The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-23
THB Loss SAVES SAMPSON.
Proof That He Delayed Bottling
Up Ceryera Has Disappeared.
The War Department Feebly En-
plains the Mysterious Absence of
Spanish Wnr Records - Admiral
ScbIey Agnin Writes to Hackctt.

ScbIey Agnin Writes to Hackctt
Where are the records of the Signal
Office Of the War Department relating to
the Cuban campaign? This is the ques-
tion which has been asked by counsel for
Admiral Schley. and which official
thus far Intercepted has been able to
answer. The original despa .ches of the
Signal Corps and its agents. sent to the
department from Cuba during the cam
paign in the island. are nowhere to he
found. Two days have been spent in
searching for them, but without result.
Their disappearance is a mystery which
none of the officials of the department
was able to solve yesterday. Possibly
General Greedy. the chief Of the Signal
Corps, may be able to tell, but he is at
present far away in the Philippines and
Will not return to this country for two
months or more. He is inspecting the
construction of telegraph lines in the
islands
These original dispatches are greatly
desired by Admiral Schley and his coun-
sci in the preparation of the defence of
the admiral before the Court of Enquiry.
one of them is of vast Importance. as
upon the information which it contained
Admiral Sampson will be asked why it
was that he delayed eleven days in going
to Santiago after he had been officially
advised that the Spanish fleet was an
chorod in the harbor of that city. This
telegram is the one which Colonel Allen
of tine Signal Corps, sent to General
Greedy frcm Santiago, advising him that
Cervera with his fleet had sought shelter
in Santiago Bay. 1t contained the first
informa ton which the officials in Wash
ingten had of the whereabouts of Cervera
in Cuban waters.
General Greedy at once advised the Ma
Wy Department Of the discovery made by
one of his men and this intelligence was
Immediately communicated to Admiral
Sampson, in command of the squadron
sent out TO find and destroy the Spanish
ships. 1t was eleven days after Samp-
son received this information before he
sailed for Santiago.
Admiral Schey has been censured and
charges have been made against him be- /,
cause he remained three and one-half
days off Cienfuegos when he had not been !
advised of the code of signals which |
would have told that the Spanish feet |
was not there. Now, Admiral Schley's |
counsel desire to ask Admiral Sampson,
when he appears before the Court OF En- /
quiry why he delayed eleven days after /
being informed of the presence of the |
Spanish feet in Santiago before going
there to establish a blockade
But Colonel Aliens original despatch is
missing What purports TO be a copy of
the same is contained in the official his
tory of the campaign, but counsel for Ad-
miral Schley declare that it is highly i'm
portant that they should have the orisi-
nal despatch. with the endorsements
thereon. which will show when it was
sent when it was received ana by whom.
whose hands it passed, and its
Certain of these details are
emitted from the transcript, which cad
not, however, be- accepted in court as evil
dence. 1t is of the highest Importance TO
Sehley that the court should be
shown that Admiral Sampson knew for
eleven days before he left for Santiago
that the Spanish fleet was there. and that
he should be called upon to explain why
he did not go there before he did.
Not only is this telegram missing. but
none of the others sent TO the signal office
pertaining to the campaign can be found.
The fact that these papers have disap
pearod was not developed until last We'd
nesday, when Captain Parker, assistant !
for Admiral Schiey, called at the
War Department and asked to be allow
d to them. search was made, but {
hey could not be found in the archives !
where such dispatches are usually kept. l
'lerks were engaged to look fer them, but Z
a
igation was begun. and continued !
throughout the day. but no trace OF the 9
missing messages was found. The en- |
uiry was continued yestt rday, but with '
10 better results Colonel Dunwoody the q
Acting Chief OF the Signal Corps was not I
n the office here during the campaign,
nd hence he knows nothing of what dis :
osition was made of the papers He has {
one all in his power TO bring them to '
ght but his efforts have failed. Search
through other departments has not been I
ewarded by finding any clew TO the miss
1e papers.
The only explans ton offered as to their T
isapPearance is the suggestion that pos I
ifoly General Grtaeiy Intentionally de- ! o
he secret agents of the Government a
hight not be disclosed. What Will be done
I the matter remains to be seen. In the y
Admiral Schlsy's counsel are :,
luch Handicapped by their failure TO OBJ y
ain possession of these invaluable docu- II
lents.
Rear Admiral schley last night ad- A
ressed letter to Acting Secretary
Iacket in reply to Mr.. Hacketts official +,
In this letter he says
lat in no sense could his original COM
be regarded as "a preliminary
hallenge' of Rear Admiral Howison's J 90,
tnesS TO serve on the Court of Enquiry. 4 -
dmiral Schlcy assumes in his letter that h'
Ir. Hackett's term. "a preliminary chal- II
nge, means "a preliminary to "A chai- 1 a.
nge. and denies that he had any in q,
milton Of taking such action. He holds '"
Il
reliminary challenge" M
admiral Schley says his object was m
erely TO obtain a statement from Ad- .
iral Howison that he did or did not give
tterance to the sentiments with which
? was credited. and that in no sense be
Duid his original letter be regarded as ca
lallenging HowisOn's fitness TO serve on 81;
he court. although such fitness might be -
later. in due form. after the ma
'urt meets. Admiral Schley's request in
as designed, he says. to elicit from Ad- TT
iral Howison a denial or affirmation so .,
Iat. II he should say he had expressed -
lie sentiments ascribed 10 him and 10
lsumed the responsibility for them. he an
light withdraw before the court con- fr
ned. 70.
1t was said last night that Admiral :,
,hley has also pointed out in his letter
hich Is not yet made public. that Ad- oN
iral Howison has not disciaimed the 20
ews attributed TO him. for his general M
nal of having expressed opinions was no
ade prior to the publication in question. W.
was also said that the letter states that III
r Hackett misunderstood Capt. James
irkers reference to his Boston trip. and
at Captain Parker had no intention of
wing him the impression that he wished Lt
tleg in the Howisoa matter postponed
81 bis return. The letter to Mr.. Hack
docs not contain request that Mr.
lskett take other action than that OF W,
yene sday and grant the original request =,
at The letter be forwarded to admiral ui'
s1vfson, but IL Is 50 phrase as % leave J II
IS course open to Mr.. Hackett should q
desire to take it, -.
lieut.. Benjamin w Wells jr, irriyed -
Washington yesterday He WIS Adj he
raj Schleys flag secretary on the |
ooklyn durir TIE Spanish war and was hi
lertd mere To appear as a witness be- dis
e the Court Of Enquiry 'i
Judge Wilson. Mr. Rayner. and Captain all
-rker yesterday afternoon called al the in
IVY Department at the urgent request oh,