The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-10
DIRECTOR or WORKS
ACCEPTS THE SITE.

ginson says about Commodore sch!ey,s
manner ana bearing upon that occasion. lie
SAYS: His manner was that ol com
mander-in-chief He left different IN I'M.
preston in your mind from what ne left
on Captain HiaginsOns mind. then.
"Apparent!y.' .. ..
HAD Captain Higginson opportunity to
observe aim on that occasion!
Not az well as | did
why was that
because Captain HtgGinson was in the
coming tower and | was outside
Did not Captain HigEinson nave any
conversations with the Commodore at That
time
From time to time yes
ment?'
II quoted conversations that l had. The
first thing was the apparent anxiety oi
Commodore Schlsy abou: using the con,
ming tower Secondly. his stating that at
a distance of five TO six miles men stand
Ing the forward la-lnch tutfet "e'e
conspicuous objects.
Did the Commodore use the connins
tower?'' .h,
coming tower. To the best of my KNOW
edge and belief he did not. He was OUTSIDE
the coming tower and between the con-
ming tower and the heavy plate that pro
tcCts the manhole IN the coming ,"Wer.
NJ. preconccived idea OF Commodore
Schley previous TO that occasion was SO
entirely different from the impression l
received on that day i concluded that ne
certainly was under tremendous Hieh'a'
strain"
Have you ever been under any mental
strain in time of batt!e?
81 have been scared
Have you any other facts from which
You base your statement to the Court tnal
he was laboring under mental excitement,
except the facts which you have given!
Yes. When Commodore Schley came on
board the Massachusetts he stated in DIS
tinct terms that he was going In TO destroy
the Colon. The Colon was not destroyed.
When he left the ship he called II re
cornoissance drawing the fire of the bat
teries and developing their weakness or
strength
DO you gather from that that he was
laboring under great mental excitement!
From that and from circumstance
have already stated from nay observation
of him from the time he came on boaru
the ship until he left"
Suppose you were made aware OF tho
fact that when he entered into that en-
gagement he was under the regulations OF
the navy not to engage shore batteries II
there was any danger of the shore bat
teries Gripping the ships. would you say
# you knew CT that. that he was sun Ia
boring under great mental excitement"
Il cannot answer that question
Captain Lemly objected to the introduc-
tion OF the Navy Departments orders as
evidence. but the Court decided that they
could be put in. and Mr.. Rayner intro
duced an order to Commodore Schley. Mr..
Rayner then asked concerning the weather
on the trip from Cienfuegos. and the wit
ness said that on MAY . IT had been what
Is u
wind and Il moderate sea, rough for small
vesfeis.
The witness said on further examination
that Lieutenant Commander Schroeder.
Lieutenant Sears and Lieutenant Wells had
been present during the bomhardment Of the
Colon. when Commodore Schley Ind re-
marked that as they were conspicuous OBJ
jects on the l3-!nch turret it would be bet
ter to move away.
Referring TO the Spanish shore batteries
at Santiago. Commander Potts said they
would have been no menace to armored
ships passing them.
At the sugEestion Of Judge Advocate
LeInly, and In accordance with the decision
OF the Court, Mr.. Rayner here formally IN
troduced as evidence the order from the
Navy Department concerning the exposure
of the American ships TO the fire Of the
shore batteries. The order is that issued
by Secretary Long April 8. 1888. and directed
The Court asked questions as follows:
'Can you give the distance the large YES
sells were from the entrance - Cieniuesos
on the early morning OF either the 22d or
23d of May"
II do not recollect being nearer than !
have said. four or five miles. L did not
measure the distance there?
what efforts were made ny me Sesse.s
Of the F'lying Squadron. prior TO the arrival
of the Marhehead. to determine whether or
not cervcras Squadron was in the harbor
OF Cienfuegos?"
Referring To the range of the guns for
| that day. Commander Potts said the range
| given previous to entering the ehsagethenI
was 1000 yards. but he had increased IT to
| to 1900 yards. Only one shot which had
| been fired at the American fleet mad - I'm.
pressed him as being at all daneerous. Ihat M
| feU near the Massachusetts. soon after
| that tho Commodore had given the order
! ''nrt your helm to starboard ana let $ get
| out of this He said he had seen no shore
batteries at Cienfuegos.