The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-16
The SGHLEY COURT OF INQUIRY.
Commander Hodgson Explained
Why He Called Editor Of the Sun
"a Liar and a BEackguard.'

"a Liar and a BIackguard.'
Washington, Oct. S.-There were two
new witnesses before the Schley court
of INQUIRY today. They were Com
mander Richard Wainwright, who
commanded the Gloucester during the
war with Spain, and Lieut.. M. Z.
Bristol, who as ensign was watch
and division officer on the battleship
Texas during that period.
Lieut.. Bristol had not concluded his
testimony when the. court adjourned
for the day. edid not see the loop
made by the Brooklyn, the greater
part of his testimony turning upon
chart he had made showing, largely
according to his memory. the posi-
tions of the various ships of the Ameri-
can feet at different times during the
engagement of July 8. There were
several spirited controversies between
counsel over questions asked the wit
ness by Mr.. Raynor concerning this
chart.
Commander Wainwright's testimony
dealt largely with chart-making. He
was for. time senior member Of the
board of navigators which prepared
the Official chart showing the position
of the American ships during the bat
tie off Santiago, and che gave details
of the method of its preparation. He
said that he did not consider the posi-
tions assigned in that drawing accurate
but that they were given as the result
of compromise of the views Of the
members of the board.
The proceedings of the day began by
the recall of Capt. VIM. Folger. He
was asked by Capt. Lemly if he had
any conversation with Commodore
Sch1ey during the blockade. He re-
Piled:
Toward. the evening Of one of the
days, the Both, there was an extended,
very severe rainstorm, SO severe that
I feared, Cervera had gotten out, as it
was sufficiently long to have permitted
him to do so. I went on board the
flagship the next day thinking it my
duty to tell the commodore what | had
seen as to the blockade as kept by the
japanese off the port of Wei Wei,
where similarly an enemy's feet was
within fortified harbor. said to
the commodore that the adoption of
the tactics of the japanese, forming
circle directly in front of the harbor,
in my opinion, would be preferable as
then it would be difficult for anything
to get out.
Judge Advocate: "Was there any re-
ply by the commodore9''
He did not agree with me as to the
necessity for that. -
Capt. Folger also said that he had
no recollection Of a picket line on in
side of the American feet.
Lieut. Dyson was questioned by
Capt. Lemly concerning the steaming
condition of the Brooklyn on July 8.
The Judge Advocate asked:
"What does the Brooklyn's steam
log show as to the number OF engines
coupled up and the boilers in use July
3, as compared with the total engine
and boiler power Of the vessel?"
The reply was:
'sThe Brooklyn has four engines two
to each shaft, connected together by
coupling. She has seven boilers, five
main and two auxiliaries. On the
morning of July 5 both forward en-
gines we're uncoupled; there were
banked fires under three of the main
boilers. The other boilers were what
we called dead no steam in them.
Judging from the time it took to start
fires in these boilers after the Spanish
feet came out Of the harbor should
say the furnaces were not even primed
and two of the boilers had to be run
up to the sea steaming level. It took
from 9.35 to1 0 o'clock to start fires.
Mr.. .Raynor asked if it was not ne
essary to stop the ship to couple the
uncoupled engines and the witness re-
piled that the ship could have been
kept going with one engine while the
other was being coupled. The engines
were designed he said, to be kept
coupled during war.
Discussing the speed of the var
ious vessels of the feet on July the
witness said the Oregon got up a speed
about equal to the Brooklyn on that
day, notwithstanding that on her trial
trip the Brooklyn made over 81 knots
to the Oregon's II knots. He called
attention to the fact that the New
York had made 16 to II knots speed on
the day of the battle. In response to
questions from Capt Parker he said
that the New York had not had her
engines coupled on the day of battle
and that the Brooklyn had made all
the speed necessary.
After Lieut.. Dyson was excused
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson took
occasion to change some of the Ian
guage of his prveious testimony. One
of these changes was made in response
to the questions asked yesterday as to
why he had designated as a liar and
a blackguard" the editor of news
paper which had originally printed the
alleged colloquy between himself and
Commodore Schley. He said he desir-
ed to alter the reply that he had yes
terday given to this interrogatory.
He then said:
In that letter I did not accuse
this newspaper of lying for printing
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