The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-26
EXAMINED A CIVILIAN.
Whose Name Is Withheld Before Court of
s9f Inquiry.

whose Name Is Withheld Before Court of
/ Aa Inquiry.
/ Havana, February 25.-The court of
| Inquiry at Its session this afternoon con-
tinued it's examination of the divers and
| also examined civilian whose testimony
| is said to be of some Importance. The
name of the witness is withheld and as
usual, all the particulars of his evidence.
/ The Mangrove, it is now believed. will
t1sureiy leave for Key West tomorrow even
| ing, arriving there Sunday morning.
| last moment, but does not seem likely.
| After the Mangrove leaves the Fern win
| be the only United States vesael there.
Lieut. Commander Wainwright and the
naval divers under his charge will stay on
| the Fern.
Late today. the paymaster's safe with
| $2500 and his papers was taken from the
wreck Beyond this no statement is
made as to the value and nature of the
contents but a large quantity of water
ran out whom the safe was raised above
| thegsurfaoe.
The complaint is still made that the
electric lamps are of little use to the
and to hold them takes one OF the divers
hands. They have proved Of little
value in the present Investigation. The
workmen on the tug Right Arm with the
assistance of the naval divers are lnboring
hard to recover bodies under the hatch.
The Havana papers print long extracts
from the American dailies, but of course,
are anxiously awaiting the arrival Of to-
morrow's mail, as tidings from the
United States are scant.
Consul General Lee says he has received
no news of Importance from the state de-
partment today nor had been notified to
expect the arrival of anyone of promi-
nence 1t is thought that If any Ameri-
can of national reputation comes to Ha-
vana now it will be to study the situ
alton for himself and not as an official
comm issioner At 6 O'Clock this eve
ming when this dispatch is sent, Holzer
is still sleeping under the influence of
an opiate. He is no worse, but very low.
DIVER MoRGAN's DISCOVERY
Alleged That he Has Found Maine Was
Destroyed By Outside Agency.
New York, February s5.-The Mail and
Express this afternoon prints the follow.
ing from it's staff correspondent in Ha-
vana:
"The U. S. naval board of inquiry con-
tinued today taking the testimony OF the
divers who have been working In the
wreck Of the Maine. Those who were
sent here from the battleship Iowa and
the cruiser New York, were examined.
While, of course, the members OF the court
will not talk for publication. am in.
formed by the highest authority that the
evidence of Diver Morgan as to the con-
dition of the Maine shows almost beyond
the possibility of doubt, in the opinion
of my informant, that the Maine was
blown up by an outside agency
Furthermore. Morgan's report as veri-
fed by the other American divers who de-
scended today. All the testimony of the
civilian witnesses OF the disaster was
taken yesterday.
The court will finish its work here TO-
morrow and proceed at once to Key West
to take the testimony OF the survivors
there. It has also been decided not to re-
turn to Havana. All information as to
the cause of the disaster obtalnaDle here
having already been secured,is IS believed
that q decision has been pracGlcally
reached. The witnesses yet to be Ok
amined will hardly change the verdict.
The court has decided against an at
tempt to raise the ruined battleshlP. Inc
members are convinced that 1T would be
useless, as she could never be kept aiioat,
and the Spanish authorities here VIII ne
AhAorinou onaG II Gney WISH Ono VICE.
moved from the harbor they must attend
to the work themselves This decision
gives a better idea of the terrible havoc
wrought in the Maine than columns OF
description could do
1.-The Merritt Wrecking Company, It
was announced today, wanted 2,0oo,ooo
to raise the wreck. The company's repre-
sentatives made this demand aftel view
ing the condition of the ship.
Inc WrGCk6rS to-day turned their dU-
tention to salyaging the great guns.
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