The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-08

Her Cruisers Arrives at Havana-Three
Bodies Fou Il by the Divers Danger of
Conflict Between Federal and Florida
Authorities Over Quarantine Laws-Span-
Iards Charge Fraud In Impor tation of Re =
lief Supplies for the Destitute
Key West, March 4.-After two
postpOnements Of it's departure the
court Of inquiry left for Havana this
evening" on the light house tender
MangrOve. 1t is believed by th1 best
informed here that the court will com
plete its 1abCrs in the Cuban capital
within ten days.
Only three of the six days the court
was here were devoted to the work Of
investigation. The inactivity Of yes
terday and today is still unexplained,
except by a semi-Officfal statement
that Rear Admiral Sicard was waiting
Instructions from Washington. The
sessions, it is generally understood,
developed no evidence by-which the
court could definitely determine the
cause of the explosion.
WHAT EVIDENCE BEFORE THE
COURT.
A naval officer is close touch with
the members Of the court, said to this
correspondents: with one exception
the witnesses who testified here were
Maine survivors. The evidence,
though, in most cases taking longer to
tell, can BE summed UP in the words
of an enlisted man who, when Judge
Advocate Mark asked him what he
knew about the explosion, replied Sir,
/ was blown up. / was saved and m
here That was all ne could swear
to-"
One important fact has been learned,
however. 1T is this: Although the
members of the court may have their
Individual theories, they are by no
means prepared as a body to render
"a decisive verdict The officer already
quoted said: IF the court has yet
heard any testimony which could
enable it to decide intelligently that
the Maine was blown UP from external
causes, / am the most mistaken man
in the world. Before the coming Ha-
Vana sessions are -rer, it may secure
such evidence and AOssDDly find the
blowing UP was intentional. 1t VIII
learn from the divers the actual con-
ditiOn of the ship after the explosion,
as it has already learned from the sur
vivOrs most Of the details of THE ships
condition before the explosion. With
these bases thoroughly established the
court will hear more expert theOreti-
cal testimony and then reach a YER
dict"
This statement can be taken as more
worthy of reliance than that of the
Maine officer who said the other day
he believed the court was bound. ON
evidence already heard TO find the
cause of the explosion external. Its
conservatism lis also at variance with
the opinions of many other naval Off
GERS here, especially those of the
younger set Athat their ship was fnten-
tiOnally blown up.
Before sailing tonight Captain Samp-
SON had a long consultation with Ad-
miral SiCard. Hulse, the courts chief
sstenographer has returned to Wash
ington, leaving Bissell, his associate
here.
THE MAINE SURVIVORS PAID.
All the Maine survivors received
a months pay yesterday and their
claims for lost personal property have
been filed. SChWantZ, a. cook of the
Maine. has put in q claim for $1,226,
which he says he had in his chest,
which was blown 10 pieces. Many
other enlisted men lost the savings of
years.
There have been TO movements Of
the fleet today except in tine case of
the Nashville. which tOWo' = a coal
barge out to the Iowa.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE DIVERS.
Havana, March 4.-The American
divers, having examined more or less
thoroughly the WardrOOm of the Maine
and the senior and junior officers mess
room, are today trying to effect an en-
trance into the petty officers compart-
ment, in the hope of finding some
bodies there. However, each day the
belief grows stronger that few. if any,
more bodies will DE recovered. Not
one was recovered today.
Captain Sharp, who is in charge Of
the Merritt & Chapman Wreclling out
fit appreciates the difficulties of the
SITUATE better than others. He Will
not specify any time when the big guns
will be released. 1t is necessary TO flrst
remove the tops of the turrets. These
are held in place by steel bolts, which
ust be cut loose. The best informed
people here think month Will elapse
before the turrets are opened. In the
meantime. work on the minor detalls
of the wreck will proceed with all
possible speed.
The discipline on board the Spanish
cruiser Vizcaya is very high. which
naturally gratifies the Spaniards.
Senator Proctor. General Fftzhugh
Lee Captain SigSbee, and many other
prominent Americans, attended the
ceremony OF decorating the graves Of
tihe Maine's dead today.
The cable dispatches deny the re-
ports that the flotilia of Spanish tor
pedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers
are to come ITO Cuba.
END OF THE WORK OF THE
COURT NOT IN SIGHT.
Washington, March At was de-
yeloped this afternoon through tele-
graphic correspondence between Secre-
tary Long and Admiral Sfcard that the
court of inquiry is unable TO fix even
an approximate date for the conclusion
Of it's investigation into the disaster to
the Maine.
Sharing the general anxiety for some
information on this point, Secretary
Long today, at the instance OF bhe cabl-
net. sent a telegram TO Admiral Sicard
- sl1i,,o o. him when it was expected that