The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1898-03-04
1898.

HAVANA is quieter now than she has
teen at any time since the Maine dis
aster in her harbor. The first week S
work of the Naval Court of Inquiry is
at an end, and is now in session at
Key West Every bit of testimony to
be obtained in Havana bearing on the
Maine explosion, it is believed, has
been gathered. 1t is not probable,
however. that the Courts report will
be made pub at present At the d.
rection OF Consul General Lee the
Court heard the evidence of several
persons as to the supposed existence OF
a plot against the United States battle
ship The evidence came principally
from Cubans
In line with the plans OF Mr.. Nc
Kinley. Secretary of State Sherman
yesterday, in conversation with sever
al Senators in Washington, said that
if the explosion which wrecked the
Maine was not in the interior of the
battle ship Spain would be held res.
ponsible, and that an indemnity would
be demanded. Mr.. Mckinley still be-
,ieves that the affair can be settled
through the medium of diplomacy, and
has declared himself opposed to war.
To meet emergencies VIII ch may arise
however, precautions will not lie re-
Taxed. Steps are being taken t.
strengthen the defences of New York
city by submarine explosives Ex-
perts say the city is now fairly safe.
but rapid fire guns are needed,
and the supply of powder is
low. Secretary of the Navy Long has
ordered the monitor, Terror. to pro.
coed from Hampton Roads to New
York Harbor and remain until further
orders. 1t is proposed that the mont
tor Amphitrite shall be placed to pro-
tect Charleston and Port Royal, the
Puritan to protect Baltimore. Wash
ington, Richmond and Norfolk, and
the Mianhonomoh to protect Philadel-
phia.
Measures have been taken to replen-
ish the magazines o. the met -of-war,
and an appropriation which would be
sufficient to obtain a large supply of
coal has been asked for 1t seems,
however. that the 800 men requested
by the Navy Department will not be
Forthcoming for a week or more yet
Justice Harlan, of the United States
Supreme Court, in a lecture in Wash
ington advised GOODNESS in the pres
ent situation. If the Maine disaster
turns out not to have been accidental,
he said that 1--WE will not hear any
more of North, South, East or West:
no more of republicans, democrats or
populists We will hear only of Amer
leans"
FL TEMPO, of Madrid, prints an ar
ticle psrporting to have been written
by Lieut. Commander SobraI, while
he was naval attache of the spanish
Legation in Washington. In it he
says:-"The United States covets the
naval supremacy of the Caribbean Sea
and the Gulf of Mexico; in the for
mer, to obtain absolute control of the
future Nicaraguan Canal; in the lat
ter, in order to have a free road from
the Mississippi to the Atlantic. How
could they maintain fleet in the wa
tiers OF Caribbean without owning an
island which would serve them as a
base Of operations?"
Aspecial cable to the New York Her
aid from Madrid says that a Ministe.
rial abatement declares that the dis
aster to the Maine, even if caused by
a malicious hand, is not a good cause
Tor disturbing friendly relations be-
tween Spain and the United States
The Ministers are jubilant over the
outlook, and are awaiting good news
from cuba, the tenor of which they
already know. The news from Ha
vana published in the United States
causes much surprise in the Spanish
capital