Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-03-03

was duuOuuCcus Wdutcu rs.VVV,VVV W
raise the wreck. The company's rep.
resentstives made this demand after
viewing the condition Of the ship. The
wreckers yesterday turned their at
tention TO saving the great guns
These at least can be recovered In SUI
fciently good condition to warrant the
effort.
Twenty unknown bodies Of the crew
were recovered from the wreck by the
divers at noon yesterday. The bodies
were frightfully burned and mangled,
and it may be impossible to ever iden-
tify some Of them. All the wounded
will leave here Sunday on the Bachs
tor Key West The physicians con-
slider it safe to move them now.
EXPLOSION UNDER THE MAINE.
New YORK, Feb. 2e--A dispatch To
the New York Herald from Havana
says: There is no longer any reason to
doubt that the explosion which
wrecked the Maine came from under.
meath the vessel. and that her maya
zines had nothing to do with the in
itia explosion, and played q much
smaller part in the general disaster
than was at frs: supposed. The
evidence that has served 70 con.
vince the board was obtained by
ENSIGN Powellson, an officer at
tached TO the Fern. Mr.. POWELL
son was formerly in the construction
corps, and took two.years' special
course in the Glasgow School Of Naval
Architecture. He is therefore com.
petent witness. What he discovered
was that the forward section of the
keel of the Maine, with its ribs and
plates, was stove upward so far that
parts Of the shattered double bottom
show out Of water, and in places sec
tions OF the green painted outer hull
are visible.
EDITOR KoHLsAAT's STATEMENT.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2G.-Mr. H. H. Kohl
saat, who is very close to President
Mckinley, published the following in
the Chicago Evening Post Yesterday:
1t can be stated positively that neither the
president nor Secretary Long Is In possession
Of q single fact or report in regard to the Maine
disaster that they have not made public And
while they cannot confirm or deny the sensa-
tional stories daily published throughout the
country as TO the progress Of the court Of In
Quiry, they know that none Of the evidence
or conclusions Of the court will be made
public In advance OF the report Every
official connected with the Investigation into
the cause OF the disaster to the Maine from
Capt Sampson down to the divers and inemen
Is under oath OF secrecy. For the time being
the divers are under naval discipline These
facts account tor the remarkable equanimity
with which the American people read the daily
sensations from Havana and the stock jobbing
forebodinrs Of war from New York and Wash
ington This much Is absolutely true: Presi-
dent Mckinley knows nothing about the wreck
Of the Maine or the testimony as to Its cause
that he has not made public
COURT STILL AT HAVANA.
HAVANA, Feb. 28.-The wreck of the
Maine is slowly but surely sinking in.
to the mud. Before the hull could be
raised it would be necessary to move
the guns and deck debris. For lack Of
proper appliances practically nothing
in this line has been accomplished.
Aside from the officers cabin effects,
the salvage thus far has been pitifully
small. The cloudy weather and rain
made the work of the divers unsatis-
factory yesterday and very little was
done. 1t is said that hole has been
made by the divers in one Of the for
ward matches, and 1t is hoped that
number Of bodies will be recovered.
The court Of inquiry sat longer than
usual yesterday, the six divers being
examined more In detail than hereto
fore. The time Of departure of the
Mangrove with the court for Key
West has not been determined. Capt.
Sampson said yesterday that it was
doubtful whether his vessel would sail
to-day; that all depended on the de-
velopments Of the testimony.
WARNED OF THE DISASTER.
HAVANA, Feb ga man came to
the American consulate few days be.
fore the explosion, and addressing
himself to Mr.. Hyatt, whom he took
for Consul Lee, said; "Mr. Consul, l
have come to inform you that the
Maine Is going to be blown up. Take
the vessel away and let me 90 with 1t,
otherwise am lost man." Mr..
Hyatt is daily approached by hun
areds Of weeping women and men
who are half deranged owing 70 the
effects Of starvation; he paid no at
tention to the man. These facts are
In possession Of the naval board Of in.
quiry.
THE MAINE BLOWN UP.
New YORK, Feb. 26.-The Mail and
Express last evening prints the follow
ing, dated Havana yesterday:
The United States naval board Of inquiry
continued to-day taking the testimony Of the
ivers 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
informed on the highest authority that the evil
ience Of Diver Morgan as to the condition Of
the Maine shows almost beyond the possibility
Of doubt In the opinion Of my informant, that
the Maine was blown up by on outside agency
Morgans report was verified by
the other American divers who descended yes
terday.
GEN. LEES BELIEF.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 90. Consul Gen.
eral Lee has made formal report to
the president that 1t is his opinion,
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