Destruction of the
PRESIDENT McKINLEY'S
Battleship Maine.
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
All Orders and Regulations in Regard
Strictly Carried Out.
The President Monday sent the following
message to Congress:
To the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visits of the
Maine to Havana harbor our consular repre-
sentative pointed out the advantages to flow |
from the visit of national ships to the Cuban
waters, in acecustoming the people to the
presence of our flag as the symbol of good |
will and of our ships in the fulfiliment of the
mission of protection to American interests,
even though no immediate need therefore |
might exist, |
Accordingly, on the 24th of
after conference with the Spanish
in which the repewal of visits of our
vessels to Spanish waters was discussed and
January last, |
Minister, |
war
accepted, the peninsular authorities at Ma- |
drid and Havana were advised of the pur-
pose of this Government to resume friendly
and that in that
at the
ement was
iment with
inracter of the
ation ofin-
tention to return by sending |
Spanish ships to the principal ports of the |
United States. Meantime the Maine entered |
the port of Havana on the 25th of January, |
naval visits at Cuban ports,
view the Maine would forwith call
port of Havana. This
received by the Spanish
appreciation of the friendly «
visit of the Maine and with n
ant
Go
the courtesy
ber arrival belong marked with no spe
exchange customary |
celal in-
cident besides the of
salutes and ceremonial visits,
Explosion in Havana Harbor.
The Maine continued in the harbor of Ha
vana during the three weeks following her |
arrival. No appreciable excitement attend- |
ed
lief
of the long-i
co followed the
errupted friendly
and confide resum
wifate effec
strongly
our ships In Cu-
retaining
her
80 noticeable was this imme
the Consul-General
r
s» presence of
her visit that
urged that t!
ban waters she
the Maine at Havaoa, or in
recall, by sending another
mld be kept up by
the even
vesael
take her place,
At 9.40 o'clock in the evening
of Februa 12 Maine was de
explosion, by which the entirs
ofthe ship was utterly wrecke
264
the crew perished, those whe rere not ki
In this catastrophe two «
ed outright by her explosion penned
between decks by the tangle
and drowned by the immed
the null,
Prompt assistance was r
neighboring vessels anchored in
aid being os
the Spanish
Ward Line
wreckage
by the |
ren
the harbor, |
the boats of
XIIL
of Washiogton,
pecially given by
rrulser Alphonse
steamer City
which lay not far distant,
The wounded were genere
by the authorities of Havana, the he
being freely opened to them, while the
Hest-recovered be fthe
terred by the municipality ir
tery in the elty. Tributes of
pathy were offered from all «
of the island.
the
and
usly cared
dies «
An Appalling Calamity.
ailing calamity fell "i
ur crushing foroe and
{me an intense excitement pre-
community less just and
J i
fed to
th
the
The app uf peo
ple of ou
for a brief
valled whi
self-controlled than ours might bave
hasty acts blind resentment. This spirit, |
however, soon gave way to the calmer pro-
to the resolve to inves.
r country with
cesses of reason and
tigate the await material pro
before forming a judgment as to the cause,
if facts warranted,
facts and of
the responsibility, and
the remedy dae,
This course necessarily recommended it-
self from the « Executive, for
only in the light of a dispassionately ascer-
tained certainty could it determine the na-
ture and measure of its full duty in the mat-
ter,
The usual procedure was
all cases of casualty or disaster to
of any maritime
Court of inquiry was at
composed of officers well qualified by rank |
and practical experience, to discharge the
onerous duty imposed upon them.
Aided by a strong fores of wreckers and |
divers, the Court proceeded to make a thor- |
ough investigation on the spot, employing |
every available means for the impartial and |
exact determination of the causes of the ex. i
plosion,
Its operations have been conducted with
the utmost deliberation and judgment, and |
while independently pursued no sources of
information were neglected and the fullest
opportunity was allowed for a simultaneous
investigation by the Spanish authorities,
It is herewith laid before the Congress,
together with the voluminous testimony
taken before the Court,
Report of the Court.
Ite purports in brief are as foliows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana she
was conducted by the regular Government
pliot to Buoy No, 4, to which she was
moored, In from flve and one-half to six
fathoms of water.
