The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-10
Incidents of the Crisis.


One Of the senators who has means of
knowing what occurs at the white house
tells w z. Curtis of the Chicago Record
OF an interesting scene in the cabinet
meeting last Tuesday. When the presi-
dents message was under discussion
Judge Day appeared with a cablegram
that had just been received. in which
General Lee suggested that the act on OF
congress be postponed until next week. in
order to enable citizens in Cuba TO escape
from that Island. The president read the
telegram TO the cabinet and remarked
that of course in such circumstances his
message would better be withheld a few
days Several of the cabinet protested
They declared that the temper OF congress
would not tolerate q postponement. that
the message had been promised for Tues
day or Wednesday and that a riot among
the Cuban sympathizers would follow II
that agreement was not carried out. They
also spoke OF the feeling throughout the
country as very intense. and that public
sentiment was beginning 10 distrust the
president 4 fear was expressed lest be
might suffer from criticism unless he kept
his agreement with congress.
It's not a question OF what will happen
10 me-. said the president but what viii
happen to those in Cuba shall not send
in this message until the last one of them
has left the island
Whereupon Mr. Gage suggested that the
effect of Withholding the message might
be more serious than the consequences OF
its publication. II has been advertised AZ
over the world that it would be sent 20
congress Wednesday. and il il was with
held the disorderly element in Cuba might
assume that it was more warlike than II
really il nd at
late and the homes of American cIti
zens. Several of his colleagues agreed
with this proposition. and Secretary Bliss.
who had reached over for the dispatch.
called attention to the fact that General
Lee said nothing whatever about the pres
ident's message. He refers only to the
action of congress said Mr. Bliss. and
evidently expects a declaration OF war.
which he thinks should be postponed I'm
til all the American citizens can leave
the country
The cablegram was read again and that
Interpretation was accepted but as mat
ter of pTecaution Judge Day was INSTRUCT
sd TO ascertain from General Lee whether
there would be any danger from the pub
LEGATION of the message The latter aj-
vised that it better be postponed until AZ
ter Sunday, and the same suggestion was
tatiye OF the Ward and Plant lines Of
steamers in this city.
The officers OF the Maine who remained
in Havana with the board OF inquiry tell
a weird story Of their experience on board
the cruiser Montgomery In the harhor
of Havana. The Montgomery was assign
ed to berth very near nat when Is
now occupied by the sunken Ma re, and
the sailors, having viewed the wreck OF
the warship, were naturally somewhat
wrought up. Darkness had scarcely set
tied over the harbor before tne officers
and men were startled by rappings against
the side of the ship. Something was
knocking there al rate OF l40 raps n
and the crew conceived the idea
that some Spanish deviltry was at work
below. Captain Sigsbee was aboard. and
at his suggestion divers We're at once sent
down to ascertain the cause. They went /
to the bottom of the harbor and explored
carefully every inch OF the hun and the
bottom. They were unable TO locate the
of the disturbance or anything that
seemed to threaten the vessel.
Their report, however. did not allay the
fear OF the seamen, and an order was is
sued stopping every piece Of machinery on (
board the boat. it being thought possible Z
that the Taps were proceeding from the }
dynamo. Within the ship all was made as I
quiet as death. save for the raDpings that /
continued at the same regular rate OF I40 /
20 the minute. The rappings bal a me
allie sound, just as would have resulted /
rom hammer or mallct tapping against /
he side of the vessel. and a small-sized /
panic prevailed among the men. The Off
,ers. too. felt somewhat mystifed and
alarmed. but in order to set a good exam
-
ID inland many of them the next morn
ng expressed themselves as having been
gratified when they were able
% get to sleep.
The example set by the officers was not /
ollowed by the crew. They would have
before they would have gone be
ow that night Instead of seeking their
hunks these gallant seameu. who are will I
ng and ready 10 face visible foe but 4
Tread 10 meet an invisible one. piled one
Ipon another in the small boats hanging
rom the dayits OF the ship, and there they
pent the night The rapping ceased about
O'Clock in the morning but the men con-
.luded 20 doze in the small boats until
daylight. when they arose and busted
themselves about the ship.
Captain Sigsbee says he believes the
Ioises. which the sailors considered super
iaturdi. were caused by vibrations from
ne electrical machinery OF The Spanish
ruiser. which lay about go yards distant.
Ie can not conceive OF any other explana-
ion. The rapplngs continued after every
ece OF machinery on the Mont omery
vas silenced and every light extingulsh-
d. But the night was stlll and from
he deck Of the Montgomery they could
asily hear the throbblngs 81 the dyna-
nos in the Alphons0 XII, and when they
eased the rappings we're no longer heard
'aptain Sigsbee thinks the two ships &C.
identally took such positions as 20 estsb-
sh a current between them, and that
Though the phenomenon was never ob-
srved before or after the conditions hap
ened 10 be exactly right for il that night
he superstitious sailors conceived al
orts ~ theories. the most popular being
hat the spirits Of their dead comrades
Tho were still imprisoned IN fhe wreck
{ the Maine. were making signals Tor
.lief
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