The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 22, 1901, Page 13

| ; Pages SHOROH G I 4 i | Call. HOROROR SRINS ROR 4065 DOROROHILORQK GAILD HOX SROXOXOROXOP 3 VOLUME XC— SAN- FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1901—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. PRICE FIVE CENTS. COMMANDER SEATON SCHAOEDER TESTIFIES BEFORE SCHLEY GOURT BF INQUIRY CONCERNING THE “FLYING SQUAD NOT FAST | ENOUGH TO | ~ SUITHIM| Witness Says the At-} tack Was Not as Planned. P POTTER ‘ | Sailing Time of American Ships Said to Be i Too Slow. } Former Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Criti- | | cizes Work in Cuban Waters. fl miral 3 American wa Commander Seaton executive officer of the er, who was battleship Massa- to San- of the Span- y in the g0 on May uegos cruise | | wud have bombard- not act- pur- giv- , coun- to have he distance under Ad- r officer advocate the qu rrected concern- blockade of San-| ! in the bluck- the fleet was five or six miles out to | | sea, moving up closer later. | -l HARBER CROSS-EXAMINED. | | Loses His Temper When Put on the | | HON'S" CAUlS Prc o % 7, APMIRAL B0 Grill by Raymor. | Bl c Tiok o1 . &, ) ¢ ey - 8 :'T':‘Tl OFFICERS WHO WILL BE IMPORTANT 'WIiNESSES IN SCHLEY lNQUlRY. ness in calling the S 3 4 —_ % 4 sea moderate; that it was hard for small | finger at him, saying. he construed it as|of the fleet steamed eight miles to the maintained his position, saying he had vessels, but it was “nothing much.” He thought the Texas could have made from to twelve knots. Raynor had the s read logs of the Massachusetts, with The witne was somewhat | the Iowa, the Brqoklyn and other vessels ncerning the weather at that time. f ed was Captain nor read a report from Captain Hig- Harber, exec of the Texas ginson saying that the weather had been during the Sy wi on the ugh and squally” on the %th. Captain d when ourne ester- | Harber stated that the report of Captain Higginson was not borne out by the log The judge ked no question | hook of his ship. of him and he s ely turned | “It does not correspond with the log,” over to Raynor ¢ for Admiral | the witness said, and he added that hav- Schley, who que him concerning | ing given his best recollection concerning his statement made yesterday to the ef-| the weather he thought Raynor had an fect that he did not recall that there was | uiterfor motive in his questions. Raynor y picket 1 es hed inside the line | geclared that he had no such end in view. blockade at ( cE A report by ““Then,” sald the witness, "I have given B hley was read to the effect that a pick- | you my best recollection concerning the et line hed been maintained, but the wit- | weather.” ness declined to change hi: atement | hat is what I want,” responded the Could Not Recall Signal. attorney. Asked if the Brooklyn had not, on May | “That is what I have given you," re- o, sis the Tex longside the | Deated the witness. aptain Lemly objected to the examina- tion of Captain Harber on the record of a ship which he had no part in preparing. | Objection Is Sustained. The court retired to consider the point did not recall Rayfior read the of the collier Ing s follow lller and coal of it no amount 1ld bring the witness to say | pressing After an absence of ten minutes the that be remembered the incident. He 1 court returned, announcing its decision, he sajd, very little 1o do with the slgnal-| o, 1aining the objection that the witness ing. The same replies practically were| . .14 5ot be examined on the log of the made in response to questions regarding |y, .o hugetts. signals. Raynor ¢ d several of | ontinuing his testimony, Captain Har- these. One transmitted from the Texas |yor yngjgted that the weather on May 25 to the Brooklyn read, “On afterthought |y, 'no oy oh v the captain thinks it unsafe to put a col-| go 415 maintained that it was his lier between b: ships.”” Another {rom | ,..oljection, as stated yesterday, that the the Texas T Do not think it safe to fleet was farther out at night than in | the daytime. When his attention was | callea contrary statement by Ad- miral Higginson, the witness said that it collier. The two ships will surely crush her.” to a ser replied that he remem- Captain H bered there was some taik 1 "Z' collier, | was not material to him what any other but he could o gt s men had said; that he had glven his es- Speaking of slignals observed off | ;500 and was not concerned about the Cienfuegos, be said his supposition, 2% | statements of others. was that of the other officers, was that| .ppen you object to having your mem- they jwere between the Spanish forces. P ? ory refreshed?” said Raynor. Cyptain Harber was also questioned| .j 554q nothing of the kind,” replied the cihsely concerning \]1?(13!