The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-22
Explosion Of th8
Ba&kl0- Ship Main8

ing attitude in respect to the terrible
Marine disaster in Havana harbor. The
great shock caused by the news has
given way to a clamor and more judicial
state of mind and realizing from the
events of the day that the court of in
quiry is the sole dependence in the search
for the cause of the Names loss, the
Naval officials are now resigned to
n await the results of that inquiry by a
court ordered to-day by the Navy De-
partment. There was little new to add
to the sum of information as to the
disaster during the forenoon. No tele-
grams came and all that could be
cleaned was Il denial of some absurd
story or other that had crept into print
or became current gossip. The news
Of the day all came in the late after
noon i'll the shape of Capt. Sigbee's re-
port of the funeral of his dead sailors,
and General Lees graphic story of the
terrible struggle for life in the dark hull
of the Maine.
The officials at the Navy Department
devoted the day to the effort to correct
the lists Of living and dead; to an
swering frantic telegraphic appeals from
relatives of men on the battleship and
last. but not least, i'll meeting with un"
wavering courtesy and patience the eN~
% acting demands upon their time of the
press reports. The disposition of the
survivors, Capt. Dickens, acting CHIEF
OF the Navigation Bureau. has arranged
for as we'll as could be done from this
distance. The wounded sailors in the
Havana hospitals. on the Spanish flag
ship and elsewhere, when not in condi-
ton to be brought back to Key West
will be carefully looked after by Miss
CLARA BARTON IN CHARGE.
Clara Barton, W1hO has been given
carte blanche to buy any and everything
necessary, food, clothing. delicacies and
hire nurses and physicians. The wounded
able to get across to Key West viii
be taken care of in the Marine Hospi-
tai there. The sound survivors will
be quartered in the spare army barracks
there. As for the Maine herself, not
withstandins discouraging reports from
Lieutenant Hood as to her condition,
the Navy Department will make an eff
fort to raise her; while this is re.
quired by every creditable sentiment,
they say that they are bound to re-
move the hull from the small harbor
in any case, and 1t may be as easy, OF
~ easier to raise her as it would be to de-
& StLOH me- HUI dld liIOliIllClS SIoNlS
by the use of divers and dynamite. 1t
is believed that this work can best be
done by private wrecking corporations
and negotiations are already afoot for
placing the contract. based on WORK by
the day. at an estimated cost of 5000
q
At The Navy Department specific de-
NAL WAS given of the report emanating
from Madrid that a torpedo f0tilla WAS
"a .ahnIt TO Iaoya E<ov Woct for (h,1r,
1t was stated that only two torpedo
boats, theCushing and the Ericcsson,
are at Key West. These have not been
ordered and will not be ordered, accord
ing to present plans. to Cuba. 1t was
strongly asserted that no present pur-
pose existed of sending any war ship
there.
ALL QUIET All WHITE HOUSE.
Senor Du Bose, the Spanish charge,
had received no instructions up to six
p. H., as to going to New York and
stopping the Spanish ship Vizcaya from
entering the port, and reports to this
effect We're discredited.
The air of suppressed excitement
which characterized the movement of the
employees and visitors at the White
House yesterday was not noticeable to-
day. There were comparatively few Wis
ltOrS during the morning hours and for
q considerable time in the middle Of the
day the White House bore an almost
deserted appearance. Only Il limited
number of members of Congress called
during the morning and the interviews
were brief. Postmaster General Gary
was the only member of the Cabinet
who called and his business related en-
t'rely to departmental matters. .Assis.
1ant Secretary Day saw the President
for q few minutes, but he had nothing
of Importance to communicate until at
ter four O'Clock when he carried to the
W hlte House official information of the
closing Of the De Line letter incident.
SO far as could be learned the only in
Formation as to the situation il; Havana
that reached the President direct came
through the Associated Press. On the
streets there was nOticeably less excite
lhclt than yesterday, when the people
We're 10th to believe that under the CIR
cumstances the loss of the Maine cou11
be traced to other than Spanish sources.
All the flags throughout the city, in
gliding those on the capitol and the de
partmcnt buildings are flying at half
mast to-day, and among the others is
conspicuous that OF Cuba Libre' which
flies from the staff ON the Hotel Raleigh.
the headquarters of the Cuban Junta.
y bulletin from Key West was receiv-
cd this morning to the effect that divers
had oun an eight inch percussion hole
i'll the bottom of the Maine. Also that
all proofs Of the torpedo work will be
removed. The Navy Department abso-
lutcly discredits this story.
NOT 4 TORPEDO.
Secretary Long says that there is no
Sach thing as "a percussion hole; that
mere is no eight inch torpedo, and there
- no other way i'll which such Il hole
touiu be accounted for. 1t is of course
foHSIole that d shell exploiting inside Of
&c snip pierced Il mole of that kind in
II" outer skin but that would be read
ny revealed by the character of the an
gre ana whether or not the skin was
pulseu III OF out. 1t is more likely if
there is any hole at all of tho lind that