The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-01
NAVAL COURT OF INQUIRY
OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT TT
 WILL RETURN TO HAYANA.

This Action Necessary to Obtain the Evi-
 dence of the Divers-Now Likely That
 the Courts Report Will Not be Made for
 Several Weeks-Utmost Quiet at White
 House-Gage Denies Rumors.
 Washington, Feb. 2S.-At the close of office hours to-day the following tele- gram came to the navy department from Admiral Sicard at Key West in the following terms: Court of inqui- ry will commence session at Key West to-day; they must resume session at Havana to obtain evidence of divers after further work upon the wreck" This communication sets at rest ru- mors current for some days that the court was not to return to Havana for the reason that it had discovered the cause of the sinking of the Maine was not an accident. One important de- duction to be drawn from the message is that the report of the court of in quiry can scarcely be expected for sev- eral weeks to come. The court will be occupied at Key West for some days at least in taking the testimony of the survivors there. Then upon the return to Havana it is expected that good deal of time must elapse before the divers can get through the mud which now encompasses the lower part of the Maine and examine the bottom. Af- ter this Is done the court must delib- crate in order to secure an agreement upon its findings. The prevalent belief at the navy department Is that up to this moment the court has not once X undertaken to compare notes and en- deavor to reach such an agreement.
 The report that came from Key West about great activity and the observance of unusual precautions among the few soldiers uuartered there was received with amusement at army headquarters here. It was said that no orders had gone from this city to explain the bus tie but there was the best reason to suspect that the commandant was sim ply brushing up the post and putting his best foot forward against the ex- pected appearance there on his tour of inspection of General Merritt. The gun boat Wilmington sailed to-day from La Guayra for Barbadoes, travelling over the ground covered a few days before by the Cincinnati and Castine. All of the boats are slowly cruising around in the Caribbean sea and will be so en- ployed until April, when they will go south again. Secretary Long said at the close of office hours that no orders had gone out to send another warship to Havana.
 At the White house the utmost quiet prevailed, many offers having come from organizations and individuals of their services in case of conflict Some of the congressional callers also have stated to the president that their states were ready to furnish full quotas of men. Secretaries Long and Alger and Representative Dingley were among the presidents visitors to-day but it was stated that they had nothing of importance on the Maine affair to discuss with him. MT. Dingley spoke afterward in strong terms against re- ports that financial circles in New York were being sounded as to the readiness with which funds could be raised in an emergency. Secretary Gage declared that the published statement that he was making preparations for bond is- sue and that the bureau of engraving and printing was preparing the plate, was unqualif1edly false. No such ac- tion has even been considered, he said.