The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-25

order had been given to replace the
Maine. it being deemed desirable that
the armored fleet should not fall below
! a certain number. There was very
| little work to be done on the Terror,
and forty-eight hours should suffice to
| finish it. The Terror Is our most pow
erful double -turreted monitor and, al
| though not as effective as a seab0at
as a battleship, in the smooth waters
OF a harbor she probably would be
| able to hold her own against almost
any craft.
A CABLEGRAM FROM SIGSBEE.
The following telegram was receiv-
ed by the navy department this after
noon from Captain Sigsbee:
Send to FOrsythe for Sigsbee for
| transverse sectional drawing of the
| Maine through forward 10-inch maga-
zine and she'll room, showing pocket
! coal bunkers.''
This request was Immediately COM
| piled with. 1t is supposed that Cap
| tain Sigsbee wants there drawings to
| assist in the work of wrecling the
ship, as they would be Of great aid to
| the divers. They will tbe useful also
| as the basis for the testimony now be-
ing taken by the court of inquiry at
| Havana. The fact that it is deemed
essential that the drawings shall show
the pocket coal 'bunkers which abutt
! on the magazine, is evidence that Cap
| tain Sigsbee has in mind the sponta-
neous combustion theory, though it
| does not follow by any means that he
| is committed to it.
Some of the employees of the navy
| department have been making estimat-
| eS of the amount of money that will be
| required to meet the demands of the
| joint resolution which Mr.. Boutelle
proposes to introduce in the house al
lowing a years sea pay to the families
of the dead sailors and money for lost
clothing and effects, not to exceed a
years pay, to the survivors. They fix
| the sum at not to exceed $150,GO0
THE TERROR TO SAIL TODAY.
Norfolk, Va, February 22-The re-
pairs on the monitor Terror were COM
pleted tonight and it is understood she
will sail for New York in the morning.
| Repairs on the torpedo boats Foote
| and Winslow are also practically COM
| pleted and they are ready to leave the
| drydOck. The Puritan will hardly be
| ready to leave the yard under ten days.
All Of her boilers have been repaired
| but one.
| Ii is said that the gunboat Machias
| will be repaired at this yard and u
requisition for more men has been
made. The number Of men at the yard
| will probably be doubled by March 1st.
THE COURT OF INQUIRY. -
Havana, February 22.-Consul Cen
eral Lee and the members of the Unit
ed States court Of inquiry into the loss
| of the battleShip Maine called this
morning on Captain General Blanco
and Admiral Manterola. When these
| ceremonies were ended the court. re-
turned to the United States lighthouse
| tender MangrOve and resumed its Ses-
| sion The court onene6 AT 10. 20 O'Clock
| and took a recess at 1890 o'clock. Lieu
| tenant G. F. Holman, navigator and
| ordnance officer Of the Maine, was ex-
amined at the morning session. The
| court met for the afternoon session al
1:30 O'Clock and Lieutenant Command
er r. Wainwright, executive officer OF
| the Maine, was called to the witness
stand He has been in immediate
charge of the wreck since the explo-
| sion.
THE DIVERS AT WORK.
Four divers are at work. two in the
| fOrepart of the ship and the others aft.
The task is most laborious, and the
men are naturally extremely careful,
and they have had to work in complete
| darkness, and several have had bad
falls. Electric lights, worked from the
Mangrove, are now available, and
much good is expected from them.
Nearly all the possible salvage has
| now been made from the cabin aft. The
| efforts to reach the ward and mess
rooms are frustrated by some unknown
! obstacle. 1t is expected to find bodies
| in those rooms. Two cases of 1O-inch
| ammunition have been found, the one
| having exploded, the other full Of pow
| der. These were found forward. The
! work of securing the bodies under the
| hatch has been most difficult in the
dark, but it is hoped that the electric
| lights will be of great assistance. The
| bodies are much mutilated and some
| are partially burned.
! The officers of the court of inquiry
paid another visit to the wreck today.
Captain Sampson, after the visits of
| the members of the court to the cap
tain general and Admiral Manterola
| this morning said the reception ex
tended them had been polite and cor
| dial. The captain general and admiral
| hope that nothing would interfere to
prevent thorough Investigation. They
| offered to give any help in their pow
| er. Captain Sampson referred to the
| visits as tending to promote a better
understanding"
Among the salvage were the table
| ware and silver service belonging to
| the Maine.
An additional 10-inch casing charge
| was found today exploded. A NUMBER
| of such castings are believed to. be in
side the hull, but it is not known
whether they exploded or not The
| divers have recovered, in addition to
| Captain Sigsbee's silverware, as al
| ready cabled, some of his cutlery, his
| rifles and a number of his books
George w. Koeler, of Brooklyn. died
today at the military hospital. All the
other injured show some Improvement.
La Lucha, in and editorial today.
| comments upon the "unfairness OF the
United States in making Captain Sigs-
| bee the advisor end assistant of the
court of inquiry" The editorial is
| evidently based on incorrect infOrma-
| ton from the United States, as naval
Officers here say it is impossible under
/ the rules constituting naval courts Of
inquiry that the captain commanding