Evening star., 1901-10-08
Commander Wainwright Tells Of the
Battle of July 8.
DESCRIBES HOW SPANISH CAME OUT
Explains How the Charting of
Ships Position Was Done
LIEUT.. BRISTOL'S NARRATIVE

opened today at the navy yard Captain
VIM. NJ. FOlger, in command of the cruiser
New Orleans during the Spanish war, re-
sumed his testimony begun yesterday after
noon He was first asked to correct the
printed report of his testimony given yes
terday. after which the log book of the
New Orleans was placed before him and
he was asked by Mr.. Rayner if it did not
show other conditions of weather in front
OF Santiago from May 2S to May 81 than
were testified to by him yesterday. He
had said the weather rainy and
thick and that at times he could not
have seen the Spanish fleet if it had come
out of the harbor of Santiago. The log
book. he said, he thought confirmed in sub
stance what ne had said about the weather.
On the night of the Both. he said. it was
so very stormy that he feared Cervera's
fleet had escaped He considered it his
duty to go on board the Brooklyn and
talk to the Commarder-in-chief about it and
to suggest some better method of block
aiding in order to prevent the escape of the
fleet
Capt. Folger said he had remarked to
the commodore that he had witnessed the
blockade by the Japanese at Wei Hal Wei
and regarded that very effective block
ade. They had on that occasion kept the
vessels stationed in circle in front of the
harbOr.
modores reply to his suggestion was. say
Ing he preferred not to repeat it. When
pressed for an answer he said:
He didn't agree with me as to the neces-
sity for that
Speed of the Brooklyn July 3.
Lieut.. Dyson was then recalled and testi-
fed that the log of the Brooklyn showed
that that vessel had got up a speed of only
141A knots during her chase of the Colon on
July B. while at her trial speed she had
gone twenty-one knots an hour with all
boilers and all engines at work. This slow
speed was the result of not using all the
boilers and all the engines. The Brooklyn
he said, had five main and two auxiliary
engines. When the Brooklyn went into
action two of the boilers We're not even
primed. Two of the auxiliary engines
were not coupled up even at the end of the
chase. When the battle began he said it
took from 9:3J to 10 o'clock to start the
fires Having two engines uncouplcd. they
could not use all the steam they had. Asked
what power the other vessels deI eIoped
he said the New York got up 161a or Il
knots speed and got her last two boilers
going at 1850 O'Clock; the Oregon was
making 1412 and 10 knots, the Texas H.
The Iowa had one boiler empty and got up
9IA knots.
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson was then
recalled and made corrections in his print
ed testimony.
Mr.. HodgsOn Explains.
W Iltll MI f1OuSSOn came IN the teStl-
mony to the question of Mr.. Rayner ask
ing him why he called the editor of the
New York Sun liar he made another ex-
PLANTATION.
Il am very sorry" he said. that 1 ever
lost my temper so far as to write that let
ter in such Incorporate language. 1t was
not written for publication. In that letter
/ did not accuse the Sun of lying in print
ing that statement 1t was to absolve the
Sun from the charge of lying that 1 wrote
another letter. The lying was not in that
statement, but the letter was written in
reference to the fact that the Sun had
placed the commodore in the attitude of
running away from the Spaniards and
taking the Brooklyn away from the fight
In order to discredit the commodore in that
battle, detractfng as well from the glory
of the officers of the Brooklyn, and it was
that that / characterized as a lie. There
was no lying about that colloquy unless
one should stick to verbal accuracy. So [
did not characterize the Sun as lying in
printing that colloquy"
Shortly after II o'clock Commander
Richard Wainwright was called to the
stand Before the war Commander VAIN
wright was executive officer of the Maine
and he was on that vessel when she was
blown up in the harbor of Havana. After
ward WARD; ne was placed In command of the
Gloucester and made brilliant career at
Santiago. He is now superintendent of tie
Naval Academy.
Plotting the Battle Chart.
Commander Wainwright was questioned
by the judge advocate as to the method
adopted by the board of officers Of which he
was the senior member, and which was con-
Nened FOR the purpose of plotting and re-
porting upon the position of Spanish and
American vessels during the battle of Sam
tiago. July 3. 1898 He described the
method by which this work was done ard
sad that the positions were the result of
estimates indicated by navigation officers
OF the different vessels, or agreed upon
among members of the board Each
haylgetor would give as near as pos
able the position of his ship at different
times from the beginning of until the ter
mination of the battle.
There was great deal of discussion"
ne SAID, as to the relative positions of the
Inherent ships. IL was impossible to give
any positions accurately by bearings We
knew the distances on the chart used at
that time were inaccurate, and the final
decision of the board was to reconcile the
relative positions of the various ships as
nearly as possible. None of the positions
were considered exact. II was impossible
To get bearings, even if We had had a cor
rect chart
He said that all members of the board
had signed the statement of positions
merely as the nearest possible statement
OF facts that could be obtained So far
as he knew. none of the members was sat
isfied with all the positions. He said that
the statement that appears in the appen-
dix that these positions were established
by known bearings and distances was
wrong.
Il was not satisfied" he said, with the
position of the Texas and the BROOKLYN
i know the navigator of the Texas was
not satisfied with the position given his
ship think none was satisfied except
perhaps the navigator of the Brooklyn
and do not know that he was satisfied -
He said the report of the board was
intended to be compromise of the vari-
Gus views of members and the navigat ting
officers He said that the board had no
powers of a court to call and compel state
ments from witnesses. They were obliged
TO allow the navigators of several ships
TO indicate their positions. He said that
as rule the positions were determined
by members of the board, although Captain
Chadwick and Captain Cook had been
called in and had discussed the matter with
them
q. (by the judge advocate)-From the no.
sitiOn of the Gloucester at the commence
ment of the battle of July 8, could you see
the Brooklyn and the Texas? A At the
commencement of the battle, as far as
can remember 1t. that is, just after the
battle commenced, do not remember see
ing the Brooklyn or the Texas at all
Q. (by the courtl-What orders, il any,