Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-20

1Aohoi 1t5 OCLlpleGo Report TO Sec
rotary Long, or That an Abstract
OF the Opinions of the Member
Has Been Sent to Him-Lieutenant
Blow Said to Have Carried the
Document to Washington Sec
rotary Long When Questioned on
the Subject Refused to Either
Affirm or Deny That the Report
was In His Hands, But Satisfied
himself With the Statement that
the Report Will Be in Washing
ton Next Week.
washington, March 19-Keen inter-
est was manifested in all official quar-
tiers to-day in anticipation of the early
receipt OF the report from the court Of
inquiry on the Maine disaster.
Warllke preparations continue with
unapated vlgor at the War and Navy
departments, but the main interest of
onclals centered in the forthcoming
report. The interest was so intense
~ "hS iepoi tS gained circulation
TO the effect that the official document
would be in the hands of the Presi-
dent within the next few hours, but
these conJectures on inquiry at au-
thoritatiye sources were found to be
inaccurate. Persons in position to
know had little to add to the fact al
ready made public that the report is
expected within the next few DAYS. A
CABINET officer stated that it would be
mere early next week. Beyond this
ne could not say. 1t was stated that
no advance intimation as to the char
acter OF the report had been received
here
One rumor had it that Lieut.. Blow
had brought to Washington an alb
stract of the conclusions but this was
dismissed after Lieut. Blow had been
in conference with Secretary Long and
other naval officials.
THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT
Of the morning was the arrival of four
of the survivors of the Maine disaster,
who held a. long conference with Sec
rotary Long and later were taken by
a talk with the President These sur
vivors are Lieut.. G. F. W. Holman,
navigator of the Maine: Lieut.. George
p Blow, Lieut.. A. B. Catlin, in COM
mand of the marines on the Maine
and Boatswain I4arkin. one of the non
commissioned officers of the Maine
These men had passed through the
fearful ordeal of the explosion, and
i -i
There had been no announcement of
their being detached from Capt. Sigs-
bees command in Havana, and their
coming was a complete surprise except
to a few officials. With them came
Naval Constructor Hoover, who was
sent by Secretary Long from Washing
ton a few weeks ago to make a tech
meal inspection of the wreck of the
Maine He was the naval constructor
who for months was engaged in actual
work on the Maine while she was on
the stocks, SO that he is in position
to know every plate and piece OF con-
struction steel remaining on the ILL
fated ship. The divers had found
great difficulty in identifying some Of
-the twisted and battered plates from
the bottom of the Maine, and it was
believed that Constructor Hoover s
technical knowledge would be able to
make this Identification complete
THE CONFERENCE
between Lieutenants Blow and Catlin
and Secretary Long lasted for some
time Capt. Crowninshield, of the Bu-
reau of Navigation, and other officials
being called. in. 1t was stated author
itatively after the conference that the
main subject of conversation was the
explosion itselfS comprising a detailed
narrative of the officers. and harrow
ing description eof the calamity
Whether the cause. of the explosion
was under discussion could not be
learned 1t was naturally inferred that
these officers with their complete per
sonal information of the1explosion and
their subsequent visits to the wreck
would give Secretary Longsthe benefit
of their personal views on the cause
of the disaster. At the same time,
with the court of inquiry having COM
nlete Jurisdiction of this subject, it
was felt that the question of cause
might be subject to much reserve nyen
as between those naval officers apd
the Secretary of the Navy. So far as
official warrant was given to the purA
noses Of the conference it was SAID
to be confined strictly to narratives OF
the story of the wreck. Constructor
Hoover refused absolutely to talk
about his trip to Havana or to give
any information concerning the work
of the court of inquiry, or the condl-
ton of affairs in Cuba He said that
his Inns were sealed by the conditions
imposed upon him and that he did not
feel free to discuss any phase OF the
Cuban question or the Maine incidents.
He will leave tonight or tomorrow
for New York.
Secretary Long in the morning did
not denv specifically that Lieutenant
Blow was
REARER OF THE REPORT,
but he asserted that the Lieutenant
had convened to him no information
in the conference and added that the
report would be here next week. The
revival OF the rumor was called 10 the
Secre;ary's attention during the after
noon with a request for an answer TO
the question whether Lieutenant Blow
had brought with him the report tthe
actual document) of the board OF IN
ouirv. IN reply to this. Secretary
Long sent word that he could say
nothing more than what he had al
ready said: THAT report would be
here next week"
Senator Chandler was in conference
with several of the cabinet officers to-
dav and after leaving them ex-