The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-22

comment was that it was the hrSt he had
heard of it. The President does not wish
to make any statement concerning re-
ports that come regarding the disaster
but he permitted the fact to be known
that the administration had no advices
tending to confirm the Key West re-
port.
The Navy Department received a dis
patch this morning from Admiral ST
card, in command of the North Atlantic
squadron. giving the detail of the court
Of inquiry to investigate the Maine dis.
aster as follows:
Capt. Sampson. president Of the
court; Captain Chadwick, Lieutenant
Commander Schroeder, Lieutenant
Commander Mark"
Captain Sampson. the president of the
court, Is commander Of the battleshiD
Iowa. now at the Tortugas; Captain
Chadwick is commander Of the New
York ut Key West; Lieutenant Com
mander Schroeder is executive officer of
the battlesllip Massachusetts. now at
the TOrtugas; Lieutenant Commander
Mark is executive officer of the Yer
mont. He was formerly with the Maine
as executive officer before the detail of
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright,
who relieved him.
COUHT OF INQUIRY.
Admiral Sicard's board has ample au.
th0rity to make the most searching in
v~eStlgation into the cause of the dis
aster. The Fern and the Mangrove re
ported their arrival at Havana last even
ing. The former is provided with div
ing apparatus. and as every warship's
company includes at least several ex-
Pert divers, there will be no lack of men
to make the necessary search. These
men can be depended upon to report the
exact facts. They, moreover Will be
subject to orders of the court of inquiry
i'll every particular, and as they are
familiar with the bottom of Il war ship
of the type Of the Maine, they are not
likely to be led into the mistake of sup
posing the outlet hole or pipe from the
interior to he a torpedo hole.
1t is believed that under the most ia
vorable circumstance this investigation
canHot be made for several days.
Lieutenant Commander Mark. who
will be a member of the Court of In
Quiry. left Washington at II O'Clock to-
day by train for Key West, and he is
supposed to be assigned to duty as
Judge Advocate of the court. Probably
the board Will be conveyed from Ha-
YAM to Key West by the Olivette or
one of the light house tenders. as it *
again stated today that the Navy De
Eartment has 10 intention of sending
another man Of war to Havana imme-
diately. General fear is expressed by
the older officers at the Navy Depart
ment that the destruction of the Maine
has been 50 complete. at least in the
forward portion of the ship where the
explosion is believed to have occurred,
that it would be perhaps impossible to
find sufficient evidence iii the wreck of
the hull to be able to declare with cen
tainty the cause Of the disaster.
1t may be said, however. that nothing
has vet developed III the news from Ha-
vana as to the appearance Of the wreck.
CT III the conflicting stories of the survi-
vors to change the opinion of the ma
iOrity Of the officers STATIONED in the
Navy Department that the Maine SUM
as the result of an internal explosion.
] AS TO he origin of this explosion there
is still Il wide difference of opinion. but
the coal bunker theory today finds very
many more strong supporters than ANY
other theory. This theory is based on
Tie suppopsition that Spontaneous ON
ittstion in one Of the bunkerS. which in
the Maine are separated from the nntSa-
zine forward by Il single thin partition
Of iron, ignited the magazine and caused
the destruction of the vessel. Proofs OF
similar fires on other vessels of the
Navy are being produced in prOfusion al
the Navy Department today.
! CAPTAIN BRADFORD'S REPORT
Captain Royal Bradford today pro
duced the quarterly report required by
regulations to show exactly the state
-, = ~, I: .o,1 --,l - " -.
ty of the coal. At the end of December
the vessel had fifty-two tons Of coal only
in her burkers. This was made up oi
Pocahontas and New River coal. Cap
tain Bradford said that rocahontas is
the standard naval coal. and lis rated al
100. New River following mex and is
set dow at 90 per cent. These are
scmi-bituminoua Goals Of q quality close.
~ approaching that of the celebrated
Welsh navigation coal, the British nava
standard.
In the opinion of Captain Bradfofv
/ reither Ct these GOALS is particularly sub
ject to spontaneous combustion. Since
the Maine has been III the Gulf O
Mexico. however. she probably consumed
a good part Of this coal, and replenishet
her stock from the Naval store at th$
Key West station. The coal there takel
on was anthracite, which Captain Brad
ford said lis no more subject to spon
tancouS combustion than Il pile O
stones" The Maine took on $50 ton:
of this coal in December. and in jam
AIRY. before She left for Havana, Sh'
loaded UP with 211 tons more. Ini!
coal at Key West is kept behind
picket fence very much exposed TO any
evil minded person who might desire t
conceal Il bomb therein; something which
could only be effected with great diff
Guilty after the coal was stored III ths
bunkcrs. In spite of the British rcfec
tons upon the discipline on American
WarshlIS, the officers here do not hest
tate to say that in the matter of care
full inspection of the coal bunkerS. TIL,
magazines and the like, our Navy is sec
ond TO 0 II in the world.
ALL FLAGS AT HALF MAST.
Captain General BIanco today cables
TO Senior Du Bcsc. Charge Of the Spanisl