The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-25
WAR PREPARATIONS
CONTINUED BY WAR AND NAVY
DEPARTMENTS
he Old Mo itOrs and .Revenue Cutters to
be Brought Into Service-Contrac 9 for
Ammunition-Report of the Court to
Reach Washington Tonight-Outline Of
the Course to be Pursued by the Admin
fstrati n


Reach Washington Tonight-Outline OF
the Course to be Pursued by the Admin
istrati
Key West, Fla, March 22.-Lieuten-
ant Commander Mark, judge-advOcate e
of the United States naval court of in
quiry into the loss Of the battleship
Maine, left Key West this afternoon,
on his way to Washington, by the City
of Key West, bound for Miami, taking 6
with him the report of the court of in
quiry on the disaster. Commander
Mark brought THE report ashore from
the Nashville today and Rear Admiral
Sicard, with Commander Mark, spent
several hours in it's further revision.
All the officers Of the Maine now here,
except Paymaster's Clerk Mccarthy,
have received orders to leave for their
homes, there to await orders, as in the
case of the other officers who left here
last week. This is considered to be
evidence that the court did not require
corroboration of technical evidence as
was thought a few days ago. The ma
jorfty of the officers of the Maine left
this afternoon for Miami, and the re-
mainder of them leave tomorrow for
Tampa.
Before leaving Key West, COunman-
der Mark said nothing could be given
out about the work of the court of in
quiry or it's findings. Personally, the
commander said he was intensely re-
lieVed ait completing his labOrS.
The decision reached by the court is
still a matter of surmise. Perhaps
significance may be attached and con-
clusiOns drawn from a remark by Ad-
miral Sicard last night, when he said
to a correspondent: THE case of the
Maine is most peculiar, perhaps the
most peculiar which has ever occurred
in the history of the world" From
the general tone of his remark it might
be inferred that the court findings do
not definitely solve the mystery of the
explosion. This is further born out by
the admiral's statement that even after
the report had been sent to Washing
ton the department may require furth-
Ell investigation.
Uieutenan'tS J Jun gen and Hood Cadets
Bronson and Boyd Passed Assistant
Engineer Bowers, Assistant Engineer
MOrriss and Carpenter Hilms, Of the
Maine, left here today ON the City of
Key West for Miami Gunner Hale,
Of the lost battleShip, will leave later.
There are no commanding officers of
the Maine here.
left here today in the custody of Lieu
tenant Commander Mark, judge ad-
VOcate. If the train connections be
made, he will arrive in Washington
with the documents Thursday night.
Within the last five days a minority
sentiment has been steadily growing
that the court has been unable to de
tay- iv,n 1pG itn1Ny thQ oo1 nf no
plosion. Still, it is true that majority
hold to the conviction that the report
will find and prove that the Maine was
blown UP intention
The sending of the report today to
Washington, was an urdramatic cli-
max to weeks of waiting. Lieutenant
Commander Mark went aboard the
Nashville early in the day and brought
off the findings After prolonged con-
ference with Read Admiral Sicard cer-
tain alterations were made and then
Admiral Sicard affixed his signature of
approval. After luncheon Lieutenant
Commander Mark boarded the steam
er City of Key West and sailed for
Miami at 4:30 O'clock with the report
safely slowed away in state room No.
16. Lieutenant Commander Mark be-
fore leaving was in a non-committal
mood. He confined himself to saying
that he was intensely glad to be
through with the very tedious work
and once more to be on the way north
Despite The absence from Key West
of the documents on which the eyes
of the world are fixed. the court of in
quiry continues in existence though in
active. Should the navy department re-
quire further investigation and express
dissatisfaction with the findings, it is
probable the court will be obliged to
return to Havana, though the release
of all the Maine officers held here as
witnesses until today makes it unlikely
that any loophole has been left which
would Justify the department in re-
quiring the court to perform further
work.
THE ADMINISTRATION FIRM
STAND.
Washington, March 22.-The cabinet
meeting today LASTED something over
an hour and was devoted exclusively
to the Spanish situation in general,
and to the forthcoming report OF the
Maine court OF inquiry in particular.
The tone of the discussion was very
firm and determined that there must
come an end to the present state of
affairs in Cuba. Secretary Long aL-
thorized the statement that the under
standing before the cabinet was that
the report Mould reach Washington
Thursday or Friday; that it was very
voluminous and that it's publication
and Transmission to congress would not
occur until next Monday or Tuesday,
as the president wotlld require that
much time to give the document the
mature consideration it's momentous
character required. Other cabinet Off
GERS stated that the general plan in
cluded the sending OF a presidents mes
sage along with the report, stating
that Spain had been called upon to
make suitable response ITO the case
presented by the court of inquiry.
While the cabinet associates of the
president maint aimed their usual re-
serve as to the exact character OF the
deliberations, It was conceded that the
discussion proceeded on the theory that
the coming report would show that the
Maine explosion wtas not the result of
an accident but was due to an external
cause. This was not because OF any