The state of discipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers, coal
bunkers and storage compartments are
passed in review, with the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no in-
dieation of any cause for an internal explo-
sion exizted in any quarter,
At B o’eloek In the evening of February 15
they had been reported secure and all was
quiet,
Forty minutes past 0 o'clock the vessel
was suddenly destroyed
There were two distinet explosions, with a
brief interval between them, The first lifted
the forward part of the ship very percepti-
utset to the
m
followed, as in |
national |
A Naval |
organized, |
vessels silate,
onoe
————————————
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
M. Pavioff, Russian charge d'affaires at
Pekin, has signed the agreement regarding
the lease of Port Arthur and Ta-LiedsiVan
to the Czar. LAE
Forty-eight members of the crew ol
steamer Greenland perishd {fn a stor
North Atlantio jee floes, They were
fishermen,
Ex-Premier Crispi, of Italy,
to the Care and Safety of the Ship Were
bly; the second, which was more open, pro.
longed and of greater volume, is attributed
by the Court to the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines,
The evidguce of the divers establishes that
tact and sank in that condition a very fow
minutes aftersthe explosion. The forward
part was completely demolished.
Upon the evidence of a concurrent
finding of the Court is
ex-
as
follows
The Tell-Tale Pilates,
At frame 17 the outer shell of
from a point 11'{ feet from the middie
of the ship and six feet the
the
above
up 50 as to be now about four feet above the
of therefore, about 84
foot above where it would be bad the ship
sunk uninjured.
the water:
The outsids bottom plating Is bent int
reversed V-shape, the after wing of
about 15 lest
(frame 17 16 frame 25
if
Lael
}
road and 32 feet In
is doubled back up
the continuation of the same
i against
placing tending {« rwi 1
placing getending forward.
At Frame 18 the vertical keel is broken in
notified the authorities at that place the
previous evening of the tutended arrival of
the Maine,
Every Precaution Taken,
2, The state of discipline on board the
Maine was excellent; and all orders and reg-
ulations in regard to the care and safety of
the ship were striotly carried out,
All ammunition was stored In accordance
with prescribed instructions, and proper care
was taken whenever ammunition was han-
dled,
Nothing was stowed In any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was not per-
mitted to be stored there,
The magazines and shell rooms were al-
ways locked after having been opened, and
after the destruction of the Maine the keys
were found in their proper place iu the cap-
tain's cabinet, everything baving been ro
ported secure that evening at 8 P. M. The
temperature of the magazines and shell
rooms were taken and reported. The only
magazine which had an undue amount of
heat was the after 10-inch magazine, and
that did not explode at the time the Malue
Care With Explosives.
The torpedo war heads were all stowed In
the after part of the ship under the ward-
the destruction of the Maine,
The dry gun cotton primles and
ries were stored in the cabin aft, and remote
Waste Wis
denotn-
from the scene of the explosion,
{ looked after un board the Maine t«
t
Special orders in regard
carefully
obviate dager.
the
this had been given by commanding olf
fleer,
Yarnishes, dryers, alcohol and other con
stored
uid
{
destruct
bustibles of this nature wers
above the malin deck, and ¢
anything to do with the
ul stores were stowed aft un
m and ren
I'he medic
ote from the scene
CAPTAIN W. T. SAMPSON.
CAPTAIN F. E. CHADWICK.
two, and the flat keel bent into an
similar to angle formed by the oulside
tom pintes, This break is now about six
below the surface of the water
about 30 {eet above its normal position,
In the opinion of the Court
could have been produced only by the
plosion of a mine situated under the bott
ol a ship at avout frame IS and so
on the port side of the ship.
foot
this «fe
Conclusions of the Court
The conclusions of the court are
That the loss of the Maine was not
That the ship was destroyed by the ex.
the partial explcsion of two or more of her
forward magazines, and
That no evidence has bean obtainable fx.
finding of the
I have directed that the
the
He
ernment thereon be communicated to
government of Her Majesty, the Queen
that the sense of justios of the Spanish na.
by honor and the friendly relations of the
two governments,
vise the Congress of the result, and In
meantime deliberate consideration Is
voked. WILLIAM M'KINLEY.
Executive Mansion, March 28, 1898,
lis
COURT'S FINDING.
of the Court of Inquiry in the case of tha de
Maine in the harbor of Havana February
15th: ¥
U. 8. B. Iowa, 1st rate,
Key West, Fia.,, Monday, March 21, 1808,
Alter full and mature consideration of all
follows:
COMMANDER ADOLPH MARIX,
————
Of those bunkers adjacen th rward
d shell rooms, four
‘B B 4, B5B4&" “A
u day, and “A
I, This conl
wers emp.
ty, namely 15
bad been in
full of
ae that if was
BeW river co
ard
stowed was ac.
carefully inspected before received on bu
I'he 1
saalbie on
juxer io which if was
ail times,
*
ree sides at and the
bunk
ers “BA and D6 being empty. This bunk-
been {ospected that
officer on duty. The
bunkers were In working or-
bad been a case of
fire
engineer
thers never
the Mailge,
Ballers Not the Cause,
the ship were in
e disaster, but for aux-
comparatively
}
The two alter boliers of
use at the time of th
fllary purposes only, with a
reliable wateh, These bollers could
have caused the explosion of the ship. The
four forward bollers have sines been found
by the divers apd are in a fair condition,
All Right at 8 P. M,
On tha night of the destruction of the
Maine everyibing had been reported secure
through tha proper authorities, to the com.
manding officer. At the time the Maine was
destroyed the ship was quiet, and, therefore,
least lable to accident caused by movements
from those on board.
