Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-05

by Secretary Long and dated Wash
ington, May 30, and Abeginnin
sS Ihe report OF the Spanish fleet be-
Ing ait Santiago de Cuba might very
we'll IN be correct, so the dspartme
strongly adVises that you send word
ediately by the Iowa to Sch1ey to
proceed off Santiago with his whole
command, leaving one small vessel at 4
Cienfuego ~ S$ 59sss.
Captain Rodgers was examined at 3
length concerning the coaHng of the
flying squadron s
ssC Could you have coaled the Iowa on
the afternoon Of May 26 rs Mr. Hanna
asked.
III the late afternoon the time
speak of, the weather being fine and
smooth i think there would have been
no trouble at all ''5S ~
s5S's. hen the collier can deliver coal
can battleship like the Iowa AXE 1
its ES 4.
nth a ship like the Iowa with no
broadside guns, the danger in coaling 4
at sea is entirely to the coll e '#$
S Is there any more danger to a col
lier with a battleship on either side 9"
The Collier III Great Danger.
5 55F There would be very great danger
to 1lier III coaling battleships with
a battleship on either Side .s5: II
Captain Rodgers related two or
three instances in which the ships OF
the flying squadron were cleared for
action upon signal from the flagship
Brooklyn before MayE31 when vessels 4
were discerned In the distance u IN
each case the vessels proved to be 4
American ships Each time the signal 4
was to clear for action and make
speed OF IL knots an hour. He also
told OF the bomb ardment or recon
Nuisance OF the Cristobal s Colon on
May 81 ], In which the Iowa participant
ed He said the vessels were all in;
eormation and following the flagship,
which IN that instance was the Massa-
chusetts. The range was at first
given at q 900 yards for this engage
jment but the shots fell so far short
that the range was Increased to Al, 600
yards. These lattersshots fell into the
channel In which the; Colon lay. Some
Suf them must have fallen within 2,5Q0
yards OF the Spanish ship.
Describing Commodore Schley's's
sbloekade Of the harbor at Santiago
witness said that the fleet maintained
al position of seven or ight miles out
with the Marb lehead and the Vixen in
side the line. He remembered that
the Marblehead was on the inside
from the fact that some of the vessels
in the squadron had fired at her. He
could not say Wheth her sthe5 feet was
further out in the day time than at
night vice versa. ;t2
8 He thought the Marb1eheadt and
Vixen could have been seen by moon
light, but 1T was after the moon had
set.
Captain Rodgers had concluded his
testimony IN chief when the court adj
:journed for lunch con ~ .{:sf
Effect of Broo kiyn's Gunnery.
2s The afternoon session OF the SchIey
court Of inquiry began with Captain
Rodgers still on the stand. He stated
In reply to questions that he was the
senior member Of the naval board of
survey appointed by Admiral Sampson
To- examine the esked Spanish yes
sells.
It The purpose OF this line Of examina.
ton was to bring out the witness
knowledge concerning the effectsof the
BrookIyn's gunnery lid the battle Off
Santiago July 3. 8 Captain Rodgers
stated that the Brooklyn was the only
vessel that fired five inch shells, and
Mr.. Rayner said that q careful com
putationS based upon the report Of the
board OF survey showed that ~ i've
inch shells had been fred on the four
Spanish vessels.
Mr. Rayner presented q statement
Showing the number OF shells found
on the vessels of the Spanish fleet and
the witness was asked to state the 4
percentage of fiveinch shells, assum.
ing the statement to- be correct. Cap
tain Rodgers replied that the total
number Of hits was rs and that there.
fore the 8fFeinch shel hits constituted
334 per cent of all be- hits. Mr. Ray
sner said the statement had been pre-
pared BY Admiral Schley
The witness also said he knew that 1
the Brooklyn had 8-inch guns, but Mrs
Rayner said the admiral's comp
tion was not intended to cover that j
feature. His only purpose 81 was tos
make the showing for 5-inch gnas.1
these being unmist kabiy the Brook. 1 .'l;
lyn' s.
samrson's s Dear schley" letter.
Cross.examined Oh the dispatches
carried BY the Iowa Captain Rodgers
was asked if the Dear Schley letter
dated at Key West, May 20, 1893,
written by AdmiraI Sampson, In which
the statement was made that 81 am ot
the oWnion that our best chance OF 1
success id capturing the enemy IS ships I
will be to hold Cienfuegos and HasS
vana. 4. was included 81 in these dis
patches. The Witness replied that he
had no knowledge WHIST tha envelopes
contained. While the ~ aminatf ion on
this point was IN progreas Mr. Rayner
read the letter, including the following
extract:
later 1t should develop that these \
vessels are at Santiago, we could Then
assemble OF that port the ships best
suited for the purpose and completely
blockade ft.s Unless We receive more
positive inf format lon we shall continue
to hold Havana and antiago. "a
MIR. Hayner remarked that he sup.
posed 1T would be conceded that the
word Santiago aa given above was a
nistake and that II should be edenfun
gos. y, Captain Lemly replied that he