Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-10-18
SCHLEY BRAVED DANGER.
Admiral Exposed Himself Reok-
lessly To Fire Says Sears.
TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN COOK

witness was heard in detail by the {
Schley court of inquiry yesterday. t
This was Lieutenant Commander
James H. Sears. who was Admiral
flag lieutenant during the
Spanish war.
He gave a detailed account Of the
entire Cuban campaign, including the
brief siege of Cienfuegos. the retro
grade movement OF the flying squad
ron in search of coal the blockade {
of Santiago, the reconnaissance of the
Santiago shore batteries and the bonn
bardment of the Cristobal Colon on
May 81 and the battle of Santiago
on July 3, when Cervera's feet was
destroyed.
He placed the distance out of the
blockading line at Cienfuegos at from
one to four miles and at Santiago at
rom three to six miles. He expressed
he opinion that in the battle of July
it had been the Viscaya's intention
to ram the Brooklyn.
When asked WHAT was Schley's
bearing while under ire?" Command
err Sears answered: He was a model
for anybody. His conduct was worthy
of emulation at all times. His facul-
ties were, if anything, clearer when he
was in personal danger. He was al
ways putting himself in exposed po-
sitions. and l was continually begging |
him to be more careful"
While Commander Sears was on the |
stand Captain Lemly asked his age, |
but the court after quite a prolonged |
consultation in retirement decided !
that the question was not admissible.
It held, however, that the time OF serv-
ice could be inquired into.
Mr.. Rayner sought to secure the in
! PRODUCTION of a brief report of the
! battle of July 3, which Commodore
| Schley prepared for transmission to
the secretary of the navy. 1t was stat
ed that Commander Sears had taken
! this dispatch ashore to be cabled to
the secretary, but that it never had
reached that official. The dispatch
was ruled out on the ground that as
it was not received it was not an Off
cial communication. It was not read
in the court room, but the following is
a copy of It:
1.-THE Secretary of the Navy, Washing
ton, D. c.:
Spanish squadron came out of San
tiago harbor this morning, July 8, at
$50, and were all captured or de-
stroyed in a running fight to the west
ward of about three and one-half
hours. Very few casualties in our
fleet; Ellis, chief yeoman, killed, and
one man wounded on the Brooklyn.
Reports from other ships not in yet.
The commander-in-chief now superin-
tending transfer of prisoners from the
Cristobal Colon, which surrendered to
! the Brooklyn and Oregon at 1.15 p. m.
, About 1 1000 prisoners in ALL including
/ Spanish admiral. Victory complete;
details later SCHLEY."
Captain Cook was recalled during
h the day, and in response to a ques
/ ton by Captain Lemly, made an ad
o ditional statement concerning the ret
4 rograde movement of the flying squad
o ron from May 26 to May rs. He also
said, in answer to a question by the
court, that Commodore Schley during
q the battle of July 8 was "cOol, brave
il and enthusiastic. cannot imagine an!
q conduct in battle more admirable"
n At Mondays session Judge Ad
4 vocate Lemly concluded presentation
h OF testimony for the government anC
the first of Admiral Schley's witnesses
was introduced Captain Francis A
h Cook, who commanded Admiral (thel
le COMMODORE Schley's flagship, tn
70 Brooklyn, during the Santiago cam
f paign, and who acted, though unofh
K cially, in the capacity of chief of stat
sr for the commodore, was on the wit
ness stand the greater part of the day
Captain Cooks testimony was a re
le view of the entire campaign after Ger
IL vera's fleet, beginning with the depart
10 ure of the Flying Squadron from Ke
= West on May 10, and concluding VIII
y the battle off Santiago July 8.
% He said that at first it had bee
believed by both Sampson and Schle
a that the Spanish feet was in the hal
- Dor at Cienfuegos and that no motif
~ cation to the contrary had been cor
- veyed to Commodore Schley until tn
- arrival of Captain McCalla on May "a
r. that it was Commodore Schley's e.
pectatiOn to meet the Spaniards in I'll
open sea and his constant care was I
have coal enough for such emergenc
y He said that Schley first intim;
an ton that the Spanish feet was not
- Cienfuegos was learned from Mccall
-. during a consultation. Schley said
- McCalla: I'VE have seen three pee
N liar lights. one ahead of the othC
here, but we cannot make out VIII
they are, and believe it is somethil
m in cOlnsction with the Spanish fleet
To- Captain McCalla gave a start, thrt
rst up his hands and said, "That is t
re- rignal from the insurgent camp. Tn
nd want to communicate with you"
his ,dded, well, 1 can go there and Il
en- nut at once" The commodore t.
him to go, to get of as soon as pC
Ioble.
yes In his story of the battle of July
to Captain Cook said that it was he W
md gave the order for the Brooklyn's lo
he at the battle off Santiago, and Il
wv. he considered the movement eminen
ele- successful. He said that when I
Ind loop was made the thought of a C
lision with the Texas never entel
his head. The Brooklyn, he said. tn
saW ed perfectly clear of the Texas.
''Then," he continued, I'VE had
ing Viscaya on our starboard bow {
cry about abeam was the Oquendo I
lter then the Colon. At the time thou
cat it was the Teresa, but 1 soon discov
ne ed this vessel was dropping out 1
see heading for the beach. That was alb
nm the hottest time of the action. 1t :
a critical time. There was not
~ time for indecision and do not tn
there was any. 1 have always felt
my mind, in studying the pOsitiC
that the chances would have been
aue a disaster had we shifted helm at 8
'orn q time. However, we got around
leeI we had those three vessels.
uiS 81 looked and could see nothing
smoke astern and vessels seemed
. =, veloped in this smoke. could not
oiu derstand it. I could not underst
- exactly how we got there. They v
~ all three firing on the Brooklyn, W
M ,ne almost Immediately, faster than CT