Two Distinct Explosions.
8. The destruetion of the Maine oocurred
the 15th day of February,
to which sbe bad Leen taken upon her ar-
rival,
There were two explosions of a distinetly
different character, with a very short but
ward part of the ship was lifted to a marked
The first explosion was more lu the nature
of a report, Jike that of a gun; while the sec-
and of greater volume, The second explo-
sion was, in the opinion of the Court, caused
A HA Saabs
Four Men Drowned at Duteh Harbor,
The steamer Bertha brings news to Seattle,
Waah,, that on March 6 C. A. Androws, sec
ond engineer of the steamer J. C. Barr; T.
Peter Doerr, father and son of St. Louls,
Mo., were drowped at Dutch Harbor. They
‘were eroMbing in a small boat from Unalas-
ka to Duteh Harbor, In a squall their bost
eapsized. The boat was found next day by
proses
Gerning Mr, Gladstone, but it Is learned that
his condition Is extremely critical,
sud
J
The evidence bearing upon this, being
LATE INVENTIONS.
A neat pencil-bolder iv made of 8 ourved
spring section to surround the pencil with a
pin in the back, by which the holder can be
quickly attached to tho coat or vest,
Two French women have patented a serub-
bing brash, which is to be attached to the
shoe by straps and a heel plate, thus mak-
ing it possible to clean floors while standing
upright.
A newly designed bleysle shoes has the
sides of the upper out out, with the center
ektending over the instep, where it divides
fasten in buckles on
principally obtained from divers, did not
snable the Court to form a definite cone
clusion as to the condition of the wreck, al
though It wus established that the after part
of the ship was practically intact and sank
In that condition a very few minutes after
the destruction of the forward part.
A Muagnzine Explosion,
The following facts in regard to the for-
ward part of the ship are, however, estab-
lished by the testimony:
That portion of the port side of the pro-
tective deck which extends from frame 50 to
about frame 41 was blown up aft and over
to port. The main deck from about frame
30 to about frame 41 was blown up aft and
slightly over to starboard, folding the frame
forward part of the middle superstructure,
over and on top of the after part,
This was, in the opinion of the Court,
caused by the partinl explosion of two or
more of the forward of the
Maine,
magazines
Outer Shall Forced Upward,
6. At Frame 17 the outer shell of the ship
from a point 11} feet from the middle line
of the ship and 6 feet above the keel when in
its normal position has been ‘forced up’ so
as to be now about 4 feet above the surface
of the water therefore about 34 feet
where It would be had the ship sunk unin-
jured. The outside bottom piating Is bent
into na after wing of
which, in
above
reversed V shape,
about 15 feet broad
the
and 32 feet
length (from frame 17%0
back upon
the
frame 25 ibis
Heel! nguinst the ning
kame pisting extending forwar
Al frame
two,
if the vertical keel |
and the flat keel bent
| similar to the ang
i |
| bottom platis
:
surface o
ve its 1
A Mine the Only Cause,
No Evidences As To Blame
. jrt has bea ant t
WANK FAINT FORK THY FLEET.
| Conte of Deal Will be Given to the Ves
scins nt Key West
the shits f
’
West has begun.
Department
Was rool ved
i Nashvill
ie A
ships bia
New jork at
| war paling i
afterno
assented
painted the standar
{ were distribg g the vessels,
its of
made show thal
Resy visual tests which have been
the color selected for the
for war purposes
| venpels is better than any
The big will be painted to
the
{ that their location
i
for the rapid-fire
Gther, guns t
! mateh bulle and superstructure in order
IW a3 Large
is
ABOLT NOTED PROFLE
the absence in Europe ¢
Amberst
wk wil
During
dent Merrill E
Prof. Edward
{ pre
Lord Charles Beresford bas dared the Ad-
miralty to give the Hielleville
test Ly speeding the
{ across the Atlantic under its full
| 12.500 horse-power.,
Osman Pasha, the Turkish General, seems
' to be as successful a matchmaker as soldier,
fie has married off two of his sons to daugh-
| ters of the Sultan, who bring with them very
handsome dowries,
A {and of $5,000 is being raised In London
| for the establishment of a memorial to
{ Charles L. Dodgson (“Lewis Carroll”), the
author, The memorial Is to take the form
of an “Alice is Wonderland” oot at the Hos
pital for Sick Children.
