The Portland daily press., 1898-02-17

number of pitiful appeals for information
as to the safety of unfortunates on the
Maine that come from all parts Of the
country.
The naval constructors, in the light Of
the dispatches thus far received, say that
il is by no means certain that the Maine
cannot be raised and again cary the flag.
They say that while she is big ship
other as large have been raised and at
Havana the neT floating dry dock would
receive her if she could be gotten above
the water. Capt. Sigsbee evidently is
taking an interest in the future of the
ship, for he sent a telegram to Com
1nander Forsyth at Key West that was
promptly transmitted to Secretary Long,
some such small craft be stationed in
Havana harbor on watch over the wreck.
The latter, even if beyond Resurrection,
contains. valuable ordnance and other
property that doubtless can be secured by
divers.
1t is said at the Navy Department that
this disaster is the greatest of the kind
in naval history since the sinking of the
big British warship Victoria by collision
with the Camperdown in the Mediter-
ranean sea off Malta in June. 1898. By
that accident the british admiral COM
manding, % officers apd S36 men lost
their lives
The Spanish legation was early advised
of the horror by Captain General Blanco
who professed his profound regret and
added that the occurrence was an &C.
dent, the undoubted cause being an ex-
plosion of the boiler of the dynamo.
This was the only specific cause assigned
from an official source during the day.
Sennr Du Bose, the Spanish charge,
called at the State Department to express
his profound regret and the entire Span
off fhoir rIl at the NaUU I1Anarf.
ment as a mark OF personal coincidence.
At all of the foreign establishments
there was the deepest interest and solicit
tude over thu affair and during the day
Ambassador lamher of France Sir Julian
Pauncefote of tie British embassy and
other foreign representatives called on
the President or at the State Department
to express their regrets. The disaster is
remarkable in that only two officers lost
their lives and these were of junior
grades They were Lieut.. f. W. Jenkins
ard Assistant Engineer Darwin r. Mer-
ritt. The former was unmarried, but
leaves a mother and sister. The latter,
it is thought. also was unmarried, bu5 the
department was unadvised concerning
his family.
Hard work and harder waiting and ex-
pectancy marked the evening for most of
the department officials whose duties con-
nected them in any way with the Maine
disaster. Secretary Long, who had been
aroused at $50, when the news first
reached Washington, was thoroughly tired
out and went to bed ususually early. He
turned over to Lieut.. Whittlesy, the re-
ceiving Of sll dispatches relnting to the
disaster with orders to make public
every thing relating to the affair. Very
little was received that would throw any
light on the situation, but nearly hun
dred private kilograms came from friends
and from families of the officers and
crew, begging specific news of the loved
ones and relatives who were with the
fated ship. Replies were made to such
inquiries as could be ansH cred. 1t WAS
hoped by the department that list o.
the injured among the survivors could
be secured promptly. but though request
for this was cabed to Havana Mt p. M,
no response was received. The State De-
partment was on the alert for news both
from Havana and from Minister
Woodford at Madrid, but beyond
u second message from Gen Lee
expressing the hope that public ex-
eitement in the United States would
be repressed and detailing additional
courtesies at the hands of the Spanards
in Havana nothing was received. The
effort of all government officers to remain
calm in the face of the shocking disaster
and its attending nyster7, was apparent,
and q number OF naval officers yOlun-
tcered theories in support of the accident
hypothesis, all of which in the absence of
any facts on which to base a reasonable