The Holly chieftain., 1901-10-18
CAPTAIN COOK OF5THE BROOKLYN
TELLS STORY OF THE BATTLE

washington, pct- lo.- es'eruaS, III
the Schley court of inquiry, Judge Ad-
vocate Lemls concluded presentation
Of testimony for the government and
the frst OF Admiral Schley's witnesses
was INTRODUCED. Captain Francis A.
Cook, who commanded Schley's flag
ship, tho Brooklyn, during the Santi-
ago campaign. and who acted, though
unofdciallY.. In the capacity of chief OF
stan for the commodore. was on the
witness st1nd the greater part Of the
day.
He was followed by Lieutenant
Commander William +. Hullam, who
was senior watch officer on the New
Orleans during the Spanish war, and
Former Lieutenant Joseph Beale, who,
as an officer on the Harvard. trans
lated the cipher dispatches between
Commodore Schley and the Navy, De-
partment carried by that vessel.
Among those dispatches was that sent
by Commodore Schley, May 2Sth, ex-
pressing regret Al not having been able
to obey the orders of the department
and explaining the reason why he
could not do SO. There are some YER
bal discrepancies between the original
draft OF this dispatch and the official
print Of 1t. and these Mr.. Beale ex-
planned.
Lieutenant Bcalc was the last of the
government witnesses. although Cap
tain Lemly expla ned that he would re-
serve the right to call others II occas-
ion should demand. He had no sooner
retired than the first witness for Ad-
miral Schley was called. This proved
to be the Cuban pilot Eduardo Nunez,
who told Schley May &c, 1893, that he
did not believe the Spanish fleet under
Cervera was In the harbor at Santiago.
Captain Cooks testimony was a, re-
view of the entire campaign after Ger
yera's fleet, beginning with the depart
ure of the flying squadron from Key
West May 10Th and concluding with
the battle of Santiago July 3D.. He
said that at first it had been believed
by both Sampson and Schley that the
Spanish fleet was in the llarbor of Glen
fuegos and that no information to the
contrary had been conveyed to Commo-
dore Schley until the arrival Of Captain
McCalla May oath; that 1t was Commo-
dore Schley's expectations to meet the
Spaniards in the open sea, and his con-
slant care was to have coal enough for
such an emergency. He gave particu-
lars concerning the retrograde move
ment. and explained the Brooklyn's
loop in connection with Il graphic ac-
count of the ensa cement Of July 3D..
Asked for an opinion as to Admiral
Schley's bearing as Il commanding Off
Ger, he said:
II always regarded him as an en-
Enthusiastically brave and patriotic Off
GER" s
Replying to questions concerning the
blockade Of Santiago, Captain Cook
said Comodore Schley's constant idea
was that the vessels should be kept
well supplied with coal and kept moy-
ing constantly. as his theory was that
the Spanish feet would come out of the
harbor,
"Why was the circular blockade not
adoptedT' Mr.. Hanna asked. g.
"There are many forms Of blockade,
and 1 have nothing but praise for the
circular blockade" replied the witness,
but the idea was to get the Spaniards
to come out and to have our ships NOV
ing and ready for action"
what were your orders of battle
from May 10th TO June i1st?'
I'VE did not have any. The fleet was
always in condition for action"
= DO you call that battle order?"
q "N Is possible to have an order for
battle n you know just what condition
you are going to meet. The idea with
us was to be able to fight the Spanish
fleet whenever we should meet it. l
think that was understood by an. SO
understood It" I'll
/ "If the fleet had come out of the har-
Dor previous to June LIST, what would
you have done .-.l--s--..
I'VE would have obeyed the orders of
the commanding officer.'' As5l-,
"Were the fighting ships always in
order for battleY' ltt
/ II always supposed they were; the
Brooklyn was always In excellent or
der"
Were you on deck when the fleet
came out of Santiago harbor July 3rd
When were they first sightedY
The reply was in the negative. Cap
tain Cook said he had. at that time
been in the cabin The next question
was: 81 til4t ~, F 1
How did you first learn the feet was
coming out?'' 49,
The reply to this brought Captain
Cooks story of the engagement us fol
lows:
81 heard the executive officer call out
Clear ship for actiont and as had
given directions to have the ship ready
for inspection. knew at once some
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PROPOSED BIG DAM AND
/ ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT
Denver. Oct 15.1The News this
morning says that within the next few
days articleS of iucOrDOrOtiOn' will be