The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-04
SOLUTION OF MYSTERY SLOW.
coURTs REPORT APT TO BE DE-
LAYED FOR WEEKS.

of substantial Importance Gan he
learned Concerning the Nature OF
the ExpIosion-The Derriclxs Re-
oufred for the Work Not Likely to
peach Havana for "A Week Mt
Least.
Washington, March 3.--Secretary Long
,ad at the close of his day at the navy
asnartment that no word had been receiv-
oil from the court of inquiry and that no
orders had or would be given as to the
movements of the court from Key West,
os the court is fully authorized to shape
its own movements.
The original orders to the court were
issued by Admiral Sicard as commander
of the fleet to which the Maine belonged,
and il has the technical status of an ad-
miraps court, reporting directly to him,
both as to its movements and as to its final
renort on the cause of the disaster.
The understanding here is that the court
has not concluded it's work, but will return
to Havana to take testimony which has
been delayed by the difficulties in the way
Of the divers That Admiral Sicard ex-
meets this move back to Havana was
shown by dispatch from him few days
ago suggesting that arrangements be made
for a vessel to take the court back. AS
the lighthouse tender Mangrove had been
doing this service the treasury department
was asked to assign the Mangrove for the
return of the court to Key West and this
was DONE With these arrangements con-
cluded, it is said at the navy department
that the court will proceed without con-
sultng officials here.
Arrangements are being made for the
trip of the cruiser Montgomery and gun
boat Nashville to Cuban ports with relief
supplies. The navy department was adj
vsed to-day that the Mallory line steamer
leaving New York next Saturday would
carry, free of charge seventy-five tons
OF supplies, to be transferred to the Mont
gomery and Nashville at Key West The
Mallory steamer is expected to take about
four days in the run down the coast so
that the transfer to the warships and
their start to Cuba cannot be made before
next Thursday.
The two warships are poorly adapted for
carrying supplies, having scant quarters
Il for their own supplies of cordage, pro-
visions, canvas and ships equipment 1t
Ae oiN9 OctduSe lllcy Cdii iidke lile run III
! daylight that any attempt is made to carry
the seventy-five tons OF supplies. These
will be stored on the spardeck, and with
q good weather the daylight run will not
Il subject them to any damage.
The relief measures are proving unex-
8 peetedly successful. the supplies running
& into the carloads and hundreds of tons
The state department has had notice from
the Cuban relief committee at New York
that there were shipped on March from
4 New York to Santiago 100000 pounds of
relief supplies; on the I'd, to Havana, 1900
pounds; to-day, 10 Matanzas, 100000
pounds, and to Sagua la Grande, 100000
pounds. In these shipments are 500
grains of quinine, consigned to each of the
ports except Havana.
The Maine relief fund, under Mr.. Longs
management, to-day reached total OF
BIB
The only telegram relating to the Maine
oisaster that came to the navy depart
inent during the day was the following
from Commander Forsyth at Key West:
Bache arrived. Brought one body I'M
loentified and Paul Lotus, private marine;
jeremiah Shea, coal passer; John Heffner,
ordinary seaman; Thomas j. Waters, or-
Nlhary seaman, wounded, from Tortugas.
The wounded win be sent to the army hos
pNal. The funeral of the body has started
1or the cemetery"
III the course of the inquiry into the nav
t'i resources of the United States, an order
mas been issued to make a test of the
machinery of the old war monitors at the
League Island navy yard. These are sin
sIe turreted craft that are armed with big
smooth bore guns In turrets that could
1ikeiy be pierced by the modern high pow
cred rifles of the battleships, but they
mouId still be of service in an emergency.
mere are eight of these monitors at
League Island, and the government owns
several others that are now annexed to
'le different state militia.
nose at League Island ares the follow
I,s' Canonicus Mahopac, Manhattan.
CatskiH, Jason, Lehigh Montauk and Ma
.idu'' Ihey are all between 1890 and 2,100
@ eons displacement and draw very little
"aset so they can take up advantageous
poeIlons on shoals commanding channel
"Pproaches. The intention Is to turn over
t,'e old engines and work the machinery
.nat is made to turn the turrets, If it can
"g made to work at all.
Durlng the course of the day similar in
puiiles TO that made by the Japanese le-
tauon, as to the number of her subjects
a"oard the Maine, came to the navy de-
s%' 'tihent from the German and the Swed-
-sH LEGATIONS, and II is expected that 9TH
80 VIII follow. Nearly every nationality
was represented in the Names big crew.
3eerelary Long to-day authorized an abb
soIute and positive denial of a report as
srung that a partial or preliminary re-
fort had been received by the government
rom the Maine inquiry board, indicating
%r declaring that the loss of the Maine was
uue 10 an external explosion He said
ulat no report of any kind had been re-
SelVed and that the public had all the in
-otInation that had come to hand.
II the progress of the inquiry at Havana
depends upon the work of the wreckers,
"nich seems 70 be the case, for nothing Of
suDstanual Importance can be achieved
uuul the heavy debris is removed from
tne wreck, considerable delay must inevi-
tapiy occur. To tow the large derricIs
rom Boston and New Yorlrto Havana Is
never speedy and seldom a safe under
sakng. AS matter of fact the derrick
Chiei' at Norfolk, is now storm bound jrst
INSIDE OF the Chesapeake capes, although
was fully expected that by this time
she would be far below Hatteras. This
.IaNes u improbable that the derrick can
-each Havana harbor, and get at work
HIuen before the middle of next week. AS
Ior the big derrick Monarch, which Is re-
Hured 70 raise the turrets and extremely
AedNNWefghfs f1aTn1 tha hun tt,as1,t- 80.