The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-26

go 90 g eeossg.W
e enc are those that were received on tue
Have You a record Of thosey'
u Fave a record Of the dlspntrhes that
we're intended for the Harvard ana were
| received by me as the commanding officer
| OF thie3 Harvard. have not a clear record
! Oh all dispatches that were addressed 10
! or Intended for Commodore Schley or the
senior officer of Santiago"
me witness idcntlncd one dispatch print
| ca IN the appendix TO the report OF the
! bureau of navigation May % lSDS
49,, ! ne -ourt NJ this point adjourned for
| When the court recoDvened after lunch.
con, MIR. Ruynor resumed his cross-examina.
ton of Admiral Cotton. His first effort
was TO reconsider certain dates. saying
that IL was most Important that they should
oe correct. He would admit the delivery
of one dispatch on the 9th, hut the con.
tention was that the other dispatches were
delivered on the 3lst. He called the ad-
mirals attention to tue fact that one of
lhe dispatches which he had said he had
ihgton as of that day. This Is the dispatch
" which Secretary Long had Instructed
the commander as TO the Importance of de
termlning explicitly whether Cervera's fleet
was In Santiago harhor. The admiral said
| that IL he had said that this dispatch was
delivered on the 2Ith, he had made a mis-
ter Ills return from Kingston. He was Ger.
! tain, however that he had delivered more
Inap =, one alspatch to Commodore Schley
81 delivered to Commodore Schley two
dispatches on the morning of May "a.
think " probable that among tbe dispatches
which spoke Of having handed him on
| that day rhere may have been some which
were addressed To me and not TO him which
contained Information such as | thought
he should have. OF the two dispatches
addressed 10 him one was from Admiral
sampson"
Recurring to his conversation with Ad.
mir9l Schley concerning the conl supply OF
the neeI on the 27th, Admiral Cotton said
that Admiral Schley had expressed great
mander would nave felt, he said. under the
circumstances.
Mr.. Raynor attempted to have Admiral
Cotton say that his conversation with Adj
mirnl Schley concerning Lieutenant Beall's
, proposition to 90 ashore and communicate
with the Insurgents had occurred ON the
3lst instead Of the 9th of May The wit
ness said that this might possibly he the
case, hut tnat 20 his best recollection the
conversation COW occurred ON the 2''n,
Schley had on the S1st sent another man
ashore to communicate with the insurgents
which would explain Admiral Schley's
declinaton OF Lieutenant Beall's PROPOSE,
tion. The witness Slid up to May ~ he did
not know OF the presence OF the Spanish
fleet within the harhor at Santiago, nor did
he know OF any other officer who had that
information at that time.
On redirect examination Admiral Cotton
said he WINS satisfied that he had told Ad-
mlral schlcy Of Lieutenant Beall's PROPOSE
tion the 9th.
Mr. Hanna here introduced copy Of a
dispatch from Admiral Sampson which had
been received 10y the Harvard aud which |
had not been made public before. II was
stated that this message had been written
on May % A notation on IT showed thar
II had been received on May 25 The dis
patch was In ciphet and was directed TO
the Harvard at Mole st: Aicholns. ~ was
cd nv I iaufpnnnt Rpnll and
scented read:
''The SPANISH squadron at snntiagG3; u
Communicate with sqhley II he, they |
moves west schley is expected May ~
at Santiago from Clenfuegos. Telegraph |
nue. from ST. Nicholas Mole to Key, West
Schley rhen 20 to Santiago TO meet nm |
shall be at Cay Francis with squadron: |
track Of the spanish SQUADRON,
WAS anything said at this time about
going to Key West for coalf'
to the difficulty which Commodore schley |
stated to me he had had In getting coal on !
board Of any of the ships at Ciengueg9s, ne
PLY was getting short the weather was
bad and had been bad almost continuously. |
1t was n serious problem as TO now or |
whether he could possibly get coal on board
ships OF Santiago. Ne said II ne FOUND the |
weather did not Improve and he found " |
lnpractcabe to coal there, he could only |
see one resort, and that was he would be |
compelled 10 return to Key West IN order
Ga supply his ships with coal, Having that
question In view, he was npnrehensiNc, ana |
especially as To one ship the Texas lie |
did not even know at that moment whether !
she had on board sunlcIent coal to enable |
her TO return to Key West. During my |
visit he gave an order TO make signql-
n general signal, as ! remember II, not I'm |
tied 10 the dying squadron alone-to re,
port whether the ships had sufficient coal |
To reach Key West. The signal was made. !
or at least ! assume It was made. At all
dore Schley he received a report to the |
effect that all the ships. Including the
Texas, had sufficient coal TO return TO Key hey
much relieved when he received this IN
formation. shortly afterward. ! should say |
within a few minutes. ne di ,t sS, "a sisnal
turn to KEY West The order was given
in a general way, can not give the words
their purport. While was still there he /
received report 70 the effect that he /
signals were. read BEFORE ] left the ship |
~ ordered signals 70 be made for ships, 70
firm preparatory for steaming TO Key |
''To go back bit. ! had Informed Com
BILE for the Harvard 70 get coal anywhere |
except at Kingston. ] had not sufficient |
authorized me TO proceed at once 10 King |
ston 20 receive such amount OF coal as | |
could get there-sunicient "a enable me TO |
return 10 the nearest port; left the |
utes before
Immediately after my departure the |
Brooklyn commenced steamlng ahead. and |
noticed that many ships Mt the moment |
under Commodore Schley's command were
In motion. presumably preparatory to tax. |
ing their stations In steaming order 10 re-
turn 10 Key West As soon as ] returned |
70 my ship. after my boat was hoIsted |
stored 10 the southwest for Khgston.'
Did YOU state in specific terms that you |
agreed with commedore Schley as TO tie |
difficulty IN coallngr'