The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-18

Referring to the battle of July 8. the
witness said that he had been in
charge of the powder division, and that
IL was also his duty to look after the
lower decks, consequently, he had not
seen a great deal of the fight.
Were any cheering or encouraging
messages sent among the men that you
they?"
Il had messenger who made fire.
quent trips to the gun deck and who
reported to me what was happening. l
conveyed this information to the men
OF my division in the different hand
ling rooms.''
Were any of these messages of suf-
ncient Importance that you would like
to speak of them?"
This Pleased the Men.
"One message seemed to cheer the
men below very much, it was that there
were three Spanish ships on our star
board beam, all firing at u.s.
You don't known who sent these
messages, who gave them, do you?"
II took it for granted"
Judge Advocate Lemly here inter-
rupted the witness by stating that it
did not appear that Commodore Schley
sent these messages, which brought
statement from Mr.. Rayner that he
would prove, when Admiral Schley
went on the stand, that the admiral
sent these messages of encouragement
to the men.
Schley Remarkably Cool.
Can you speak of the conduct, bear
ing and manner of Commodore Schley
during the engagement in which you
saw him?''
He impressed me as being remark
ably cool considering what had just
occurred. He was perfectly natural in
manner and bearing"
Mf. Hanna asked: Did you hear
Commodore Schley say anything about
coaling difficulties?"
Il do not remember. / know he was
always extremely anxious and seemed
to coal whenever there was an oppor.
tunity. The conversation about going
to Guantanamo impressed me partic.
ularly, because afterward 1 thought it
was such a wise decision"
Mr.. Hanna asked the witness wheth-
er the flying squadron had proceeded
with dispatch" on the voyage from
Cienfuegos to Santiago.
The witness replied:
Yes, as a unit until we made the
turn to the westward on May 26. The
slowest ship fixed the speed and that
was six or seven knots an hour"
Then in your answer you except the
| retrograde movement
"I do"
By the court: What difficulties did
the Brooklyn have in coaling off San
tiago prior to June 1?'
Il do not think there was any diff
| ficulty during those dates"
Signaling in the Harbor.
Ensign c. A. Abele. asked about the
blockade on May 20, in front of Santi-
ago, said:
"At night we steamed back and
| forth in front of the harbor at a. dis
| tance of five or six miles. At night
saw signalling going on between the
harbor and the fort. The system of sig
nails was that used in the English navy
blinking white light. and / judged ii
was the Colon signaling to the fort. II
| happened on two occasions"
| The witness, in describing the battle
| of July 3, said that he had had charge
| of the port battery on the main deck
| forward, and that when the Spanish
vessels first came out of the harbor
| he could not train his guns on them
because of the distance. Later he
opened the fire and observed that the
! leading Spanish ship held steady on
| the Brooklyns port bow for some time
and then turned to the westward. His
|
range at which he fired during the day
was 1,1OO yards.
| Ensign John Halligan, Jr., was the
| first witness of the afternoon session
| of the court. He said that on approach
| ing Cienfuegos, May 81, he had heard
| the firing of guns. Referring to the
blockade of Cienfuegos he recalled that
on the 22d the Brooklyn steamed past
! the entrance to the harbor, and that
the ship had gone to within about a
mile of the harbor. He also recalled
that the Adula had reported that the
Spaniards had left Santiago.
Coming to the blockade of Santiago
he said he knew that the new Marble
head and the Vixen had been inside
the blockade line there.
| Asked as to Commodore Schley' S
| bearing in the battle of Santiago, the
! witness said it was such as to inspire
| enthusiasm.
LemIy Makes Objection.
do you know what vessels were in
sight at the beginning of the battle?"
asked Mr.. Rayner
Hold on there!" exclaimed Capt.
Lemly before the witness could reply.
II object"
Capt. Leply stated that the precept
| did not call for the position of ships
|
gered the Brooklyn.
Replying, Mr.. Raynor said that the
| question was similar to other ques-
tions which had been admitted.
"I believe that it is an invasion OF
| the decision of the court already rem
dered with regard to going into this
matter of the positions of vessels,
said Capt. Lemly.
| Mr.. Raynor: 'I will not press this
| question now, but there is a stage OF
the case where / will have to bring II
up. 1 will withdraw it now"
Rnyner Gives Lemley a Shot.
Capt. Lemly: 1--WE will have to en-
ter this on the record as another recon-
| noissance."
Mr.. Rayner: "It has been a very
successful reconnaissance in develop
ing you
Mr.. Raynor requested permission to
| withdraw for five minutes for a con-
| sultation with Admiral Schley, which
| the court granted. Mr.. Rayner after
his conference with Admiral Schley
announced that they would withdraw
the question for the time being.
In reply to questions by the court
Mr.. Halligan said that when the Wis.
| caya turned toward the BROOKLYN, "the
| Spanish bore on our starboard beam
| a. little forward and was headed to.
ward us, distant from 1000 to 3,00S
| yards"
When Mr.. Halligan retired he was
succeeded by Ensign u. S. Macy.
Mr.. Rayner asked the witness IL ht
had had any conversation with Com.
! modore Schley during the night before
the engagement of May 81. He replied
| that he had had a conversation