The herald., 1898-02-27

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side OF Spain, has been OFFICIALLY requeste
to leave the diocese.
Al package addressed 10 Father Weber
containing an internal machine, was re
ceived at the Kingston postoffice toda
and intercepted by a clerk. The packag
was sent from Washington.
NEEDS CONFIRMATION
CHICAGO, Feb. ga Times-Heral
Washington special says:
Consul General Lee has made formal re
port to the president that II Is his opinion
that the Maine was deliberately destroyed
Every effort has been made to keep tht
information from becoming public. Evel
where privately circulated. the friends
the administration are trying to minlmlz
the Importance of the report by saying ina
it is only an expression of opinion by tn
consul general, unaccompanied by evf
dence.
The fact that Lee has never made ;
mistake in Cuba, however, adds much t.
the Importance of his report, and has in
creased the general concern among publ
men.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR
NEW YORK, Feb. ga special copy
righted cablegram to the Evening Worl,
from Sylvester Scovel at Havana says:
"Divers working forward yesterday foun'
absolute proof that the forward big mag
azine, which could have so damaged tn
ship, is surely unexploded. The sides ant
floors of this magazine are practically in
tact and in such shape as is impossible hat
an explosion within occurred. Many div
ers have so sworn today to the investigat
ing board.
''It is now believed by experts that big
torpedo or mine, aided by 500 pounds OF
saluting powder in the reserve magazine
next to the big magazine, might have pro
duced the actual results found in the
wreck. Collapsed powder casks found
about the magazine have hexagonal marks
in the thin copper, where the external pres
sure forced them into their present shape.
PROCTOR'S MISSION
HAVANA. Feb Ex-senator Proctor of
Vermont arrived here today from Florida
via Key West. He says his coming here
has no significance in connection with po-
litical matters. The senator is accom-
panied by Mr.. M M. Parker, real estate
man of Washington. and it is given out
that the two gentlemen are engaged in
business venture.
In an interview with Senator Proctor this
morning the correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press said. 'Will you please tell
me the object of your mission here?"
To this Mr.. Proctor replied: II have no
mission: If had any official duty l would
not have been week getting here. / am
not in any sense representative from
President Mckinley, nor have l anything
to do with the court of inquiry.
Il wish you would deny positively that
/ am here on official business
The court of inquiry was in session again
today, but did nothing. simply waiting to
See if any new developments came from
o 10 A
hindered the divers in their operations, but
the new divers and apparatus brought by
the Masootte are now on board the tug
Right Arm. and will be put to work as soon
as possible.
Captain Sampson expects that the Man
grove, with the court of inquiry on board,
will sail tonight unless new discoveries
are made to detain her.
Captain Sigsbee and the other officers of
the Maine. who are here, will proba bly, re-
main until the Mangrove returns.
This morning Senator Proctor took break
fast with Consul General Lee. and after
wards walked and drove about the city.
The wreck of the Maine sinks perceptibly
every day in the mud of the harbor.
NOTHING KNOWN YET
KEY WEST. Feb ga dispatch from
Havana says that despite the rumors to
the contrary, nothing is known aS TO ths
conclusions reached thus far by the court
of inquiry. The dispatch says the hoist
ing of the wreckage of the Maine from the
mud in which it has become imbedded will
be almost an impossibility, and that eighty
bodies still remain in the wreck.
A report is current in Havana that
United States Consul General Lee has been
threatened with assassination, but he is
not at all alarmed. Havana is quiet.
WHY SHE LEFT
TAMPA BAY HOTEL Tampa, Fla,
Feb. 26.-Mrs. Bruner and five children
are here from Havana She is the wife of
United States Health Officer Bruner, al
Havana, and says Consul General Lee ad-
vised her husband to send her away at
once. Other Americans have also made
the same statement.
When the attention of Philip Alger, ex-
pert of the bureau of ordnance, was called
10 Senor Du Boscs statement relative to
submarine mines in Havana harbor, he
said: 1.-The statement is important as
representing the position taken by the
Spanish officials, who have absolute knowl-
edge of whether or not Havana harbor was
mined 1t is, of course. inherently i'm
probable that such mines existed. since il is
not customary to plant torpedoes in har-
bors at ALL and especially not in harbors
constantly occupied by friendly vessels.
Should it be possible to prove Senor Du
Bosc's statement to be true, the whole
theory of the Names destruction by q
torpedo will become untenable, in my opin-
ion. But the only proper course now to
be pursued is to await patiently the report
of the board of investigation, and TO ac-
cept its findings as conclusive. If it was
an accident. its cause may be ascertained
and repetition can be guarded against II
the modern battleship can be easily de-
stroyed by an enemy, as the advocates OF
the torpedo theory believe, then perhaps ii
might be claimed, with some show of rea-
son, that such ships should no longer be
built. But to condemn battleships be-
cause an accident may completely destroy
one would be to act without reason"
THE COURT DEPARTS
HAVANA, Feb. 26.-The court this after
noon re-examined Capt. Sigsbee, Surgeon
Henry Burger, two divers and Consular
Clerk Drain.
They then verified the testimony by the
stenographer's notes and made prepara-
tions for their departure.
Senator Proctor and his friend, Mr.. Park.
er, and Consul General Lee rowed around
the wreck in launch.
Commander Cowles of the Fern ther
went on board the Mangrove and paid q
social call to the members of the court
The Mangrove got under way after the
farewells had been spoken, about 6:3(
o'clock. Capt. Samson said he had no idea
when the court would return here
1t is reported from Spanish sources thai
Capt. Sigsbee and the other officers of the
Maine who are here will be called before
the admiralty court in Havana next Mon
day to give their testimony referring tt
ha of ha