Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-09
"DICK" WAINWRIGHT
Tell of the Position Of Vessels
OFF Santiago.
Not Satisfied With Charts, Which Are
on Estimated Distances.
Chart Is Correct.

Chart Is Correct.
Washington, Oct. S.-There were two
new witnesses before the Schley court
on inquiry, today. Commander Richard
Wainwright, who commanded the
Gloucester during the war with Spain,
and Lieut. NJ. l.. Bristol, who as en-
sign. was watch and division officer
on the battleship Texas during that
period. Lieut.. Bristol had not con-
cluded his testimony when the court
adjourned for the day. He did not see
the loop made by the Brooklyn, the
greater part of his testimony turning
upon u chart he had made showing the
positions of the various ships of the
American fleet at different times dur
ing the engagement of July 3.
Commander Wainwrights testimony
dealt largely with chart making. He
WAS for Il time senior member Of the
board of navigatOrs which prepared
the official chart showing the position
of the American ships during the bat
tie off Santiago and he gave details
Of the method of its preparation. He
said he did not consider the position
assigned in that drawing accurate. but
that they were given as the result of
q compromise of the views of the
members of the board.
Lieut.. Commander HOdgson. Capt.
Folger and Lieut.. Dyson made addi-
tons to their previous testimony.
The proceedings of the day began by
the recall Of Captain w. NJ. Folger. 70,
the purpose Of correcting his testimony
of yesterday. Advantage was taken t
ask him further questions concerning
the blockade Of Santiago Among other
questions he was asked by Captain
Lemly if he had any converse ton with
Commodore Schley during the block
ade. He replied:
Toward the evening of the Goth
there was an extended very severe
lain storm. SO severe that | feared Ger
vera had gotten out. as it was suftici
emily long to have permitted him to dc
so. | went on board the flagship tn,
next day, thinking it my duty TO tel
the commodore what | had seen as tC
the blockade as kept by the japanese
off the port of Wei Hal Wei. where
similarly an enemy's fleet was within q
fortified harbor. said t. the commo.
dore that the adoption of tactics Of tbs
japanese. forming circle directly il
front of the harbor. would in my opin-
ion be preferable. as then il would 10
difficult for anything to get out"
Judge Advocate-"WaS there any re-
ply by the commodore" Il cannot
testify exactly as to his reply. | would
prefer not to do So
Judge Advocate-"Give the sub
stance" He did not agree with ms
as to the necessity for that
Was there anything further said hy
him." Nothing further that l recol-
lect."
Capt Folger also said that he had NJ
recollection of a picket line on the in
side Of the American fleet.
At the request of Captain farker 81
counsel for Admiral Schley. the witnes:
examined the log of the New Orlean:
for May 80 and 81. 1898, for the pur-
pose of determining accurately the
state of the weather. but he declined
to modify his statement of yesterday
that the weather on those days was
bad.
Capt. FolSer was excused and Lieut.
Dyson vas called. He was questioned
by Capt. Lemly concerning the steam
ing condition of the Brooklyn or
July >.
The judge advocate asked: What
does the Brooklyns steam log show as
to the number of engines coupled VI
aud the boilers in use. July 3. 1898. as
compared with the total engine and
boiler power Of the vessel"
The reply was: THE Brooklyn has
four main engines. two to each shaft
connected together by coupling. She
has seven boilers. five main and two
3uxiliaricS. On the morning of July j
both forward engines We're uncoupled
there were banked fires under three of
the main boilers. The other boilers were
What we call dead no steam in them
Judging from the time it took to start
fires i'm these boilers. after the Spanish
fleet came out of the harbor I should
say the furnaces were not even primed
and two of the boilers had to be run w
to the sea steam ming level. 1t took from
?.25 to 10 o'clock to start fires
Mr.. Rayner asked if it was not nee
essary to stop the ship to couple the
unco,pled engines. and the witness re-
piled that the ship could have been
kept going with one engine while the
other was coupled. Tie engines were
designed. he said. to be kept coupled
during war.
Discussing the speed Of the various
vessels of the fleet on July 3, the wit
ness said that the Oregon got up a
speed about equal to the Brooklyn on
that day. notwithstanding that on her
trial trip. the Brooklyn made over q
Knots to the Oresons II knots. he
called attention to the fact that the
New York had made Is or IL knots on
the day of the battle. In response to
questions from Capt. Parker he said
that the New York had not had her en-
,rines coupled on the day of the battle
and that the Brooklyn had made all the
speed necessary
After Lieut.. Dyson was excused.
7 ;aut. Commander Hodgson was re-
called for the purpose of correcting er-
rors in his testimony as printed in the
official record He took occasion tn
change some of the language of his
nrevious testimony. One of these
changes was made in response to the
uuestio,lS asked. yesterday. as IL why
he lad designated as "a liar and II
N ckollard" the editor Of n newspaper
Continued on page ~