The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-22
SAVANNAH, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER

BY the court: What was the state
of the sea when the Texas coaIed on
May 27 as compared with the state on
the 26th?"
1.-THE weather was smoother some
what, believe more favorable"
This concluded Capt. Harber's testi-
mony, and he was excused.
Higginson Recalled.
Admiral Higginson then was recalled
and questioneds especially concerning
his statement of yesterday that the
fleet was only two or three miles out
from Santiago harbor. He modified
his statement by saying that during
the first portion of the blockade the
feet stood out farther, probably five
miles by day and four miles at night.
He confessed, however, that after
three years his memory was indistinct.
In reply to question by Capt. Park
er the witness said that with 800 tons
of coal aboard the Massachusetts could
have steamed $500 miles or could have
remained on blockade duty for about
twelve days.
Did the fleet after the Goth of May
ever go off a. distance of 25 miles?"
Il don't remember that it ever did"
Have you any memory that the fleet
ever withdrew after that date a dis
tance of more than six miles?"
II have not"
BY the court: From the distance at
which the blockade was maintained at
night could you have seen any vessel
attempting to leave Santiago under or
dinary conditions of weather."
Admiral Higginosn: Il think it would
have been difficult on account of the
high land and the shadows under the
land"
Admiral Higginson was then excused
and the court at l o'clock took recess
for luncheon.
The Governor of Guam.
Promptly upon the striking of the
hour of o'clock the court reconvened
after the noon recess. The first witness
called was Commander Seaton Schroe-
der, now governor of the Island of
Guam, who, during the Spanish war,
was executive officer of the battleship
Massachusetts,. His appearance ere.
ated a slight stir of interest
Commander Schroeder was question:
ed as to the details of the entire cam
paign. He knew, he said, of no efforts
to communicate with the shore while
the Flying Suadron lay off Cienfuegos.
The witness stated in response to
questions by Judge Advocate Lemly
that the squadron remained about six
or seven miles out, maintaining this
distance during the day and keeping
under way, countermarching eastward
and westward at night. At one point
they were nearer shore than at another,
the ships describing an elongated elipse
in their meneuvers. The average dis
tance out, however, was about the
same at night as during the day.
Referring to the bombardment of the
Colon May 81, Commander Schroeder
said he did not observe that there was
any firing from the Spanish shore bat
teries.
He testified that he was with Capt.
Hfgginson when he went to meet Com
modore Schley as the latter came
aboard the Massachusetts, and that the
Commodore had remarked to Capt.
Higginson upon boarding the ship:
"POttinG' the CoIon.
II am going to take you and the
Iowa in this morning to pot the Colon .
The bombardment had. he said, be-
gun about o'clock and had continued
for about half an hour He said that
the instructions had been to put the
range at 5000 yards and told of seeing
the first shot fall He said it had been
a fine line shot, but had fallen short
There had been two passages across
the Colon.
What was the effect of that bonn
bardment?'. asked Capt. Lemly.
There was no effect of 1t so far as
1 could see.' the witness replied.
Capt Lemly asked for a statement
of what was left undone on that date
for the destruction of the Colon.
"One thing Commander Schroeder
replied, that might have been done
and which was left undone, was to
have gone to closer range. Further
more, we might have passed the mouth
of the harbor more slowly so as to
have given time to correct the range"
Was there anything to prevent go
ing in nearer?"
Nothing"
Asked to state in more detail any
conversation on the part of Commodore
Schley during the engagement the wit
ness said that at the end of the run to
the eastward he had gone to the con-
ming tower and found Commodore
Schley talking with Capt. Higginson.
The captain had then directed him to
port helm and he (Schroeder) had sug-
gested that in case this order should be
observed the Iowa would blank the fire
of the Massachusetts. He was pro-
ceeding with this statement when coun-
sci for Admiral Schley raised an OBJ
lection because the witness could not
say whether the commodore nad over
heard the conversation.
The court withdrew to decide the
point at issue and upon returning an
nounced that the objection had been
maintained.
The witness then stated that the
commander-in- chief had addressed him
later telling him to "starboard the
helm" adding, land let us get out of
this" but he found when he started to
give the order that 1t WAS already be-
ing executed, from which he had in
ferred that the order had already been
given to the captain OF the ship.
Did Not Carry Out Intention.
The witness also said that when
Commodore Schley first came aboard
he had said it was his intention to
take the bombarding ships by slowly
and to have them fire deliberately, 80
as to sink the Colon at her moorings."
This intention had not been carried
out, he said, as the ships had passed
the mouth of the harbor at the rate
of ten knots an hour and the firing was
as rapid as possible to get good point
ings.
Judge Wilson cross-examined Com
mander Schroeder.
In reply to his questions the witness
said that he had seen what appeared
to be signal lights from the shore at
Cienfueeos, but that he had no idea
of what they meant and that so far as
he was informed, no one knew any
thing about them until Capt. McCalla
arrived on the Marblehead.
The witness recalled that the fleet
did not leave Cienfuegos until after