The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-31

southwest
From the pilot"
You stated that the movement west
ward was based upon sound military
principles. Why, then, did you go back
to Santiago"
For the reason / have stated. After
the coal supply was equalized as we
were not far away we would not lose
much time in going back and determin-
ing definitely whether the enemy was in
port"
III the scouts were independent why
did you worry about their coal supply?''
GAS senoir officer when they joined
me. ] was of course responsible"
why did the Brooklyn leave Key
West short of coal?"
Because of the order of the command
rim chief.
was there any shortage of coal al Key
West?"
mot to my knowledge"
"As you were ordered to Cienfuegos was
it not your duty to communicate direct
with the senior officer leaving there?"
"If he had important information, 1
think it was his duty to communicate it
to me-"
Ibid the Flying Squadron ever steam
in at Cienfuegos between p m. and
a. M?
1--WE tried to keep farther in at night
than during the day."
What effort did you make at or near
Cienfuegos before the arrival of the Adula
to discover whether or not Ceryera's
squadron was in that porte
Il did not make any because | was led
to infer that the coast was occupied.
McCalla, in his cable cutting expedition
had lost quite number of men and /
supposed that the coast was occupied"
did any of your light vessels scout
between the Flying Squadron and the
south coast of Cuba with a view of dis
covering the Spanish Squadron in the
event of its having left Santiago for Glen
fuegoS?"
mo"
Ibid you consider Captain Sigsbee's re-
port that he had not seen the Spanish
Squadron and the pilot Nunez's state
ment that the Spanish ships were too
large to enter the harbor of Santiago.
proof that the information given to you
by Captain McCalla on May "a, that the
Spanish force under Cervera had been
reported authoritatively in Santiago on
May 10, and that they were still reported
there on the afternoon of May q, was
erroneous?"
81 do not recollect that he gave me
that information?"
IF you were governed in making the
retrograde movement by the motives you
have stated, why did you send to the De-
partment the dispatch of May 27, lS9S,i
which you gave to Captain Cotton to
send in cipher from Kingston"
THAT is a very difficult question to
answer
Admiral Ramsay: you gave four mo-
tives for the retrograde movement.
These motives do not appear clear to
me-
Il telegrsphed mainly regarding the
coal supply because 1 imagined that
would be the most important motive.
10 not know that l gave my reasons
for it, but | did in subsequent dis
patch to the department stating that
the movement to the westward had been
for certain object"
IF it was your intention on May 81
to develop the Spanish shore batteries,
why did you signal that you were going
in With the three ships, the Massachu-
sets, the Iowa and the New Orleans
only to fire on the Colon?"
Il intended to use the large guns for
that purpose, expecting to make an
other signal after boarding the Massa-
chusetts, which L did. to the New Or
clans to fire at the batteries with her
small guns
In reply to another question Admiral
Schley said he thought that his CONVEX
sation with Captain Cook concerning
the uncoupling of the Brooklyn's en-
gines had taken place July 2.
Responding to other questions, AID.
miral Schley said he thought that some
of the projectiles fired at the American
fleet May p came from the Socapa
He was satisfied that some of
them from the forts were from eight
inch mortars: that the Merrimac had
been required to use her own machin-
cry as soon as il was repair d, and that
the chief engineer of the squadron had
explained to him the extent of the dan
ger to the collier.
The last question of the court was as
follows; Where could the Spanish
squadron have taken refuge if it had
Ccome out of the harbor at Santiago and
had steered to the southwark
1T could have gone to Jamaica, but
should imagine that after having gone
sufficiently far to evade me the Span
ish fleet would have skirted around to
the westward, knowing that Admiral
had left Havana for the
east
Then at sos p. m. Admiral Schley
was finally excused and at $40 p. M, |
there being no other witnesses present
in the court room, the court adjourned
until tomorrow.