| Show SCHLEY COURT OF INQUIRY CLOSED Capt Lemly Presents Prese ts Side Sido of Navy Department NO MORE pun Jo SESSIONS Never l Thought lor a Moment That Admiral Wu Va a but Tim I Ilie lie UBI of Purpose Washington Nov 7 After sittings s I covering forty days and with a record i which when completed will cover 2000 I pages the Schley court of ot Inquiry nt his afternoon adjourned Its lis last public session To Capt S SC C Lemly Iem the had been assigned the duty dut of at malting making the closing argument ment In the case and ond soon after atter he had finished his speech Admiral Dowey Dew l bringing his gavel down on the JIg big Hat lIat table said There Thero being no further business the court Is adjourned As was the case yesterday when Mr Ir spoke the attendance was large There was only one session dur duro during ing the day It began at nt 2 and the entire time was taken up with Capt address He lie read his hili speech in clear and distinct tones and was given ghen careful attention Thu Thua speech a In hI the main was an of at atthe the testimony but occasionally a II con conclusion was WIlS drawn and frequently there was criticism of at the course put pur pursued sued by Admiral then Commodore Schley COURSE CRITICISED Speaking of ot Commodore con conduct conduct duct Capt Lemly said From my knowledge know ledge of at the thu man having served under him as commander on two cruises cruilles I have hae never ne r believed nor do 1 claim tram from the evidence that person il III misconduct or to call n 1 spade a cowardice was wal exhibited by Commodore Schley In any nn part of at his bill career cr as all of ot the Hying squadron Hut I submit with re regret tret gret that In the from Key le West to while nt tho Cho lat Jat lor ter port en route to the southward of ot Santiago Without settled destination In n the retrograde movement In thu to the vicinity of ot Santiago Santin go ana nna anan In n the affair of ot May In 31 the commodor exhibited unsteadiness un t lIn 88 In n purpose and n ana nna 10 to orders This statement was made toward th close of ot remarks After the tho adjournment the members of or the court Admiral Schley and counsel Hit 1111 Hered for tor a time about the tho hall In III which they the recently have spent go KO of oC their time and there ther were w re reman many man affectionate words of ot farewell spoken Admiral Schley an as usual wits called upon to receive tho greetings Of Ie 1 n o number of at admirers a n hundred or marc morti people waited at t the tho door of ot the hall to bill bid him adieu LEMLY READS Capt Lemly I ml used u d no formality in bo be beginning ginning hU hili address addre 1 when the court convened hUt but rising quietly from his scat opposite tho thel tribunal began to rend read Ho said nt the outset that hta hili contemplated first n response to statements of ot Admiral and then a n presentation of Ot thu In hand on an Independent basis He Ire requested to be corrected If he ic should make any errors of ot facts He II then entered upon n careful analysis ot f the tho testimony brought out nt tho hearing MCALLA ICILA SIGNALS Referring to Co the McCalla lc signals II lima he h It was Willi clear that the tho had not arrived at Key when the lying sailed and therefore hat I these theo Inal could cluM not have hlo been communicated to Commodore Schley there here There l little doubt however he ald that tha t If It the commodore had bad badu upon u on the directed Ur t Commander to report on board boaN Ihl he hI would have been toon tully fully Informed ns n to the signals notwithstanding tt standing tho th commanders rel purpose to preserve them with as IS much eh f a 11 practicable for tor the protection of oC the tho Insurgents th mell nut But In Independently dependently of at any suggestion was 18 not nott It t upon th self dt to 10 make in an effort Will he justl In this and other similar matters Y notably later off art Santiago in relying upon the efforts of ot rs The Tho fact fatt however Is clear he said that the applicant did receive a u copy of ot tho memorandum nt at gos HOS at least by on all the morn mornIng mornIn Ing In of ot May Ma 23 3 and by reason rea on of or Com Commander mander caution tho signals which he hi did not wish to Co place pace In writ writIng writIng Ing were not lIot embodied In III this memorandum memorandum such Buch full tull Information was con can contained therein as liS showed shoved that the tho In Insurgents In the tho vicinity of oC accessible to communication and they hud had knowledge of what was going on In the city lie also said the evi el evidence dence full tull as to tho condition of ot the weather and sea oft off and that the log loir books of at the vessels while there from CroUl the cho 2nd to the tho of ot May Inclusive do not record ecord bad conditions In these particulars but bill Indicate on tho contrary that they the were Vero good Cap Capt Lemly said sahl that n UK the arrival of or the Adula was purely purel accidental lit little little tle stress should be laid upon Ullon the mis misplaced placed confidence with which It was as us assumed that the vessel being allowed to togo go HO In would be permitted by tho Span Spanish ish leh authorities to return with Information mation matlon na to whether Admiral squadron was or