Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-03

tered gratings and ladders, over up
turned matches, heaped up coal, scat
tered ammunition, guns, chests, ma
chinery and electric wires, they must
make or cut their intricate way. They
must exercise great care lest their air
tubes be severed by sharp projections
Already many have had bad falls in
the uncertain light and difficult pas
sages.
Nothing need be retracted, however,
from the former statement that all the
haste possible is greatly to be desired.
The huge weight of the wreck causes
it to sink daily deeper and deeper into
the soft mud of the harbor, making the
task of raising it the more herculean-
While no outsiders are allowed on the
wreck the patrol lines are not SO rigid
as formerly and the boats of visitors
are allowed to sail quite close to the
mass of debris.
The question is frequently asked:
"Are Americans in danger in Ha-
vana?"
The only truthful answer ever given
bv a well informed resident or Ameri-
can. official or layman, is, I'VE think
ish officials who will talk on the sub
ject deprecate any idea of danger but
they are
AS MUCH IN THE DARK
as the rest.
A well informed Cuban in high So
cial position and on good terms with
the government, said to the CORE
spondent of the Associated Press:
'sOf course in the low dives and
saloons there are constant boasts by
irresponsible persons as TO what they
intend to do to Americans; but these
people are only dangerous in case
riotous demonstrations come from
other quarters, such, for instance, as
the volunteers. In the ten years war
the volunteers shot many innocent peo-
pie and were controlled with dlffl-
Guilty: but it seems probable
that dissatisfaction is more likely to
be manifested later against the auton-
omists or against Gen. Blanco and his
staff than against the Americans. since
the impression is daily stronger that
only a short time will elapse ere Cuba
will be annexed to or under the pro-
lection of the United States.
There are no signs of a demonstra-
ton against the Americans, and stor-
les to the contrary thus far are with
out foundation. Still Havana is. no
place Just now for those without the
calls of business or duty. The season
is Indictment and. the variations of
Temperature are sudden and violent,
causing much sickness
ALL IDEA OF CENSORSHIP
is SO foreign to the American mind
that an American can scarcely appre-
ciate the difficulty in sending news
from Havana The Spaniards seem
equally unable to understand why con
sorship is not exercised in the United
States. One experience will 6eiTe as
an illustration of others of daily occur
renee A correspondent prepared an
early bulletin for cabling, giving such
routine facts as could be gathered be-
fore in the morning in a city where
the official business of the day begins
at 10 or later. Sickness happened TO
deprive him of his interpreter and he
tried to get the dispatch stamped
by the censor in the original English.
The regular censor happened to be Ill,
and Commandant Norena was acting in
his place. Norena, who does not know
a word of English declined to give his
approval until the dispatch was shown
him in Spanish. The correspondent
hunted some one UP whom he could
trust and finally secured a Spanish
version. Norena scrutiniZed it care
fully. crossed out sentences perfectly
harmless, but which appeared to him
to contain double meaning, and after
emasculating the dispatch stamped the
Spanish version.
The correspondent took the English
and Spanish copies to the cable office
where they were compared by opera
tors, who are held responsible for their
perfect agreement. The dispatch final
ly approved as butchered, was then
sent.
Time consumed: Two hours and for
ty minutes.
Later in the day the same CORE
spondent may lose two hours of val
liable time in waiting for the censor
who happens to be at lunch, while at
night the censor may put in an ap-
pearance half an hour before the cable
Office closes.
Greater demonstrations of welcome
could not have been accorded the Viz
caya had she been the most powerful
batleship in the world. Her officers and
crew will be the objects of constant and
generous social attentions. It has been
prophesed that her arrival would be a
signal for demonstrations against this,
that or the other party or official but as
usual. this was nothing but prediction.
A few shouted for Weyler but not enough
to attract the slightest attention from the
police
News as to the movement of the insur
gems is scarcer here since the Maine ex
plosion than usual. No official declaration
has sheen received from Gen. Maxine Co
mez. as to the Maine disaster, so far as