Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1898-03-31
LAID BEFORE CONGRESS.
Message from the President Trans
mitting the Report Of the
Maine Court Of Inquiry.
A CALM AND rsplssIunirt RECITAL.

The seart fist- That ths a.ise Wa. p~-
.sre,ed hy tho sspic-i.n ss . .~assa.rs.~
Niss. Aided b, -s,--~q...s ssps-.-s.s-. .f
Magazines. Bat Dee. >et va the ne
.p"r.ississy ssv tho sspis-i.a-
The rr~.sa~nt's s.~-.ge.
Washington. March =. The prcsi-
dent sent the following message to
congress-
To rnK CcSeRs~s 80 rur rs.rsp STATE ~
lor Some time psisr h the slsl, % the Msln~ 10
TIA ana hsrfar sut eonsuiar Representatives
- -sss<t - tk= A9zmuanzxssAe-An@~a-
Visit ~ nsiinnai ship@ ~ th@ Caat4n wasrr~. IA
ac~u~iurnias thc p-nple 20 the pre- arace of our
na@ a. the symbol q s.u-ei viii anil % our ships
In the fuiailm-ut - Ia misSiaa o. prciectiaa
"a American Interests even thears NJ lsnms~ii
aie nesi thrrvfer m xht etixt
Accordingly. On the ssA q January Last af,-r
euufervncv with the sgani~h minister Ia ~hich
thr renewal q si~its % cur saFshiPs 90
spanish ratrr~ -as ti~cusse AMI 1r-~pt-
ID, The Penin.aiar authoFities a. Nal
rd aai Hav@aa werc sivtss,i q thr rs4fY.ssr
- ,his rtv-rum~nt 20 reSas- fri~adlv
naval visits al Cuhan reris, AMI thas IN that
vte- thr Nain- ~ouat forth ith rel - "a. p Z
oi Havana Thls asaoaaesu uaent "a rcrelssi
- tn SPANISH government - appreciation -
the frieoiiy charter - th~ stsif q ~ Nam
ami ~iih rotiacasien - iut~uticn ~ rsfaru ~
courtesy By ~sn.ifa< SpAuisa sbip. - The rrin-
ripAi Toris q thr Tnitsyi States N~kauhile
the Maine catered th~ r-1rt q HatAaa 90 M
-sth of January. h-r arrival ariaz nnarsci stir
No special insii~at b--iAss Ia rrehaarr %
customary salutrS as.i e~rrtuoaiAi visits
The Maine e0ntsns-f IN IN harhsr - Ha-
tana srtnr th- threc r~~k- foiiaw NJ h~r ar
rival No Appr-clAni. excff-urus att~asis-l
hsr star. On ihe eonsrary. te~linx % r'lici
ansi euandsne. falie~si The rrs1mpsiaz - th~
iong-iaterraptei trirnGIv istsrr.sar.s - 60
tiosaole was tai. iram~iiase ~-rvs of hsr visit
that ihe consul s-uer4i sfrunxly grr,.i thai th~
preS-nee o. our ship IN Cuban sai-rs shslaid b.
kep, up By rrtAiainr Is A. Havana ar IN th-
event % her recall. - ssa-ilnk snothrr yr--el
th-f 70 take h~r piAe~. ~ forty minuts. rasi
nine In the ev~nias - th~ isth % Frbruarv fhe
Naite was destroyed ~ an exBlo~icn - rhirh
the entlrr forward part ef thr ship wa-
ofr'cers .ni ,ro q; hsr crew Y~fl~hsd thosr Eha
yer. m, killed eutrixht ex h-r explsstoa br.ns
pruncf hetwc n d. - - ths tsnsrir - rr.cx-
a<r ard dIownrd by the inlm~siiafe sinkina -
! thr hull Prumpt as<lstanc~ ~a- Fenslrr~si -
the neishboriu< v-~-ei< anrharr-i IN rhr Aarf-sr
aid being especially riv~n ~ th~ e-z.fs q So
Nrani>h cruiser Aiphnnve XII ansf th- " re
iine steamer CIV - wasalnxtan which iar aai
/ Tar distant Ta@ sp1nlis.i w~rv srn~raa,lv
ard TO- - ~ 4uts eritt-s - Havana ~ hss-
pitats trim. fre~lN apwn-i - thsm sklie thr
sariieSi f~coTrr-1 holss q a. dsa.l SER Iu-
tsrrvsi hy tA~ mlsnl-i p4iiiy n pahlae csmetery
Ia the cliy Trinaf@s q zriTf All ssnsr-asag
Nere cr~rrd frusz 80 asaelAl szarfrr~ q m g.
4sA
| The apYalIinx e4iazlfv feli % as1r r.assls
sith er1Shiax farrv All fsr !. hrsrf tfane as m
lease ssrst-n.~af p~~vzsts-i whieh "a q esu-
maaity aeSs lz<f a1ls ~sif-eeairelissi fhAn ear
nisht hsse ts1 - na-tY aets & sIiazf r-~s.ss-
c4lr1ser prnces~s< - rsass AL ~ resive - In
Ee-txzfe the facts sz4 as2it ~ material pr,.sl
t~fors for@anx Ilsisu-nt a. . N o<4-e
TIE FssFeesiniasv zsst y th~ f-rfs sarrastr,i
lhe rsu.ssly ts1s rhi- cuur-s ns-rss>ar.ls rsgsa-
nendsG it--lf frurs m crt~-f 80 tae rxecatlre.
