The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-04-01
.M'KINLEY'S MESSAGE.
Statement on the Maine
Report Transmitted to Congress.
No accommodation Made and No Action
Asked FOr-SIsIne Sent to HavanaOn
Gen Lees Request-Her MIS-
sion One~of Peace.

sion One OF Peace
WAsHINsroE, March s9.-The presi-
dent yesterday sent the following mes
sage to congress:
To the Congress Of the United States:
For some time prior 70 the visit % the Maine
I to Havana harbor our consular representatives
pointed out the advantages 20 hOw from the
visit Of national ships to the Cuban waJersin &C
oustoming the people 20 the presence OF our nag
the symbol OF good VIII and Of ships in the
/ fulfiiment OF the mission OF protection 70
American interests, even though no immediate
need therefor might exist Accordingly the
Gath Of January last, after comforting with the
Spanish minister. in which the renewal Of visits
/ Of our war vessels 70 Spanish waters was dis
cussed and accepted, the peninsular authorities
at Madrid and Havana we're advised Of the pur-
/ pose Of this government 70 resume friendly
/ naval visits at Cuban ports and that, in that
view, the Maine would forthwith call at the
| port OF Havana This announcements was re-
| ceived by the Spanish government with appre-
citation OF the friendly character Of the visit OF
/ the Maine and with notification Of intention TO
/ return the courtesy by sending Spanish ships
/ TO the principal ports OF the United States
/ Meanwhile. the Maine entered the port OF Ha-
vana on the 18th Of January. her arrival being
marked with no special incident besides the
] exchange Of customary salutes and ceremonial
I visits
| The. Maine continued in the harbor OF Ha-
Tana during the three weeks following her ar
/ rival No appreciable excitement attended her
stay on the contrary \ feeling OF relief and
| confidence followed the resumption OF the long
/ interrupted friendly intercourse 50 noticeable
was this immediate effect Of her visit that the
/ consul geneEal strongly urged that the presence
/ OF our ships in Cuban waters should be kept up
\ by retaining them at Havana or. in the event
| Of her recall. by sending another vessel there
i TO take her place
] At $40 in the evening OF the 18th Of February
| the Maine was destroyed by an explosion. BY
/ which the entire forward part Of the ship was
I ~ In
/ GERS and go Of her crew persisted those who
| were not killed outright by her explosion being
! penned between decks by the tangle Of wreck
/ age and drowned by the immediate sinking Of
! the hull Prompt assistance was rendered BY
/ the neighboring vessels anchored in the har-
/ boz, aid being especially given By the boats Of
/ the Spanish cruiser AlphOnsO XII and the
1 Ward line steamer City Of Washington which
/ lay not far distant The wounded were gener-
/ ously cared for by the authorities Of Havana,
| the hospitals being freely opened to them,
! while the earliest recovered bodies Of the dead
/ were Inferred by the municipality in public
1 cemetery in the city. Tributes Of grief and sym
/ patty were offered from all Official quarters Of
/ the island
] The appalling calamity fell upon the people
1 Of our country with crushing force and for
/ brief time an intense excitement prevailed,
/ which in q community less Just and self-con-
/ trOiled than ours, might have led to hasty acts
| Of blind resentment This spirit, however,
I soon gave way to the calIner processes Of reason
\ and 20 the resolve 10 investigate the facts and
/ await the material proof before forming a
i judgment as 70 the cause, the responsibility
l and. II the facts warranted. the remedy due
i This course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset TO the executive. for only in the
! light of a ds-passiOnGtely ascertained certainty
! could # determine the nature and measure Of
i its full duty in the matter
/ The usual procedure was followed as in al
/ cases Of casualty OF disaster 70 national YES
/ Sels Of any maritime state A naval court OF
! inquiry was at once organized composed o. Of
| fcers well Qualified by rank and practical eI-
/ perfeuce TO discharge the Cuer0us duty imposed
/ upon them Aided by strong force Of wreck
! ers and divers the court proceeded TO make
/ thorough investigation the spot. employing
! every available means Tor the impartial and
/ exact determination Of the causes Of the eZpio-
I sion
The finding Of the court OF inquiry was
l reached after 3 days Of continuous labor, on
the 2Ist OF March. instant. and having been aD-
/ proved on the I'D by the commandments
/ Of the United States naval force on the north
Atlantic station. was transmitted 30 the exec
utfve- II Is herewith laid before the congress
1 to-day with the vOlumin0us testimony takcs
/ before the court It's purpOrt IS, in brief a.
] follows:
/ when the Maine arrived al Havana she was
I conducted by the regular government pilot 20
T buoy No :. TO which she was mOOred in from
81 70 six fafhOms Of water The state Of dis
/ cipline on board and the condition Of her maya
] zines. boilers. coal bunkers and storage com
partmenIs are passed in review. with the con-
I clusion that excellent order prevailed and that
. no Indication Of any cause for an internal eN-
! plosiOn existed in any quarter
At eight o'clock in the evening Of February
/ Is ever. thing had been reported secure and All
I was quiet AT - minutes pas nine O'Clock ths
7 vesse. was suddenly destroyed
! There were two distinct explosions, with a
g brief int rryal between them The first lifted
the f0rlF-Ird Part OF the ship very perceptiblys
the second. which was more prolonged, IS at
I tributed by the court % the part al explosion
l Of two or more Il the forward ua-azines- Tho
D evidence OF the divers establishes that the
after part Of the ship was practically intact and
sank in that condition very few minutes after
the explosion The forward part was com
pletely d smolished
Upon tn evidence OF concurrent external
3 cause the finding Of the court Is as follows.
d Atframe Il the outer shell o. the ship. from
a r,ofnt lI5E feet from the middle line OF the
ship and SIX feet above the keel when In its
normal POSITION has been forced up 50 as % be
now about four feet above the surface OF the
water. therefore. about - feet above where it
/ would Be had the ship sunk uninIured
Al frame Is the vertical keel is broken in two
and ths keel bent into an angle similar 70 the
ansle formed Tor the outside plates This
break Is about SIX feet below the surface Of the
g water and about % feet above its normal posi-
tion- In ths opinion o. the court this elect
could have been produced OalT By the explosion
l Of q mine situated under tne bottom Of the ship
at about frame IS and somewhat on the port
side Of the snip
LEe conclusions o. INC cotrE are mat TIE
loss Of the Maine was not in any respect due 20
fault OF negligence on the part Of any q the
of1cers or members Of her crew thar the ship
was destroyed By the explosion % q submarine
mine which caused the partial explosion q
two or more Of her forward mazaziness AMI
that no evidence has been Obtafnzble fixing
The responsibility for the destruction Of The
Elafnc upon any person or persons
I have directed that the finding Of the court
q frquirT Eud The views Of thfs government
thereon be communicated % the government q
! her majesty. the queen ald do uos permit
myself 20 doubt that the sense Of justice q tbs
{ Spanish nation viii distate q course q aCtiou
suggested bybODOr and the friendly relations g
/ the two governments
WEILIAE EICEIELET,
ChiesEo slfufsters for IuterveutIou.
CHICAGO, March Sa-The Methodist
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