Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-08
1H[F|R[S N[R|EBANkED
Lieut.. Dyson Says the Brooklyn
Was Slow at Battle With
Cervera.
Lieut.. Hodfson corrects His Tes.
timsny Regarding Certain
Newspaper Statement.
Did Not Intend to Accuse Editor
81 Lying Wainrieht on the
Stand.

aOth there was an extended and very se-
we're rain storm, SO sver that feared
Cervera had gotten out. Went on
board the flagship the next day, think
ing 1t my duty tostell the commodore
what had seen as to the blockade as
kept by the Japanese off Port Wei Wei.
where similarly the enemy's fleet was
within the fortified harbor. said to
the commodore that the adoption OF the
tactics Of the Japanese, forming q cir
Gle directly in front OF the harbor. would
ii my opinion be preferable, as then 1t
would be difficult for anything to get
ont. The commodore did not agree with
me az TO the necessity for that" Capt.
Eolger was then excused and Lieut..
Dyson called He was questioned by
Capt. Lemley concerning the steaming
condition OF the Brooklyn on July 8.
s Judge Advocate: What does the
Brooklyn,s steam log show as to the
number OF engines coupled up and boil
err, In use July 3, as compared with the
Total engine boiler power Of the vessel?'
Answer: THE Brooklyn has four main
engines. two to each shaft, connected
together by coupling. She has seven
boilers. hve main and two auxtliaries.
On the morning OF July both forward
engines were uncoupled and there were
banked fires under three main boilers.
The other boilers had no steam in them.
Judging from the time II took to start
the fires in these boilers after the Span
ish fleet came out OF the harbor. ]
should say the furnaces were not even
prined. and the two boilers had to be
run up to. sea steamfng level. 1t took
from s:35 to 10 O'clock to start the
fires
Witnes detailed from the log of the
Brooklyn all that was done on that ves-
rel to get up speed. Asked II 1T would
be necessary to stop the ship to couple
and uncouple engines, witness replied
that the ship could have been kept go
Ing with one engine while the other was
coupled. Discussing the speed of the
various vessels on July 8, witness said
the Oregon got up speed about equal to
the Brooklyn on that day, notwith-
standing on her trial trip the Brook
lyn made over q knots to the Oregon's
n. He called attention to the fact that
the New oYrk had made 16 or II knots
epeed on the day of the battle. He said
the New York had not had the engines
coupled on the day of the battle and the
Brooklyn had made all the speed neces-
sary.
After Dyson was excused Lieutenant
Commander Hodgson was recalled for
the purpose Of correcting errors in his
testimony as printed in the official rec
ord. He took occasion to change some
OF the language of his previous testi-
mony. One of these changes was made
IN response to questions asked yesterday
as to why he had designated as liar
and blackguard' the editor of the news
paper which had originally urinted an
alleged colloquy between himself and
lSchley. He said he desired to alter the
reply that he had yesterday given to
this interrogatory. He then said: II, of
course, am very sorry that ever SO far
forgot myself as to write a letter con-
stRining slch Incorporate language. 1t
was not written exactly for publication,
but under great provocation at the time.
4 In that letter did not accuse this news
paper Of lying for printing that state
ment. In fact 1t was to absolve 1t from
lying that gave the paper authority to
use my name for correction of the gist
s OF that statement. The lying was a
matter OF fact that the commodore dis
played such trepidation and cowardice
on the Brooklyn on the day of that bat
tie that he ran from the Spaniards and
took the Brooklyn to the southwark and
away from the fight, in order to detract
from the credit and fame Of the commo-
dore In that battle; that they wished
also to detract from the credit of all the
ofiicers OF the Brooklyn on account Of
the glorious part she took in that days
fight. It was words to that effect that I
characterized as lying. There was no
lying In that colloquy, unless man
stuck to the verbal correctness of words.
So j did not characterize the paper as a
liar for printing that colloquy."
Hodgson being excused Commander
Wainwright was called. Capt. Lemly
began his examination by drawing from
the witness the fact that he had been a
member and latterly senior member of
the board which had officially acted in
making the chart showing the positions
OF the American and Spanish ships at
Santiago. Witness told how the conclu-
dons were reached by that board.
He said: When l reported as senior
member OF the board the board of navi-
gators had sketched chart before them
with q number of positions sketcned on
1t, which had been determined by them,
starting at different periods. first when
the ships came out, afterward when
they went ashore. Each navigator,
as near as possible, would put the posi-
tion OF his ship at that time. Then
there was a great deal of discussion as
TO the relative positions. OF course it
was impossible to get any position by
bearings. there was nothing known
about the relative positions. We also
knew the distances In the chart We're
somewhat Incorrect and the final de-
cision OF the board was to reconcile each
one g near ~ possible. but none OF the