Ter oaiy ia he iirh. q aai-Pa<.iaast-iF ase~r-
iaiassi e.rtalutg cauid IL i~f~rusine tae Aatare
sn.i m~.>are = a. fuli daty il ~ a.tirr n
asssi prucesi1rv Eas fslse~rsf a. In al ea.ss II
casualty or disaster - uafiua4l sx=ssrls q as
nsF.tina< state A naTsl coart q inaatry sa-
81 eacs orxan4zs.s4. cump-s~esf q orscerx xell
| qualified 81 naa< AMI prsrtieal "a
| p~rience 10 diseharxc the ansrsus
duty impu--a upon thsm. Asirsi
/ By a stronx fOrc- % vrecker< ant divers tn
tion on tas Spos. employing every available
means for the impartial AMI exact dstermina-
tlon o, the ezu~r % the expio~isn It. opera
tons have bern cealscte.i with the usrnnSt stc-
Liberation ami ltEtEment. and. ~hile iasiepen-
i-atly parsassi saurreo Of information .~zs
neglected. 1nd thr fullest oPportuaity "a al
lowed for a sirnaltan~ouS investigation ~ the
| spanish suthoTttseS
The rndinx 81 the court q iaqairy ~.
/ r~ached after txenty -thre~ si@yS - roatinaasi-
| labor. on th- elst of Nsrrh ln~tant. 4sl having
| been approved on the - By fne commandments.
| ,hi.f Of the United States naval force On IN
North Atlantic station. ~as transmitted "a ths
| executive.
lis here~ith laid before th- eourre~. to-day
| with the voiuminous testimony taken before
| the court Its purFort - In brief, A. feliosss
When the Maine arrived a. Havana she "a
| conducted by the regular government piiot o.
baoy No a TO which she was wDsrct IN frum
Eve AMI one-hsn Ia str faihaass % wafer Tse
| ,tate Of discipline ou board AMI the eonaifion
| Z her magazines. boilers. eo4i bsnS~fs an,
,tarag. compartments arr passed. In review,
l with the conclusion that excellent order pre-
| saiI-si and that no Indication ef sny cause FOE
an internal explosion existed in @ny qaartsr.
Al eight oeiask in the evening 81 February
Is everything haf been reported sccure and all
Sas quiet.
Al forty minutes past nine O'Clock the vessel
xss suddenly destroyed
There were tNo distinct expiosionS. xith q
brief interval between them The nr~t iftrs
he forxara part Of the ship very p~rceptibiy
the second. which was more prolonged. is at
tributed BY the cogrt 10 the partial explosion Of
two or uaore OF the forward magazines
The evidence of the divers establishes that
the after part OF the ship practically intact
and sank In that condition very fen minutes
after the explosion. The forward part va.
completely demolished
Upon evidence Of coaeurreut external eauss
the nnains Of the court is a- follows;
Al frame a. the outer she'll of the ship from
a point eleven and One-half feet from the mid
ile line OF the ship and sir feet above the keel
when in its normal position. has been forced uT
90 as 10 be no~ about four feet above the sur
face Of the water; therefore. about thirty-foui
teet above where IL xoaid be had the ship Suns
uniniuret
The outside bottom plating Is ben, into
| reversed ~ shape. the after wing Of which
scout fifteen feet broad and thirsy-two feet In
length from frame u to frame -. Is doubles
back upon itself against the continuation % th'
| same plating extending forward
| At frame - the vertical Keel IL broken in tvs
and the keel bent into an angle siulsilr To th,
angle formed for the outside plates Thi,
break Is about six feet below the surface Of tn
position
| In the opinion OF the court this effect couli
have been proiuSed only By the explosion Of
mine situated under the bottom Of the ship q
aheu, frame ~ and somewhat on the port side
q the ship
L
| That the loss Of the Mains sss not in any ~.
,pect due to fault or negiiyence on the part O
lny Of the ofncers or members of her crew.
That the ship Was destroyed By the explosion
d. a submarine mine. which caused the psrtia
| explosion Of two or more Of her forward masa
| lines: and.
That no evidence has been obtainahie nxin.
the responsibility for the destruction OF Ia
Maine upon any person or persons
have directed that the finding Of the eour-
| Of inquiry and The views Of this government
/ thereon be comm unicatei TO the soverunlen nt O
her majesty. The queen and I do not perm
myself To doubt that the sense Of justice Of th'
Spanish nation will dictate a course Of actor
suggested by honov and the friendly relations O
/ the two government.
IL was the duty of the execntive to advise ths
congress of the result. and In the meantime de.
| liberate consideration Is invoked
i ISigned. WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion. March - Isss
Report of the Court of Inquiry.