gir Claude Macdonald, the British Minis”
ter to China, is 46 years old and holds rank
in the army as a major. He served with the
Seventy-fourth Highlanders, and was In the
Egyptian campaign of 1892, and the Suakim
expedition, before he was appointed Consul
General at Zanzibar, in 1887,
The Empress Frederick, who fis still at
Beriln, has postponed ber trip to England
until the first week in May, when she will
arrive at Windsor Castle on a visit to the
Queen,
The originator of the famous three “r” al.
iteration, ‘reading, 'riting nod ‘rithmetie,”
was Sir William Curtis, a Lord Mayor of
Logsdon. Io 1785 be proposed it as a toast
before the Board of Educatioh.
Dr. Nansen's young son Is sald to be seri-
ousiy ill, As a consequence the famous ex-
plorer has canceled all his lecture engage-
ments,
Gates, of
Hitceh«
bollers a real
Diadein
steam of
new cruiser
Every body interested in seeing the latest
developments In high-grade wheels should
send a postal to the John P. Lovell Com-
pany, Boston, Mase, for their new cata-
logue, It contains valuable information.
A Nine Thousand Doliar Nugget.
The steamer Pakshan, which has arrived
at Vancouver, B. C,, from BSkaguay, Alaska,
has among her passengers four men direct
from Dawson City. They arc Mesars, J. F.
Denham, of San Fraselsco; B. Lung, of
Tacoma; E. La Salle, of Leadville, and C. A.
Goodwin, of Los Angeles, They report a
stampede for the American side of the boun-
will beat the Klondike, A 35,000
ray ate, hue boom found on
| ado creek,
Dr. Reel
ing to 8 reporter the other day.
®
wy
——
Fresh Proposals Submitted to
the United States,
CONCESSIONS MADE.
Gen. Blanco Issues a Decree Ending th
Reconcentration In the Four West.
ern Frovinces of Cubs ~~ Congress
Waiting Until Monday, by Which Time
the President is Expected to Have Defi
nite Information,
At a mesting of the Spanish Cabinet held
the Queen Regent, fresh
United SBintes, it is renorted, were decided
upon. The result of the
enabled In eipher by Minister Woodfo
Washington. The nature
posals were not disc
to be conciliatory. A specs
Madrid jiotes a member
saving that
proposals to the
i
abinet's action
HBagasta ha
concessions.”
The
wis received in Washingt
cablegram fro:
Gaboral Woodford's
& Lag bosn of an
ad
ind In
srmany has beg
as to Bain rels
in Cuba, and has
ret ready
merge:
ti the event
SPAIN'S POSIBLE PROPOSALS
| Three Points Which Gen Woodford ¥x
pected to be Submitied
%
President McKinley's assurances
{| Rroess in regard t
tetwesn this co untry a:
Upon represeniations
Woodtord
repeated cong
ister {ion, Wo
alter
Sagasta and other men
{ Ministry, that that g
ferences with
bers of the 8H;
vernment, of
| try looking to the definite settlement of the
Cuban This proposition
pected to cover three points, as follows
First, That Spain shall send the
{ contrados back 1 their homes and
sustaining life
question, is
them means of
conditions can be restored
Second, That there shail
and Cuba with the
view of securiag a scitiemant of the 41M.
culties and the withdrawal of the Spanish
{ forees from Cuba,
Third, a Tallure of the Cubans
nd Epaniards to come to an understanding
{ between Spain
In case of
entire matter to President McKinley as arbi.
trator with the understanding that be will
decide in thas event for the absolute inde-
pendence of Caba.
GERMANY'S CLAIM ON SPAIN,
Cruiser Ordered to Cuba If *atisfaction
Is Not Forthcoming,
Germany bas commenced diplomatic rep-
resentations to Spain, relative to the Can-
pumaba case, and the German crusier Geller,
on her way to Bahia, has been ordered to
get ready to proceed to Cabs, If satisfaction
ix not quickly forthcoming.
The German version of the Carnamaba
ense is that some Cuban insurgents, during
the night of March 18, attacked a German
refinery at Cansamaba (also written Canan-
wnbmers, belonging to the firm of Fisher &
Schmidt, of Trinidad, provises of Bania
Clara, The insurgents are sald to have
rifled the safes, burned the bullding, killed
four persons, and wounded tea ovecupanits
cf the reflaory.
