"
when did YOU send the ST. Paul
back?"
The admiral said he had sent the 81.
Paul back May g. He had not with.
drawn the scouts further than he found
them. He was closely questioned as 10
why. on the 27th, he reported that he
was absolutely unable to coal the
Brooklyn" he said II was owing 10 the
motion Of the shin. lie also added that
she did not need coal and he did not try
10 coal her.
what was your particular purpose IN
reporting 10 the department that Won
had been absolutely unable TO coal the
Brooklyn when the Brooklyn did not
need coal"
"simnly because II We had wanted 10
we could not have done So"
"was the BROOKLYN the only vev-ol
IN your squadron having more than suf.
hcient coal 10 each Key west?"
III YOU teke the circumstances NJ
economical steaming, probably no: but
y Won we're IN take into confederation
all the circumstances OF services likely
on such a trip. then she probably was.
with ihe exception OF IN, loza."
DISPATCH INTRODUCED AGAIN.