(}”1 speed gf lhx" witness. “I am here to give my testi- fieet on the sail from Cienfuegos to Banti- { mony, and I object to be spoken to in the ago on May 2. | way you speak to me.” He said the weather was fresh and the a menace. entirely respectful and not to menace the witnes ing his estimate that at night the ves AT SAMPSON'S SELECTION AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF He also objected to Raynor's shaking his | +—— Raynor insisted that he meant to bc Counsel questioned the witness concern- eastward and ‘seven miles to the westward | given his best impression. to the mouth of the harbor. The point was | log entries he considered worthless as cvi- sought to be made that to make this ¥ of fifteen miles would require greater \ “Admiral Higginson, who preceded you | on the stand,” said Raynor, “testified that speed than three knots to an hour, which | the blockade of Admiral Schley cruised s | he testified was made, but Captain Harber il | dence, Some of the AN INJUSTICE AND CONTRARY TO LAW OF LAND HE unfortunate feud in the navy which has developed into a national seandal, likely to culminate with serious results to several officers, originates from the fact that a junior officer waws “jumped” over eleven wenfors and made commander-in-chief ol the North Atlantic squadron during the Spanish = American war. On February 15, 0N, when the battleship Maine was destroyed in the harbor of Havann, there were six rear admirals, of which Kirkland headed the list; dorews, with McNair and Schley as senior and ju- nior, and forty-five eaptains on the lst, of which Sampwon stood wecond. Renr Admiral Sieard was in command of the North Atlantic squadron, but fll-health compelled him to relinguish his con mand, to which Captain Snmpson was selected by the Navy Department on March 20. On April 21 the rank of rear ndmiral was conferred upon him by the department and confirmed by the Senate August 10, During the few months of the war Commodores Howell, Remey, Watson and Schley were subordinates to Captain Sampson: Howell commanding the first squadron of the North At- lantic fleet, Remey in charge of the naval base at Key West, Watson in command of the Eastern squadron and Schley commanding the fiying squadron from March 28 to May 24, independently; and from May 24 to June 21 under orders of Sampson, and from June 21 to the close of the war in command of the second North Atlantic squad- ron, still under orders from Sampson. Of the other seven slighted oflicers, Dewey made hix record at Manila and gained his promotion to rear admiral, while the other six performed duty on shore during the war. The law, by the provisions of which the Navy Department selected Captain Sampson, is that of section 1434, R. 8., of December 21, 1861, which reads; “The President may select any officer not below the grade of commander on the active list of the navy, and assign him to the ten commo- command of a squadron, with the rank and title of ‘flag officer'; and any officer so awsigned shall have the same authority and receive the snme obedience from the’commanders of ships in hix sgundron, holding commissions of an older date than his, that he would be entitied to receive it his commission were the oldest.” Another Inw, section 1365, R, § 1802, prescribes: “During war rear admrals shall be selected from those officern o the active not below the grade of commanders, who have eminently distinguished themnseclves by cour- nge, skill and genfus in their profession but no officer shall be so promoted, under this provision, unlens, upon recommendation of the President by neme, he han recelved the thankws of Congress for distinguished wervice." According to the navy regnintions: “A rear admiral may command e fleet, a nguadron or a naval stationy a commodore may command na squadron, n division of a squadron or a naval sta- tion, and a eaptain may command a division of a squadron, ete.”” The term “squadron” is the di- vision of a fleet such as van, center and rear, an assemblage of vesrels smaller than a fleet, and there does not nppear to have been a well-found- ed authority ziven by the sections quoted to make Captain Sampson commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic fleet, and detailing Commodores Howell, Watson and Schley as commanders of squadrons. When on April 21, 1898, Captain Samp- son was ordered to hoist his flag as rear admiral, the law under section 1365 had not been com- plied with, as Sathpson had not been the recipient of a vote of thanks from Congress, nor had he dis- tinguished himwelf by superior skill and genius in his profession to make him more conspicuous than many other officers above and below him in rank. The selection was contrary to law, and an of July 16, injustice and humiliation to those officers who out- ranked the favorite at Washington. P e | | on only one 3 nearer. at night than day. Now do you still maintain -that you-did - not crulse nearer at night than dwring the day?"” “Certainly; I gave you my estimate.” “I just want to: refresh. your memory. “It_don't refresh my memory at all. “Ts it not possible for you to be wronsg?” “I did not say anything:about that. Certainly it is possible for me to be wrong. I want to state that I am here to answer questions pertaining to this tes- timony and not to have words made in that way, as though I had made the assertions.” Raynor announced his cross-examina- tion closed and the witness was cross- examined by Hanna, assistant judge ad- vocate. Trusting to Memory. Hanna asked whether it is practicable in times of urgency to make log entries of signals. The witness replied that it was not practicable for the person who usually made such entries to put them down at that time. write them out later, he said, trusting to memory. He also stated that it was pos- sible for him to have had knowledge of signals from the Texas, as Captain Philip usually managed the ship personally. “It is,” sald Hanna, “a more critical matter to coal a ship in the open with a battleship on either side than with a ship de?"” “Dectdedly.” Captain Parker here asked: “You did gome coaling on the 27th and 28th of May “On the night of the 27th and