The Washington State Department has no
record whatever concerning the Cannamaba
ra80,
FIELD OF LABOR
———-
india exports coal. ;
Japan is making watches,
John Bull makes paper bricks,
The South containe 483 cotton mills,
Some Chidago bicyele makers
Ceylon's tea erop-—126,000,000 pounds.
There are 18,000 union tron wolders.
United States bas 500,000 railroaders,
Terra Haute unions held a conveution,
America bas 17,500,000 cotton spladles.
Oblo printers will bold a State conven
vom.
HOUSE RESOLUTIONS
From a Formal Declaration of War io
Recognition of Independence.
A dispateh from Washington, DD, C., says:
~Represontatives of the populist and silver
republican elements in both the Senate and
House held an informal conference just be-
fore Congress convened Tuesday snd out- ,
lined In a general way the policy to be
adopted toward Cuba. It was agreed that
the recognition of Cuban independance was
the only course to pursue at this juncture,
Benator Allen and Hepreseutative Bell, of
Colorado, were accordingly suthorized to
introduces in the two Houses a joint reso-
lution embodying the conference views and
indieating the line of policy adopted. The
resolution, as introduced iu the House by
epresentative Bell, was as follows;
Cuban Independance.
“Resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives, That the separate political
existence and independence of the republic
of Cuba, now snd for some time heretofore
arms, be, and by the
zed us a separate and
United States
ie and put an end
Island
from jm
concentrated
extermin-
maintained by force of
sume Is hereby, recog
independent nation
immediately interve
Lo the war now beds Aged on
of Cuba and suce
prieopment the people
for the purpose of starvatl
shail
the
release
there
: and
ation,
i
nd for the I {
into ef-
and enabling
‘tates to furnish
food, raiment
Ads GOO is hereby
the United
appropri
carrying
fect the provisions « his net
the President of 11
¢ neentrate '
is in
herwise
rat, of
use 6 Tep-
+ President
he Spanish
he govern-
pon the court of
! the Malpe, and
t pie
be commu
A Declaration of War,
Representative Mar of Hine chair
fthe H militia, in-
hereby
and wal
Ala LATYAL
ng ithe
CHar-
DOINGS OF CONGRESS,
shedby the
i to insert
miners the
by the
American min.
vaturalized
LLAGIRD
given
anadiaz will have to be
ake mines in
e H of the
¥ reported to
sion of the
in eriminal
ines the res
isshon ap-
the United
Public Lands
ie the passage
a qualified sin-
+ residence on Gn
fake it as
forleit
aban~
ng
sot
LORE she
nterior sent to the
for appropris-
a deficiency
this amount
nck of last
ther $6,000 -
resto: us, and pew
the estimates
oration into the
general deficiency bil to ut #14.000 000,
The Broderick bill, raising the age of pro-
tection for girls in the Distriet of Columbia
from sixteen to eighteen years has been fay-
orabiy reported to the House Ly the Judi
ciliary Committee
2.000 000 is credited
Year's appr
000 to
priadi
inrge increases,
pensions granted 1 his brings
ited for incor
' 1 bin
£0 JAF suDmiteq ! it
ab
TRIPLE MURDER IN ATLANTA.
Firemen Find Three Mutilated Bodies In
a Btore Which Was Set on Fire.
Firemen responding to
early hour the other morning found the bod.
fos of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Briley, white,
and Bobert Wilkinson, colored, in a store on
fire at 75 Humphries street, Atlasta, Ga,
The bodies were gotten out without being
marred by the ames, and all were horribly
mutilated, having been murdered with two
beavy batches and a meat knile, which were
found on the foo,
Mr. Briley was the proprietor of the store,
any it is bellevedfibat robbery was the mo-
tive, The police have made a number of
arrests,
an alarm at ay
THE TEXAS STRUCK A REEF,
Reason Why the Bartieship Went to
New York, :
Of all the surmises made as ic the reason
for the sudden trip to New York of the bat-
tie ship Texas none was correct, She struck
a coral reel while in Southern waters pe-
cently, aod it bad muck tw do with the
transfer,
itis likely that she will be putin dry
dock. The machinery of ber starboard tap.
ret is also out of gear and will need exten
sive repairs,
A new rubber overshoe for wet weather
wear does not extend arcund the beel, but ls
fastened to the narrow part of the shoe sole
Ly spring clips to hold it in place,
Tragedies nt Dinges, w. Va
Oliver Hardin, in a fit of jealously, shot
sis wife through the heart, and then ag.
tempted to blow out his own brains, He
had been married searceiy a year, :
During a drunken row at Tidewater,
Norfolk and Western, Henry a
Frank Johnson were both shot, the
fatally,
.