Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-09-27
AODF|ES HIS Statement.
Admiral Higginson Changes His
Estimates Concerning Distance
Of Fleet Of Santiago.
PROCEEDINGS OF the COURT OF INQUIRY
Memory Refreshed - Commander
Schroeder ON the Stand Says schloy
Might Have Gone to Closer Range
in Attack on the Colon.

/
| in Attack on the Colon.
Washington, Sept. s3.--At the fore
noon sitting of the Schley court of in
quiry Saturday no new witnesses were
upon the stand. Capt. Harder contin-
ued his testimony and the major per-
! ton of the time was devoted to his
cross-examination by Mr.. Rayner. He
! adhered to his statement made Friday
concerning coaling at sea and objected
when Mr.. Rayner sought TO refresh
his memory by quoting the log book
OF the Massachusetts. Admiral Hig-
ginson was recalled and modified his
statement of Friday concerning the
distance which the feet before SAM
aago stood out to sea. He said that
during the first portion of the time it
was out about five miles during the
day and about four miles at night.
| Commanders Schroeder Testifies.
Promptly upon the striking of the
hour of two the court reconvened
after the noon recess. The first wit
ness called was Commander Seaton
Schroeder, now governor of the island
of Guam, who, during the Spanish war,
WAS executive officer of the battleship
Massachusetts. His appearance Great
ed slight stir of interest.
Commander Schroeder was Ques-
toned as to the details of the entire
campaign. He knew, he said, of no
efforts to communicate with the shore
while the flying squadron" lay off
Cienfuegos. He could give no details
concerning the voyage from Cienfue-
gos to Santiago, having been on the
sick list. On the first arrival off San
tiago the fleet had, the witness said,
been 20 miles to the south of the port.
He did not know OF his own knowledge
why a westward movement had been
undertaken after arriving at Santiago,
nat did he know how far ske feet had
trasehsd IN that direction. He stated
that upon the return to Santiago on
May 70 he had sighted the Spanish
ship Colon. and that It lay 1900 OF 1900
feet inside the harbor, the American
fleet being six or seven miles out.
Distance from the Shore,
The witness stated in response to
questions by Judge Advocate Lemly
that the squadron remained out about
six or seven miles, maintaining this
distance during the day, and keeping
under way, countermarching eastward
and westward at night. At one point
they were nearer shore than another.
the ships describing an elongated
ell1pse in their maneuvers. The aver
age distance out, however, was about
the same at night as during the day.
lettering TO the bombardment Of
the Colon. May 81, Commander
Schroeder said he did not observe
that there was any firing from the
Spanish shore batteries.
The Bomba rdm ent of Colon.
He testified that he was with Capt.
Higginspn when he went to meet
Commodore Schley as the latter came
aboard the Massachusetts,, and that
the commodore had remarkd to Capt.
Higginson upon boarding the ship:
Il am going to take you and the Iowa
In this morning to pot the Colon"
The bombardment had, he said, be-
gun about two o'clock, and had con-
tinued for only 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 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 it SO far
as l could see," the witness replied.
What Might Have Been Done.
| Capt. Lemly asked for statement
Of what wes left undone on that date
for the destruction OF the Colon.
rome thing" Commander SCHROEDER
reyisd, "that might have been done,
| a1td xtfisA was left sndsne, was to
aavs Sers 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 60
Ing in nearer?"
Nothing
An objection Sustained.
Asked to state in more detail any
conversation on the part of Commo-
dore Schley during the engagement,
the witness said that at the end of
the run to the eastward he had gone
to the coming tower and found Com
modore Schley talking with Capt.