Show BROOKLYN ALONE FOUGHT THREE SPANISH SHIPS Admiral Danger Until the Oregon Showed Up at Battle of Santiago Witnesses Tell Tel of the Commodores Brave Actions and How He Encouraged His Men Washington Oo 22 The Schley court of inquiry opened today with wih I Lieutenant B W Y Wells Fells jr who rho was Commodore nag flag fag lieutenant during the Spanish war still sUl on en the stand but he was wa soon displaced to allow Yeoman Albert V Mason who had written the log for Cor the period covering the Santiago Santago campaign to testify Mr Mason Man explained explained the erasures in the log entry ento referring to t he the turn on the day of the battle tte off oft Santiago Santago He was followed by b George Gerge E B Graham who as an As Associated Press correspondent correspondent was with Commodore Schley during the entire campaign Mr lr Grahams testimony covered all al alltha tha principal events event of the campaign specially especially the bombardment of the te Spanish ship Colon on May 31 and the battle batte of Santiago Santago on July 3 Mr Gra Graham Graham Graham ham testified to hearing a conversation between Commodore Schley and Cap Captain Captain tain tam Sigsbee when the latter later came on onboard onboard onboard board the flagship Brooklyn oft off ot San Santiago Santiago tiago tag May Ma 26 6 He said he lie had dis die distinctly heard Captain Sigsbee tell tel the commodore that the Spanish fleet was not inside the harbor at Santiago Santago Mr Graham also stated that Admiral Admirl Schley had told him that the object of or the he bombardment of May Mo 31 was to de tie develop develop the Spanish land Jand batteries and he said that the range ronge was fixed at or yards in order to to draw drw their fire He further said ald with wih ref reference reference to the events of or this engage engagement engagement ment m nt that he had heard no conversa tion In which Commodore Schley had said that the officers in their white uniforms were conspicuous objects Mr Ir Graham detailed a conversation between Commodore Schley and Cap Captain Captain tain tam Robley Roble D Evans which took place after the Santiago Santago engagement There was wn some discussion over the admissibility of this statement statement but the court decided decide that any an conversation between the commodore and any anyone one else bear bearing bearing ing lug upon the case was admissible Wells WeBs on the Stand Std Captain Lemly began his examina examination tion ton of ot Lieutenant Wells Veis by asking him whether there was kept a book of records rEcords showing letters leters received on the Brooklyn as Lieutenant Commander Sears had testified there was The Te wit witness wi witness ness nes replied that there ther was w s no such uch book bool kept but that there was a record of or letters leters sent to t and received from Vessels els ot or te the squadron Lieutenant Wells Veis ats als p w was questioned concerning concerning the department orders con concerning Oh fl corning the risking of the American ships to bombardment from the shore batteries the orders Under consideration consider tion ton being those of April Apri 6 April 26 and two of or May 5 3 The first of the orders of or this char character character character acter stated that department does not wish the vessels of or your squadron to tobe tobe tobe be exposed to the fire of the batteries at Havana Santiago or other strongly fortified positions in Cuba and the orders were regarded as modifications of or these In the last lat of or these dated May 6 the department said The de department department Is perfectly willing that you should expose your ships to the heaviest he lest iest guns of land batteries if I in your opinion there are Spanish vessels of sufficient military importance protected by b these guns to make an attack ad advisable advIsable your our chief aim lm for the present being the destruction of or the principal vessels After having read these different dis dispatches dispatches patches the witness wines was vas asked aske by b Cap Captain Caplain lain tain Lemly u Can you separate a your Yin i in regard to o the converse conversa conversation v tion tm with Commodore Schley so as to tod distinguish d between either of the two orders of ot or both of these orders order and ad as asto asto asto to whether hether or riot dot rot anything was said with wih regard to the receipt of information information information tion in relation to these letters leters here herewith herewith with you ou have before you during the interview of May 8 S in Key West Vest Not to Risk the 1 No o sir I 1 do not distinguish be between between between tween any of o them I 1 have given n my general remembrance remembrance which is that the order was not to risk the ships In reply to questions by b Captain Captin the witness said there had been no written or printed order of battle batte but that on the day da before Cienfuegos was vas as reached rached some special restrictions were sent the ships by b the Scorpion This was he said order No 9 relating to signals in case the enemy enem should be b sighted This order was then read I Questioned further on this point the te witness wines said saidI I prepared prepare no written orders and did not know of or the existence of or any I remember