morning of the 28th.” “In the course of coaling did not the collier spring a leak because of a collision with the Texas?" When the Texas Coaled. “You could not call it springing a leak. The plates were indented, and in the Tex- as a very little water came, sceping through." “8o the sea at that time was bad enough to cause these vessels to collide?” ““The Inference, sir, 's quite wrong, That was due to a flont which we put in be- tween the vessels and did not notice that it “was just abaft the armor belt. The flont consisted of square timbers," “That wou'd have been worse in a worse sea, and it was bad enough In that sea?" “Experience told it was not necessary to, use that sort of th.ng." *#You dld not have ‘as much experience then In coaling as you have had since, dia you?" “With that sort of sea, yes, sir.” By the court—What was the state of the sea when the Texas coaled on May 27, as compared with the state on the 26th? “The weather was smoother somewhat, 1 belleve: more favorable.” This concluded Captain Harber's testi- mony, and he was excused. A e HIGGINSON IS RECALLED. Modifies a Statement Made in Testi- mony the Day Before. Admiral Higsginson was then recalled and questioned especially concerning his statement of yesterday that the fleet was only two or three miles out from Santi- ago harbor. He modified his statement by It was necessary to | saying that during the first portion of the blockade the fleet stood out farther, prob- ably five miles by day and four miles by EAND BOMBARDMENT OF THE GOLON —_— ADMIRAL HIGGINSON MODIFIES Makes a Correction as to Distance From Shore. ——— Captain Harber Sticks to Evidence Given About Coaling. Objects to Having Memory Refreshed and Differs From Views of a Superior. —— night. He confessed, however, that after three years his memory was indistinct. In reply to a question by Captain Par- ker, the witness said with 800 tons of coal aboard the Massachusetts could have steamed 2500 miles, or could have re- mained on blockade duty for about twelve days. By Captain Parker: “Then after twelve days out you would not have been able to get anywhere?” “No, we would not.” “Did the fleet after the 20th of May ever get off a distance of twenty-five miles?” “I.don’t remember that it ever did.” “Then the story to the effect, by whom- Soever told, couid not be true?” “I don’t remember such an excursion, and if made the log book should show tha facts.” “Have you any memory that the fleet éver drew after that date a distance of more than six miles?” “I have not.” By the court: “From the distance at which the blockade was maintained at night, could you have seen any vessel at- tempting to leave Santiago under ordi- nary circumstances of weather?" Admiral Higginson: “I think it would have been difficult on account of the high land ard the shadows under the land.” Admiral Higginson was then excused, |and the court at 1 o’clock ok a recess for lunch. —_—— SCHEROEDER ON THE STAND. Replies to Questions Relating to Cam- paign in Cuban Waters. The first witness called after the noon recess was Commander Seaton Schroeder, now Governor of the island of Guam, who, during the Spanish war, was execu- tive ocffier of the battleship Massachu- setts. Commander Schroeder was questioned 2s to the details of the entire compaign. He knew, he said, of no efforts to com- municate with the shore while the ing Squadren” lay off Cienfuegos. could give no details concerning the voy- age from Cienfuegos to Santiago, having been on the sick list. On the first arrival off Santiago the fleet had, the witness said, been twenty miles to the south of the port. He did not know of his own knowledge why a westward movement had been undertaken until arriving at Santiago, nor did he know how far the fleet had traveled In that direction. He stated that upon the return to Santiago on May 28 he had sighted the Spanish ship Colon, and that it lay 1200 feet in- side the harbor, the American fleet being six or seven miles out. Bombardment of the Colon, Referring to the bombardment of the Colen, May 31, Commander Schroeder sald he did not observe that there was any firing from the Spanish shore batterfes. Asked to state in detall any conversa- tion on the part of Commodore Schley during the engagement, the witness wald that at the end of the run to the t- ward he had gone to {he conning tower and found Commodore Schley talking with Captain Higginson. The captain had then directed him to port helm and he (8chroeder) had suggested that in case this order should be observed the lowa would blanket the fire of the Massachu- setts. He was proceeding with this state- ment when counsel for Admiral Schiey raised an objection because the witness could not say whether the commodore had overheard the conversation. The court withdrew to decide the point at Issue, and upon returning announced that the objection had been sustained. The witness then stated that the ¢om- mander in chief had addressed him later, telling him to “starboard the helm,"” add- ing. “and let us get out of this,” but he found when he started to give the order that it was already being executed. He had inferred that the order had been al- ready given by the captain of the ship. The witness also sald that when Com- modore Schley first came aboard he had sald that it was his intentionf to take the bombarding ships very slowly and to have them fire deliberately, “'so as to sink the Colon at her moorings.” With this in- Continued on Page Fourteem.