River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-24
AFTER TWO DAYS REST.
Schley Court of Inquiry Resumes
Its Sessions with Lieut..
Wells on Stand.
QUESTION OF DISPATCHES COMES UP.
Date of Receipt of Dear schIey Let
ter" Again Subject of Discussion
Discrepancies in Dates Admitted
BY Admiral SchIey Witness De-
cIares SchIey Was Brave.

Washington, Oct. 22.-After two
DAYS rest the Schley court of inquiry
resumed its sessions at II o'clock
Monday. The court was, as usual,
prompt in beginning the proceedings,
and not only the members of the
court but counsel were apparently
i'm brighter and fresher frame of mind
than usual. After the witnesses OF
former days had been recalled for
the purpose of correcting their testi-
mony. Lieut. b. W. Wells, Jr., secretary
to Commodore Schley during the
Cuban campaign, resumed the testl-
mony which he had begun on Friday.
After a few preliminaries, he began
his narration of the battle of July B,
and was then questioned at some
length by Mr.. Rayner before he was
turned over to Capt. Lemly and Mr..
Hanna. for cross-eXamination.
j. L. Hunley, the chief machinist on
the Texas. who last week testified
that on July he was at the throttle
of the port engine of the Texas, while
correcting his testimony, was asked
by Judge Advocate Lemly as to what
other machinist was stationed in the
port engine room on the day of the
battle The witness replied that as
soon as general quarters sounded he
relieved Machinist Hill. He stated in
reply to questions by Capt. Lemly
that Claxton, who had testified that
he was at the port engine on that day
and that the engine was reversed,
was stationed at the air pumps,
back of the engine. Hunley said
he kept his hand on the throttle
of the engine most of the time and
did not think it possible that the sig
nal to stop or back could have been
given without his knowledge.
\ synopsis of the days proceedings
follows;
No Vessels Passed Blockade.
When Lieut.. Wells had finished his de-
scription of the battle the question of dis
patches was taken up.
Mr.. Rayrer: Did any vessels pass the
blockade either at Cienfuegos or at San
tiago and without the authority of the
commodore
..No. sir. none without his authority. The
Adula passed with his permission at Glen
fuegos and at Santiago the British cruiser
interchangeable came to the blockade ana
asked permission to go in, which was grant
cd. but she did not avail herself of the op-
portunity She then withdrew"
A number of dispatches were shown to
Che witness and he was asked as to their
receipt by Commodore Schley. One from
Secretary Long TO the American consul at
W J., ;,,eY ton Ia
saving that it must be delivered to Schley
al once, and informing him (Schley) that
unless unsafe for his squadron the depart
ment wished him to remain off Santiago,
and asking if he could not take possession
of Guantanamo as a cOaling station; also
dispatch from Secretary Long to capt.
Cotton of the Harvard, dated Washington,
Nav 90 inclosing a dispatch to Commodore
Schley. telling him to hold on at all haz-
ARDS. that the New York. Oregon and New
Orleans were on the way; also two dis
matches from Secretary Long to the dis
match boat Harvard, dated Washington,
Nav 3d. one informing him that the COM
mapder in chief had started to join him
ard the other telling him that Sagua, %
miles east of Santiago, had been reported
as a good place to land from which it would
be easy to reach the heights in the rear OF
Santiago, the witness said had been re-
ceived on May 81.
The cablegram from Secretary Long,
dated Washington, May 2, TO the cable
office at Mole St Nicholas, Haiti, direct
ing that ii be delivered to the next Amer
lean war vessel to arrive, and informing
Commodore Schley that the most abso-
luteIy urgent thing now is TO know posi-
lively whether the Spanish division is in
Santiago. etc, was shown the witness.
He stated that it had been received by
Commodore Schey on May 80. The Colon
had been discovered in the harbor of San
tiago by Commodore Schley on the morning
of May 80
Told Not to Cripple ships.
Mr.. Rayner at this point exhibited a chart
upon which there were notations regarding
The soundings taken in the vicinity of San
tiago harbor and the strength of the bat
teries there, this information being given
as of date April 5, 1898.
The rotations were as follows:
Armament in forts in 1891: MORO
castle, old guns, Is and "a FOUNDERS, ten in
all: Estrella. old guns, seven in all; Santa
Catalina. partly in ruins; Blanco Is and
"a Founders, nine guns smooth bore, one
small rifle, two small mortars; cable land
ing at Blanoo battery, back of Cay Smith.
preparing to mount new guns back Of
Morro.'
Now give me the date the navy depart
ment issued the order which has been re-
ferred to in this case about not crippling
ships by the shore batteries" asked Mr..
Rayner
April 6, 1895 was the response.
Mr. Rayner asked the witness II he had
any other information in reference to the
batteries al Santiago except that given on
the map referred to. He stated the com
modore had received a memorandum of
information from the bureau Of raval in
telligence. embodying about the same facts
as contained on the chart.
Mr. Rayner: Am right in saying that
YOU perhaps saw more or as much Of Com
modore Schley during the whole of this
| Spanish war as anyone else, and came in
contact with him as much as anybody"
Il saw him daily and all through each
| day. generally speaking"
did you see him during the time of the
| reconnaissance on May 81"
YES, sir"
Did you see him frequently during the
dav of the battle of July 80"
mo, sir l only saw him during the chase
| of the Colon"
"Did you see him during any OF the bonn
| barGments%'
Il saw him during one OF them Exactly
which one I cannot distinctly recollect."
SchIey Was Brave.