remEmber however that the com corn commanding commanding manding officers were called caled on board boar The witness wines answered several ques questions que put by b the court as a follows At what period of or the battle batte of July 3 did you use UEe a range of yards That was at the beginning be of or what is known as the turn not Dot the begin beginning ning but after the he turn had begun I should say sayAt sayAt sayAt At what point poin of the chase chas did you ou estimate the Colon to be yards distant from the Brooklyn When the Viscaya went ashore Lieutenant Wells Veis was as then thea excused anti Albert V Mason called caled He was questioned qt stoned by Captain Parker an sid that he had been a yeoman of the sec eec second s ond class cas on board the Brooklyn dur during durIng ing lag the Santiago Santago campaign and had been b en the writer wrier of that ships log He had made the entry concerning the bat battle bt tle t oft or Santiago Santago and he produced a copy of the rough log which he h had made ade for his own use Account of Turn Tur The witness wines said that as the h log loe giving giving ing an account of the turn ad been ben at first firt prepared prepare It I read We e with port battery bater at first frt but but just j st as soon as the enemy stood to t westward we we put our helm starboard at first firt then hard har a apor aport port so as a to t bring out OUi starboard battery to baar beag be and swinging clear eler of the t Texas af fit fir we stood parallel with It and anil an to the enemy n my myThis This entry had he said been changed later at the instance In tance of Lieutenant Hodgson Hodgon JO so as to make it i read re as it I does doe in the permanent copy as fol tol follows 01 lows ions As soon as the enemy enem stood to the tile westward we put our helm aport sport swinging clear of the th Texas etc ett Mi MiS 11 Mason then retired and George Georg Edward Edwar Graham the Associated Press Prees PreS correspondent corre was called caled He was questioned b by Mr 11 Raynor and said he had boon been on the th Brooklyn n from March 20 25 2 to Au 30 O 1808 1505 Mr I Graham was then questioned concern concerning concerning ing ins the conversation between Commo dore Schley and ad Captain Captin Sigsbee on OB the occasion of the captains visit to tL iL ocon Brooklyn on May 2 3 3 as follows Did you see s Captain oa o 0 board bard the Ue Brooklyn on May 2 26 Yes Ye sir Did DI you hear her him in conversation with wit Commodore Schley Yes sir sr Can you give us what the conversa conversation conversation tion was ws Talk T With Sigsbee After he had reached the quart quarter a deck dek frost from the gangway he stopped and ind Commodore Schley Shley said id to hm him Have we got gt em Sigsbee The cap tutu iain tn said sd They hel are a not here I 1 ha hay Been here for r a week and ad they are i x WJ j here Is that the whole of or the he converse conversa conversation tion ton as a you recollect rolet No sir We went further aft fu fuher futher fur further I ther her back on the quarter deck anni al 1 lI t continued the conversation Commo Commodore dore Schley said sid Are you ou sure cure t tare th thare thare are not in Ia there He said I 1 ha has h been very veo close to 0 the harbor entrant two or three times Ume Captain Colt Cent ot has das been ben in ia and cut a cable and ad th thare are ae not there You heard Sigsbee say that Yes sir sr I took tok some part par in the tae conversation converston Did you record that conversation and did Captain Sigsbee know you 1 re recorded recorded recorded corded It i Captain Captin Sigsbee knew I was wa a paper paper man and was W there therE looking loka for fo information and Captain Captin Sigsbee latt later r took a a e dispatch U U written by me Zit and ana due ad a a Commodore Shley He took tok i it aboard his l ship and he was to dehe de in inI I It to one une ne of or the small smal boats bats or else ele ta tac tait s sit it I over himself Captain Captin Sigsbee tok took that dj di patch Yes sir It I was wa open oen It the fact fat that the fleet was not there thereDo therE thereDo Do you remember the sauce sance sau of May 31 uYe Yes Yea sir I was on n a board the Mama Massa Massachusetts Were you present at any an converse tion ton between Commodore Schley Sebley ani Captain Captin Higginson in the pilot pio house houe or of orthe orthe the Massachusetts ts Bombardment of Colon Clon On the Brooklyn I ha had ut they were going g In I to l an that the flag fag g woun D 6 transferred t the Massachusetts I asked ake ti tito 1 to t go aboard a the Kautt n wi withe wiE the commodore He H had ha just JUt g H n ner permission er ISlo to Mr McCauley to KO o an aD i turning turing to me he said sid I r don dont t you better go g I think you can set Sh i t better from the Brooklyn She n u w v 1 then coaling He further said id th tc they the did not intend to do anything 0 e x find out what the batteries c e ci slated of t I kept urging him to let le rr m i igo go and he finally faly consented Now tel tell me regarding the coner ceover ston between Commodore Schley Shley ani Captain Higginson There was wa some discussion about abut what the Spanish fleet had bad brought with wi them A report was current currant tha t they had brought arms and ammunition tion ton