was not located with within in the harbor and this In no view of at the tact fact that a hostile lI l The episode ot the dove sent ent out from the arlt was WIlS not lIot repeated with success he saM said Considering the voyage from gas gos Capt Lemly paid The commo commodores dares dores orders directed that he proceed with all dispatch but cautiously to Santiago He certainly proceeded slow slowly IIlo ly Ij but cautious dd dId not weaken well ken the force of the words nil all dispatch Tho great military necessity at nt this time was to t find check the tho Caution was needed lest leK It might pass undetected to or lest it might be stumbled on without preparation preparation tion If It neither n carried lights For these reasons the greatest caution Demanded nil all dispatch because the timely reach rench Ing of at Santiago limited to the utmost such luch chances Certainly C the flying squadron did not leave with dispatch nor with caution a shown particularly by the fact with regard to the latter I condition that phe was using the Ar AI dais dols system of ot signals gnall for hours after getting under way H It would appear that there was little to prevent Its de departure for tor th eastward tram from discovered and In duo course communicated to Santiago ADMITS WEATHER WI WAS HAD DAD HADlie He lie admitted that the tho weather on the voyage was bad for tho smaller Yes ves vessels eels sels particularly DIP th Eagle agh and Bald hI that the speed of the squadron was nH slowed In order that they th might keep up Ho ne continued continue however saying If IC that vessel was to be sent away aa she should have been so sent nt at the time when the voyage olIge practically com conI completed and the weather r Improving In Inthis this connection he suggested that all tho slower vessels N els In view of oC the ur urgency gency of at reaching Santiago might have hae len dropped 1 with c C rendezvous to b Joined later Inter by b the th vessels If Ifa Ifo a o o bin hili toe hf he asked docs the army halt Having brought the to the southward of Santiago on May Mil 28 the Ju took up the cOllIn question II quoting figures figurel on the question of oC coal s IIII p J In some ROIl detail Then ho hI considered tho th retro retrograde grade movement This step he been undertaken without cr decisive steps taken Inken to ascer ascertain tain whether the Spanish wm Willi ac actually a In the thc harbor of oC Santiago leav leaving Ila ing the mouth of rot ill harbor Cervera enera to with the possibility of his hili a descent up upon upon on our const moral morn I to 10 gay MY noth nothing nothIng ing of or the material effect of ot which ItIs It ItIs Is Impossible to overestimate Continuing In tn thin connection hp hI Kald It matters not what Capt Cn t bet be or nr Pilot told If It Nunez Nun exhibited then no greater acumen than IMn when before ChIM court co rt the Information ho supplied should uld have b ben en Iven Ien little weight Whatever e r opinion he h may I have hao given I TT the commodore aa lIB To the presence of at the Spanish squadron In the harbor of at Santiago and I believe that the cap never nevor said aid that the Spanish was waR not therein the commodore was alone alono responsible re for tor the retrograde move mOe movement ment It was his duty to ascertain to n 1 certainty whether tho thA Spanish were In the harbor an nil obligation which no negative Information of Capt could remove Or even een modify And AmI It Is Inconceivable that a positive state statement statement ment as nn to the contents of at a harbor of or ortho tho well w known knowlI conformation of ot Santi Santiago ago could have hao been made marle by DETAILS REHEARSED The details of It the tho retrograde move mOe movement ment were rehearsed ed us liS were those con concerning conc c the delivery deliver of at tho dispatches by the Harvard the proffer of ot Heale Beale to go 10 ashore and communicate cate with the Cunan Insurgents contended that the tho dispatch conveying positive Information of oC the presence of or the Spaniards must have been delivered to Commodore Schley notwithstanding his denial because he considered It Inconceivable that having It rapt Calt Cotton otton should have not com inundated ted Us Its contents to 10 the commo commodore commodore dore Horr Herp Capt Lemly quoted In full Com Commodore cannot Obey orders dispatch to the department of ut May Mal 77 21 and commented upon ullon It Whether the departments Instructions definitely directed In positive terms that the squadron remain oft off Santiago or whether Its desire that this should hould bo b done was simply Indicated Indicate appears to me under all the to tobe be ho Immaterial Disobedience of at orders may mn bo Je nn nil Imperative anti glorious du duo duty ty but If It It be not Justified by b the tho facts It cannot be condoned by term termIng Ing It nn an error cf rt Judgment This was not nn an error of at Judgment It was as on an error of at conduct RETURN TO SANTIAGO SA TIAGO Bringing the squadron back to Co San Santiago tiago tho raid 1111 that nothing was done Ilone toward attacking the enemy until tho 31 of at May ta when tho th reconnaissance or nt lIt W I made the total time of ot nil 1111 firing then being seven minutes mInute and sec Tho Colon was not destroyed or disabled