The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-24
Was Perfectly Natural in Manner
and Bearing During the Bat.
tie of Santiago July3.
EldnT WITNESSES WERE Examined.
Leading Spanish Ship Led Steadily on
Brooklyn's Port Bow for Some
Time and Then Turned.


Washington, Oct. 15.-Monday in the
schlsy court of inquiry Judge Ad 10
cate Lemly concluded presentation
of testimony for the government ana
the first of Adm. Schley's witnesses
was introduced. Capt. Francis A.
Cook, who commanded Adm. Qhcn
Commodore) Schley's flagship, the
Brooklyn, during the Santiago cam
paign, and who acted, though uuof-
Rcially, in the capacity of chief of
staff for the commodore, was on the
witness stand the .rreater part of the
day. Capt. Cook, in his testimony. said
he ordered the loop and stoutly main
tained that it was good judgment.
After making the turn the Brooklyn
alone was receiving the fire of the
Niscaya, Colon and Oquendo.
Washington, Oct. 16.--Only one new
witness was heard in detail by the
schley court Of inquiry Tuesday.
This was Lieut.-Com. James Ii. Sears.
who was Adm. Schley's flag lieuten-
ant during the Spanish war. He gave
a detailed account of the entire Gu
ban campaign, including the brief
siege of Cienfuegos, the retrograde
movement of the flying squadron in
search of coal, the blockade of San
tiago, the reconnaissance Of the San
tiago shore batteries and the bonn
bardment of the Cristobol Colon May
81 and the battle off Santiago, July
B, when CerWera's feet was destroyed
He placed distance out of Cienfuegos
at one to four miles and at Santiago
from three to six miles He expressed
the opinion that in battle of July it
had been the Viscaya's intention to
ram the Brooklyn.
Mr.. Raines sought to secure the
Introduction of a brief of the battle
of July 3, which Commodore Schley
prepared from transmission to the
secretary of the navy. 1t was stated
that Commander Sears had taken
this dispatch ashore to be cabled to
the secretary, but that it never had
reached that official. The dispatch
was ruled out on the ground as il
was not received it was not an Off
cial communication IL was not read
in the court room, but the following
Is copy of 1t:
"Secretary of the Navy, Washington:
Spanish squadron came out of San
tiago harbor this morning, July 3, at
B:30, and were all captured or de-
Btroyed in a running fight to the
westward of about three and one
half hours. Very few casualties in
our fleet: Ellis, chief yoeman, killed,
and one man wounded on the Brook
Ign. Reports from other ships not
yet in. The commander-in-ch now
experimenting transfer of prisoners
from the Cristobal Colon, which sur
rendered to the Brooklyn and Ore
gon AT lis p. NJ. About 1000 pris-
oners in all, including Spanish ad-
miral. Victory complete; details la
ter.
(Signed) "SCHLEY."
Capt. Cook was recalled during the
day and in response to a question by
Capt. Lemly made an additional
statement concerning the retrograde
movement of the flying squadron May
e6 to May rs. He also said in answer
to a question by the court, that Com
modore Schley during the battle of
July was cool, brave and enthusi-
astic. | can not imagine any con-
duct in battle more admirable"
Washington, Oct 1.-THE officers
of Adm. Schley's flagship, the Brook
lyn, occupied the attention of the
court of inquiry for the entire day
Wednesday. The proceedings began
with the recall of Capt. Cook and
Lieut.. Commander Sears, both of
whom made material additions TO
their former testimony, and they
were followed in succession by Com.
mander n. +. Mason. who was the ex-
ecutive officer of the Brooklyn; Lieut..
i. McCauley, who was signal officer
and Lieut.. Charles Webster. who had
charge of the forward gun deck bat
terry of the Brooklyn during the bat
Ger on board that ship.
Capt. Cooks new testimony related
to the uncoupling of the Broo,slyn's
engine and to the voyage of the flying
squadron from Cienfuegos to San
tiago, explaining in some detail the
cause of the slow passage made On
that occasion.
Mr.. Hanna directed attention to
Cooks statement that the Broollyn's
engines were uncoupled July by or
der of Sampson.
"Do you mean to say that Sampson
ordered the engines uncoupled"
"That was my statement"
"Was il written order?'
81 think the order was contained
IN the bulletin. 1t fixed the amount
of steam to he carried, and the rate
preston that il set forth that the
forward engines should be uncoupled.
We could not move the four engines
with the amount of steam we were
directed 70 carry. 1t may have been
from that got the impression that
the. forward engines should he un-
coupled. The engines were uncoupled
on all the ships"
Commander Sears spoke again of the
conversation reported as having taken
place between himself and officers of
the Massachusetts in the wardroom
of that vessel on May 81, In which he
was alleged to have sail that II had
been difficult to get Commodore
schley up to the point Of undertaking
the bombardmsnt Of the Colon. and he
again denied that he had said any
thing rejecting upon his superior
officer.
Commander Mason and Leuts. Nc
Cauley and Webster ell gave accounts