Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-02-21
countries.
FROM WASHING TON.
T Correspondence of the Alexandria GaSette.]
WLruINcrnN Fab 81

cause of the Maine disaster and in fact
the officers in the Navy Department
have about resigned themselves to the
belief that nothing definite on this
point can be known for several days to
come. Their reason for this belief is
that the operations OF the divers upon
the wreck of the Maine are being con-
fined at present to the recovery OF the
bodies of the dead still entangled in the
wreck, aud the recovery of yaluables,
neither of which can be neglected while
the other branch or the work, nams y,
the investigation of the cause OF the
disaster, may be more properly left to
the conduct OF the court OF inquiry.
General Lees dispatch was as follows :
HAVANA, Feb. 81.
"Great need of divers to get effects and
bodies ilom the wreck. Two are now
employed but twelve or fifteen could be
used. One hundred and forty-three
bodies have been buried. Very few
were found to-day, but over one hun
dred are supposed to be confined in the
ship. The sailors now in the two
Spanish hospitals number eleven.
Visited them yesterday. All will re-
cover except two. They are comforta-
BILE and we'll cared for"
Tue incoming mail at the Navy De.
partment to-day broughta contribution
t. the news of the day in the shape of
photograph Of the wreck of the Maine
a. it now lies in Havana harbor. This
was forwarded to the Secretary of the
Navy by Lieutenant Hood, lately at
tached to the Maine. 1t is view from
the port side aud in general features re-
sembles the last newspaper cuts of the
wreck. Secretary Long took it to the
" hiie House and gave it to the Presl-
dent, who was much interested in the
details as shown on the photograph.
The State Department, in view OF the
published denial by Captain Sobral OF
the authenticity of the interviews &C
credited to him in the newspapers, and
the further fact that he had previously
terminated mis- official connection with
the Spanish legation here, has decided
TO ignore the matter. The Navy De-
partment has not yet determined def.
nitely which ship shall replace the
Maine in Havana harbor. The choice
lies between the Montgomery and the
Nashville.
Ia the case of William Grice and
others under indictment in Texas for
violating the antitrust law of that State
the U. S. supreme court to-day held
that the federal circuit court had inter-
fered in granting writ of habeas cor
pus when no proper exigency arose for
such interference and therefore reversed
the decision.
Inquiry at leading foreign embassies
and legations to-day fails to confirm
rumors that members of the diplomatic
corps have reached the conclusion that
crisis in Spanish affairs is near at
hand and that several of them have
notified their governments that war is
inevitable. The rumors mentioned the
French and British embassies as having
advised their governments to this ef-
feet, but no such reports have
been made from those quarters. Of the
other foreign establishments, it is said
that, while the progress of events un.
doubtedly has been communicated TO
the home governments, there is no
knowledge of any reports being made
that war is imminent.
In the House to-day Mr.. Rixey intro.
duced bills for the relief of James B.
McNair, Alexandra; VIM. Smallwood,
Loudoun; Silas Grayson, late of Fair
fax county; Berea Baptist Church, Stat
ford, end Presbyterian Church, War
renton, and presented petitions Of l04
citizens of Prince William county for
legislation restricting immigration; Pc
tition of heirs of George Jackson for
reference of claim .tolCoutt of Claims;
evidence is support of bill for relief OF
Fairfax Lodge No. 43, Culpeper, to
committee on war claims, and papers to
accompany bill for relief of John Pala
nets estate. Mr. Otey introduced bill
for the relief of the heirs of +. D. Wat
kius for destruction of property on Ber-
muda Hundreds.
Mr.. Frank Hume, when asked about
the Rossyn charter this morning. said
that the people in favor of that charter
own great deal more property in that
town than those in Alexandria who are
opposing it; that Messrs. Clark and
Birch have the reputation of being hon.
est and reputable citizens, and that the
Alexandrians who are so opposed to
gambling at Rosslyn had better stop
it at st. Asaph, in sight of their own
homes.
Among the nominations the Presi.
dent sent to the Senate to-day were the
following To be consuls-Edgar James
Of of urly
VIM. w. Cobbs, of Virginia, at Colon,
Columbia; James Robert Spurgeon, OF
Kentucky, to be secretary eff the lega
tion at Monrovis, Liberia; Joseph L.
Crupper to be postmaster at Alexan-
dria, Va.
The Congress of the National Society
of the Daughters of the American Rev
clution began here to-day. Of the 500
accredited delegates nearly all were
present. Mrs. Adlsi f. Stevenson, the
president general, called the congress
to order, after which the whole audi.
ence sang the hymn America" Mrs.
Stevenson delivered the address of vel.
come. Mrs. Jennie D. Harrison offered
a resolution of coincidence for the fam-
lies of the officers and men of the Maine
DESTROYED in Havana harbor last week.
Mr.. A. G.. Williams, of Culpeper
Courthouse has written here, offering
the services of one hundred and fifty
men, within twenty -four hours, to de-
fsnd the honor of the United States
and punish the Spaniards for destroy
ing the Maine.
H. II. Waring, pastor of Shiloh Bap-