Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-02-23
IT WILL TAKE DAYS.
Washington Officials Have Settled
Down for Patient
Wait.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 21.-Sevcral
| reports came by telegraph to the state and
navy departments today from Havana.
All of the naval kilograms, however, bore
date of yesterday while that from Gen.
! Lee to the state department was proba bly,
sent late last night though marked this
morning. The message does not throw
any light on the cause of the disaster
and in fact the officers in the navy de-
partment 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 confined at
+! present to the recovery of the bodies of
| the dead still entangled in the wreck and
the recovery of valuables, neither of
| which can be neglected; while the other
| branch Of the work, namely the inyesti-
CATION of the cause of the disaster may
be more properly left to the conduct of the
| court Of inquiry.
Gen. Lees dispatch was as follows
Havana, Feb. 21.-Assistant Secreta
~ OF State, Washington-Great need of
| divers to get effects and bodies from 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 today, but
| over 100 are supposed to be confined in
|
| Spanish hospitals number eleven. Visit
| ed them yesterday. All will recover ex-
cept two They are comfortable and well
cared for Lee"
Acting Secretary Day made the follow
! ing answer Immediately to this cable
gram:
Department of State, Washington, D.
| g., Feb. 21.-Lee, Havana: Have called
attention navy department to your re-
quest for divers. Same will be complied
with. Day"
The department believes that the scar
| city of divers complained of by Gen. Lee
| probably has already been overcome by
| the arrival of the Bache with a force of
divers from the North Atlantic squadron
at TOrtugas with the necessary apparatus.
A dispatch of last night from Capt.
| Slgsbee was as follows:
| Navy Department, Wash.ngton-Nine
more bodies buried yesterday, only two of
which were identifed-William Lund and
| NJ +. Harris"
Another dispatch was as follows: "Vis-
| tied hospital today. Very much pleased
to see me. Koehler and Hotter are very
| low. have hopes of Hotter. Koehler
| has a fighting chance only. Numbers of
bodies found and buried today, No in
vestigation yet of the explosion. Need
regular wrecking divers for that. Lee
sent to Gen. Blanco telegram relating to
| coming of wrecking vessels"
| 1t is understood here that by the zone
| of the explosion" in his dispatch Capt.
| Sigsbee means that part of the wreck of
the Maine forward of the main mast that
| suffered directly. The reference TO the
! Lee dispatch to BlancO touches the formal
| notification to the Spanish authorities
there of the coming of the American
wrecking vessels to Havana. Under or
| binary circumstances there might be some
| question of the right of a foreign wreck
| ing vessel to operate III the harbOr Of Ha
| vana, presuming that the Spanish law is
| identical with our own. But in the case
Of a national vessel like the Maine the
rule would not apply, though the notice
is conveyed to Capt.-Gen. Blanco as a
matter of courtesy and to prevent possible
delays through the interference of some
uninstructed subordinates in the custom
service at Havana.
Capt. SigSbee'S last dispatch sent yes
terday was as follows:
'Will send two wounded from the hos
pital by the Bache tomorrow. These are
two recommended to go to TOrtugas. Bar
nett captain of the Bache) would report
to admiral
The navy department has informed Adj
mral Rowe at Key West of these facts
communicated by Capt Sigsbee. 1t leaves
entirely to the admirals discretion the as
signment of the wounded arriving from
Havana to Tortugas instead of Key
West
Capt. Lemley, the judge advocate-gen-
eral of the navy department, with Capt.
Bradford chief of the equipment, and
Commodore Hichborn, chief construc-
tor. were in consultation for some time
with Secretary Long today. reporting to
him the plans they had formed of the |
wrecking of the Maine.
Capt Lemley suggested some further
changes in the details of the contracts
which are now being drawn with the |
wrecking companies and it is expected |
that within few hours after Congress
shall have enacted and the President shall |
have signed the necessary bill making an |
appropriation for the work the contracts |
will be signed.
The incoming mail at the navy depart
ment today brought most interesting |
contribution to the news of the day IN the |
shape of an excellent photograph of the |
wreck of the Maine as it now lies in Ha-
vana harbor. This was forwarded to |
the secretary of the navy by Lieut.: Hood.
lately attached to the Maine. 1t is a |
view from the port side. and in general |
fea lures resembles the last newspaper
cuts of the wreck. Secretary Long took |
it to the white house and gave it to the
President, who was much interested in |
the details as shown on the photograph.
The navy department has not yet de-
termined definitely which of our warships
shall replace the Maine in Havana har-
Dor, although it las determined that as
a matter of policy another ship must be |
sent there The choice lies between the |
from San Domingo to Key West and the
Nashville gunboat, now at Galveston, par
tcpating in the Mardi Gras festivities,
If the latter terminates some time this
week, as it is expected it is said the
Nashville will be the vessel selected for
the trip, as the Montgomery is just re-
turning from a cruise in the West Indies |
including two Cuban ports, and had hard |
service besides in patrol duty.
The state department, in view of the
io1 NV Of no
authenticity of the interviews accredited |
to him in the newspapers and the further
fact that he had previously terminated
his official connection with the Spanish |
legation here, has decided to ignore the
matter.
BIG MAGAZINES INTACT.