for orte the defense deren of Havana and aid there niece also as was a discussion as l t tc whether they ty had ha had time to mount them or whether from any ships in the the t harbor prior to the arrival arval of the fee flee they had taken any large guns an and i mounted tm them Commodore Commodor said sad his idea was wa to go eo in about abut 7 r or yards yas and ad lire fire re simply to dr dra draw their fire So far as I remember S a atam p tain tam Higginson HI acquiesced in that Later Mr lIr Potts came in Ddt Sear Kea Schley Say It Were Yere you present prent at any ay conversa toh between Commodore Schley Shley ant Lieutenant Potts or were you present prEs nt at any time when Commodore Schlei Schley made any remarks remark during durig each ech tina time Potts was wa present No sir I followed them right rl ht out eat of the pilot house hoe and ad down to th t the conning tower I did not hear hea any conversation of or that kind Then you dont know kov anything about the te conversation about abut Potts Pots has testified that the commodore said Gentlemen we are ae very eon con conspicuous Cr objects here lets Jets get out of or it I 1 never neer heard hear such conversation I stood on top of ot the forward i turret The Th commodore called to m Boy a a bad ba place pa for you you Ste Stein St StIn in here I afterward asked aked vh wh why and an he said sd that ta the concussion would hut h hu u t me I bad had no serious sou intention of or r Was Vas Potts Pot present prent at that time I think he was giving the te ranges at atthe atthe atthe the time 3 The witness wines said sd he was with wIt the tha commodore during the whole of or the tho re n and ad did cd not hear either of the alleged ale ed conversations Mr r Graham said sid that he ha had bad J not nd r t theard heard Commodore Schley say sy any h about potting the Colon when the commodore went aboard the te Massachusetts sett May 31 31 and ad that he was wa with wih the th commodore at the time With Wit Schley Jill All 1 the Time Te Teen Then Thea en you yo heard hear none noue of or o these re reported reported ported porte nor conversations conver asked aked Mr Ray Raynor R Raynor None was wa the response And you were with him all aU tha te tetie th timer tie Yes I was with him all al the time tm except when he was taken in hand hani had handby by Higginson and taken to I his cabin After Ater concluding his narrative iti e of 0 this ts incident the witness was aske about suspicious auspicious incident in the harbor at Santiago Satiago on the evening of o July 2 and ad adhe an he said sad he recalled rele that the th commodore had sent the Vixen to investigate Describing the battle battie batte of or July Jul 3 M Mc McGraham Graham said sid that Commodore Comodor Schley had gotten goten to a position in I front font of or orthe the conning tower as a soon son as a the nose of the first fir Spanish ship appeared The TI Brooklyn was at that time he said sad I pointing almost amot north LIeutenant Simpson had fired fr the hr frt firt t gun gln from I the te turrets and calling ca ng to Com Commodore Commodore Schley said sid sidI I How is that To this the Comm I dore dora replied Didt t see it Simpson but keep kep at it i Continuing the witness sid said that by bv bythe t the time the Brook Brooklyn ln had bad complete her turn and he thought the turn tur b b jf been continuously to the right three thre leading l Spanish Span ish ships emerged merged e from the th harbor The Wi wita l s thought th they y had hati come cone out in int ail ailI I t shape hape s ape order ih ihIl The commodore he said maid md at t th Tb Il point stood all al the time on OD the tt tj s sid sn Q of the te fire fre so 50 be he could see se w w T 5 He ite was wu absolutely tely cool and sent 1 t US messages to the men to tov toL v L yr em eni up When lien Ellis head hend was i t iT If ho o wl some of or the blood f fr r ni om f 11 l own person and as the men ment t L Le kerf t tie jp body boy up to throw trow it I over overL L L b rd rd A bile bUe the rest t fit ct Q us stood hor bor cd d he calmly 8 Dont throw that y over Take it below and well wel i g w v it u u L Christian l wel when the Jie VJ q v nt ashore hor the went into the conning nning I i t tv vr r and mir down the tube I the men They hey are aro all aU gone gonei 4 i jt J R r it t nil all ni depends upon you i i iI you ou see see 0 the the Oren Oregon asked Mr tr n r Very Pf rV distinctly I 1 saw her coming I 1 dh a blut ut the time sw w Wf yi r beginning b I ft t scared ar The rhe Brooklyn was K t Jg alone Ione three of or the th Spanish tre SLips Mp wl n suddenly I 1 saw te in tho the die tame 1 ant a line Une which soon Boon devel dove ipe Ipe into the Oregon Orgon That he said sid occurred about the time the went vent occure ashore ashor I I Old Did id you yo se see sei the Texas Te H before the turn to S I saw h her r just juet before b for the turn tur She Shea ShePpard appeared a to t me to be inside LeIde of us us We We turned to the right rIght ao ac irling to ity ry 1 y recollection on I y yu u ever ve see ee Commodore Schley fen he appeared to be laboring under und an any mental excitement Schley Shley Wa Was Cheerful Oh ih no He Ho v as ae Jovial and good at nil rl times and ad I did not ob oh fT f the least let trace of |