with tho po ex exception of oC one shot all 1111 tell fell short On Only ly 11 three of at tho force available were employed In this affair It has hns been claimed I that the object of this nf fair fn II of Mar II 31 was to the I he enemy enem batteries that this wai WB accomplished There Is however a great del rf rt doubt In view of the varying signals statements made by the che comma commo commodore commador dore dor both hoth before and after the action as a to what was WM the real object whether a It or an In attempt to 10 de the Colon eolan Tho defense to the tho failure to go In close on May 31 by hy pleading nt at time tho cautionary order of ot April 6 Iou not nol appear to 10 he en even eln If It the commodore wan Acquainted with Us Its contents The order lf from first to la Int t clearly Indicates nur fleet wa Willi to be b kent for the that the Iho destruction Inn tion of ot tho latter was Its paramount mission OF JULY JUl 3 Coming to the bittle of ot July Jul 3 Copt fald nit I have never and till nd r M oon mv 11 View 1 In this respect that the Brooklyn as a n hilI did ln duly jut in tills tut tie II On the tho other I submit that the Ih evidence shows that It was a n cap captains fight and without disparagement nf ot Commodore personal con call conduct duct on that that there as ho such concerted action alon of ot the engaged ax nl to Indicate their control by bynn any nn one All evidently strove to do their utmost thus thug Will was ac Re accomplished one nf t the th greatest naval nall victories ever lr won Of course the t h ves vessels es sels stood In toward the harbor en entrance trance when It was discovered dl that the vessels were making a n Puch wan nil not only anI their prescribed Ire du duo ty t but their th lr natural and proper course In such uch circumstances In like man mun manner munne ner ne when the Spanish lI et stood to the westward It was WS the duty dut of oC our vessels vess ls to follow toll 0 whether or not the signal tallow follow IIII was made Discussing 1 the tho loop 1001 Capt Lemly expressed the opinion based bas upon evidence that In turning to Star atar board when nil all the other othel vessels turned to port the Brooklyn endangered not only the Texas Texal but u t other vessels as aswell aswell well It was wa he said clearly established that the Texas mopped that she reversed one or both of her engines Tho expansibility for tOI this movement lie he argued rested entirely ly upon Commodore Schley and It could not be delegated to any one OliO by him himas hima as a a n squadron commander WAS A CAPTAINS B Capt Cools Cooks evidence on this point seems ns liS n IL whole hole he said Raid to Indi Indicate cate that he hI considered con himself In u IL naval duel IllIe and Initiated the thu turn to starboard without so 80 much as Ill asking n the commodore whether he approved a n step stell that Involved the squadron movements This confirms the Ion upon which 1 have already en In that the ort off Santiago was Willi a n At best the loop was a Il risk lind 1 I submit Eu wl hout adequate Justification the distance the ran In making this turn he contended that she did turn Instead of o tord the enemy enam It would seem leem he said Hal that she should have adopted the tho other course if It not for the purpose of placing herself near Illar At t I ast In tn order to 10 escape any possibility of oC endangering or delaying the theother theother other vessels of or our For had sho been muro Imperiled uly lIl by warding her helm no in m injury jury to her tram from the enemy could have equaled d the dire results of ot the tho United lates ships virtually committing sui Ide tIlt It Is well known that unexpected In InJury Jury from Is tar far more demoralizing izing In notion action than I tho enemy al 11 always ways to be expected Then to think of the tho effect of n turn with wIlli starboard I which appears to ha been beell dis disregarded regarded Taking the distance nt at tho time the turn wan begun at tile tho lowest t given slen say sa 1000 yards ard the Brook Brooklyn lyn would not have hn e run the entire taco tac tactical the o If It sho tad lad turned to pott t particularly If IC she had backed the port engine In turning I After the tho Hodgson Incident and Commodore al alleged I cd remark Damn the Texas which he h said he ho did not consider n a aCry very Cry grove matter Copt Capt closed I Is speech and the entire argument It f the with the following words ADDRESS CONCLUDED From my 11 knowledge of o the man having served ened under his hi command on two cruises 1 I have never believed nor nordo nordo do I claim from Cram the evidence that per IannI discomfort or to call a spade a n cowardice was exhibited by Jy Schley In nn part of ot his career as of ot the lying But I submit with regret that in the passage pa from Crom Key KeyWest West to while at nt the latter port en route to the southward of oC San lingo tiago without settled destination In tho t movement In the Cho return to tl the vicinity of ot Santiago and an In the affair of oC May Ial 31 tho ex unsteadiness In und and In push failure to obey orders The if t this conduct l Iii however for tor the court I trust that I Imay Ima may ma be pardoned If It 1 I remind you gen gentlemen that the great importance of o othe the matters ma before |
