Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-10-01
TEXAS WAS IN DANGER
From the Brooklyn, So Admiral
Evans Testified Before
Schley Inquiry.
DIDN'T GIVE sCHLEY THE CODE
That Had Been Arranged With the
cubans, Because, re said, He
Thought That Commodore sehley
Knew 1t.

Knew 1t.
Washington, Oct. 1.-Rear Admiral
Evans, who, as captain, commanded
the battleship Iowa during the San
tiago campaign. was witness before
the Schiey naval court OF inquiry.
His testimony covered the entire
period from the time the Iowa left the
port Of Key West on The 20th OF May,
1898, until the 9TH of July. when Ad-
miral Evans testified he had cQnvar-
sation win Admiral 9ehles concern
Ing the battle Of the Cd. He described
In detail the principal battle off San
tiago, and also gave particulars con
corning the bombardment Of the
Colon on the 31st of May
Other witnesses were Captain
Theodore F. jewell who was com
mander of the cruiser Minneapolis
during the Spanish war. and Comman.
DER James NJ Miller, who was in COM
mand Of the Collier Merfimac until
that vessel was turned over to Lieu
tenant Hobson to be sunk in the
mouth of the harbor at Santiago. Adj
miral Evans had not concluded his
testimony when the court adjourned
until today,
The testimony of Rear Admiral
Evans was in part as follows:
Portion OF Evans Testimony.
He stated that he had first Joined
the flying squadron off Cienfuegos on
May 22d, at l p. M, when he took dis
patches from Admiral Sampson to
Commodore Schley. These dispatches
he had sent to Commodore Schley by
his executive officer. Commander
Rogers, he not seeing the commodore
himself. AS the dispatches were
sealed he did not know their con-
tents.
Admiral Evans said that he had
coaled the Iowa from the Merrimac.
he thought, on May %, while off
Cienfuegos. and that he had had no
difficulty in doing So
He said that after leaving Cienfue-
goes the vessel had steamed to a
point about &c mites south Of San
tiago, arriving there on the evening
OF the Goth. and at that time the
squadron was heading to the east.
The weather at that time. he said,
was not such as to prevent the coal
ing of ships at that date.
The witness said he could have
coaled at sea on the 9th, as the sea
was smooth.
Was any effort made by the fly
ing squadron on May Is, % or 80 to
communicate with the insurgents on
shore near Santiago?"
None to my knowledge.
Testifying that he had first seen
the Colon on May 80, Admiral Evans
said that vessel was not inside the
harbor at all. but was about 1900
yards inside the MORO.
He then dotaiiea t4e particulars OF
tie bombardment of the Colon on May
81, saying that on the forenoon Of
that day Commodore Schley had sig
rallied to transfer the flag to the Mas
sachusetts; that he was going in to
engage the Colon Describing that
engagement, the witness said:
About five minutes to | saw the
first shot from the Massachusetts fall
short a long distance, and supposing
she was firing at 1000 yards, I gave
the range to my guns 5000 yards. 7
saw these shots fall short and in.
creased the range to 5000 yards. At
e-t the massachusetts, had passed the
entrance to the harbor she turned
with port helm and steamed back.
the New Orleans and Iowa following
On the run back across the harbor
] again nred at 10000 yards The
shots still fell short, and as the Mas
sachusetts and New Orleans slowed
Gown and stopped after they got
across slowed my engines, then in
creased the range to II, 900 yards and
fred two shots from the forward 10.
inch turret. The first one was fred
fy Lieutenant Van Deuser at 11,c0o
yards. | saw that it fell short. Lieu.
tenant Hill had the other gun In that
turret | gave him the range at H.
5oo yards and he fired, and that shot
struck very near the stern OF the
Colon. Both 12-inch guns were dis.
ebled at the fire from that extrem
elevation. After that we stood a
mile and half, possibly two miles.
10 our blockading station again. That
was all | saw done to injure the
Colon y 'AS
The witness was then asked about
the blockade off Santiago under Com
modore Sehley. He said the sauad-
ron stood seven or eight miles out
during the daytime and little
farther out at night, with the vixen
md Marblehead on the inside at
night
Described the Naval Battle.
Describing the battle off Santiago.
Admiral Evans said:
when Ceryeras fleet came out OF
Santiago harbor the Iowa was at the
center, with the Brooklyn to the left.
and the Texas between"