Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-10-30

dore Schley that Admiral Sampson
considered his information Of the pres
ence of the Spanish fleet at Santiago as
definite.
The admiraPs answer was. mo;
nor do l understand how he could have
communicated such information, In
view of the doubt which Captain Chad
wick said existed in the admiraPs mind
after he had received the information
from Lieutenant StauntOn on the 26th,
that the admiral felt sure that the fleet
was there. AS he was the bearer of
dispatches to me, do not see why the
admiral could have expressed to him
one thing when Captain Chadwick
seems to have felt that the admiral
thought oppositely."
The tenor of this called forth an OBJ
II don't think" he said, ''the witness
ought to answer with an argument.
This point has been once ruled upon
by the court. He should answer the
question as to the facts"
Admiral Dewey-Scratch the answer
out.
Continuing his testimony Admiral
Schley said: 81 must say do NOT re-
member a conversation with Lieuten-
ant Hood lasting over about two min
utes. never saw him again until
sent him back with dispatches. Ac-
cording to his evidence there is de-
tailed here what might have occupied
an hour. but don't think I saw him
over three minutes"
Admiral Schley also referred again,
at the instance Of Rayner, to the con-
versatiOn with Captain McCalla upon
the latter's arrival off Cienfuegos, as
reported by the latter in his statement
made before the court. In that state
ment Captain McCalla said he had in
formed Commodore Schley on that oc-
casion that Cervera had been authori
tatively reported as having entered
santiago on May 10, and was believed
to be still there when he McCalla) had
left Key West on the Dist.
Responding to this question Admiral
Schley said II have no recollection
at all about that. | do not recall any
conversation on that first occasion with
Captain McCalla except in regard tc
the insurgents and the system Of sig
nails which he had arranged and the
orders which were given to him to pro
coed westward I do not recall any
other"
Rayner-Do you remember what
took place at the time he says vol
said that the English had demon
strated that ships could not be coaled
at sea. and also that if you returned
to Key West you would be court-mar
tailed?
'That has escaped me. l do not
have any recollection of it. would
be likely to remember 1t if such con
versation had been held"
With the above statement Admira
Schley terminated his testimony for the
day.
During the story of the battle Of
Santiago as told by Admiral Schley, hi
said that the Brooklyn had for time
sustained the fire of all three of the
| Spanish ships, and also the fire of thu
| Spanish land batteries. Explaining
the turn of his own flagship, the Brook
| Ign, he said that she had not ap
preached to within less than 600 yards
Of the Texas. and that he never hat
considered that vessel in the leas
danger He gave the details OF thu
reconnaissance of May 81, when thu
Spanish ship Cristobal Colon was bonn
barded. In this connection he denie'
/ the statements attributed to him b.
Commander Potts, of the battleshil
Massachusetts.
| In fact, all through his continued
narrative of the cruise he contradictet
everything that has been alleged as hi
words or actions that could be mad
| discredtable to him.