The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-29

to the effect that the Spanish fleet had
arrived at and later left Santiago
which he said. '1ent color to his owT
belief at that time
The witness stated that he had seer
| the signals on shore and explained his
| experience in this respect. He said the
surf was dangerous there in the day
| time.
Continuing Admiral Schiey said:
Not knowing whether or not there
were any insurgents to the west OF
this place; not having communicated
to me any idea that there was a sys-
| tenn OF signals arranged with them,
though asked the question:; the with.
| drawal Of the squadron of Captain Nc
| Gala and the failure of Lieutenant
Switzerland to give me hat informa-
ton was directly responsible for the
| delay in communicating. To risk a
boat through the surf to a coast believ-
ed to be occupied by the enemy might
have repeated the Captain McCalIa ex-
| pertinent. He found the coast was
pretty well occupied. / saw cavalry On
the coast once or twice. They appear
ed for a moment and then got out of
sight. / thought to waste ammunition
on a solitary c~avalryman was like
wasting big guns on sparrows. /
wanted to save all h ammunition we
had for use against the enemy's squad
TOn, WHICH Il hHt" " Dt SOill1N mere III
the vicinity. / did everything that was
possible during the time that we were
there to maintain a blockade as was
contemplated.
THE COALING QUESTION.
Il did all the coaling hat was prac-
ticable or possible. With the later ex-
periences of war, after We got hold Of
golfers that were very much better fit
ted to resist shock, as well as to deliver
this coal rapidly-with that experience
l might have coaled on days of worse
weather. We had a great many acct
dents. One of the Golfers had to go to
New York absolutely smashed in. The
Merrimac had several holes punched
through her and my impression nov is
a portion of the upper works Of the
Sterling We're injured in some way, but
we managed with more experience TO
do a little better than we did at first.
There was always at Cienfuegos a roll
ing swell and vessels with projecting
Sponsors or projecting guns We're al
ways in danger. I recollect in n case
one of the 6-pounder guns on the
Brooklyn was bent at any angle of 80
per cent. by coming in collision with
one Of these golfers. In other words
the problem presented at Cienfuegos
was that had disturbed the navies
of the world for fifty years"
THE McCALLA CODE SIGNALS.
He then spoke of the arrival of Cap
tain McCalla on May oath, bringing in
formation concerning the shore signals
from the Cuban insurgents. He said
that when the captain came aboard ne
asked: Have you seen any signals!
at said what do you mean" AMI he
then asked if I had seen three nights
at night and three horses in the day
time. I said I had seen the lights and
he said: They were trying to commit
nicate with YOU I expressed surprise
and asked who had made the arrange
ments. McCalla replied that he had
done so. I asked why they had not
been communicated to me, but he old
not know. I then told him to make a
search of the shore, which he did, re-
porting that the Spanish fleet was not
there"
This information the witness said
had been received about 4 o'clock p.
m. Nav oath and toward 6 o'clock The
squadron formed a column ana steamed
toward Santiago. He said tnat the
signals made by the fleet were not made
until the fleet was fourteen miles from
Cienfuegos and could not have been
seen.
THE VOYAGE TO SANTIAGO.
He then re-told the details o. the voy.
age. L was d ulIly IlSh hO -oho'
with a lowering sky. I remember that
when 1 looked out at the port hole
twenty feet above, the spray came in
freely. o course this was not serious
for big vessels but it was for the small
err ones"
He defended his course in keeping
the vessels together-holding the faster
vessels for the slower. I'VE proceeded
as a unit" he said. land I hold that
to do otherwise would be unmilitary
and unwise in changing base with a
fleet. 1 hold that useful auXiliaries
and supplies should never be abandoned
except under the greatest nee essIty.'
Taking up the coaling question he
said hi it was absolutely impossible
to coal on May 25th. I watched the
situation Closely" he said,, land felt
er man of judging the situation in that
respect. On the 26th the weathe- was
still rough, especially in thu morning"
He told also of sending Commander
way with the Eagle and
said that it was done because Souther-
had signaled that the was danger
ously short of Goa He said that
against leaving or insisting that he
could coal. HE regretted the necessity
as I did. but it was imprac.icaEie for
him to coal. He might have taken on
little coal in boats, but he would have
burnt it as fast as he took it on"
Referring to his course in leaving
he said it was laid so as to
give him the widest horizon. Ny
projected, he said, would have
me to China if there had been
no islands in the way. He spoke oH the
necessity Of acting upon his own re-
sponsibility-of having to act without
having any private information from
Havana" Therefore, he said,"I had
do a good deal from guess work.
some times I was right and toInetimes
was wrong"
Admiral Sc;;,ey then toll OF meeting
he dispatch boats st. Paul. M.aneapr.
is AMI Yale. He said at -rr' :r,.
was q heavy sea on. He remem-
Captain &C, E saying TO Kim on
he passage over hat he had never
een such motion on the Brooklyn, and
hat some Of the youngsters were sea-
Captain Sigsbee came on hoard"
continued the witness, land I think my
ecollection is almost vivid enough to
his dress. I recollect distinct
that he had on rubber boots and an
Id blockading cap which we all more
- 1~-- 1850