New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-25
READY TO LEAVE HAVANA.
THE MAINE COURT OF INQUIRY ABOUT
FINISHED ITS WORK AT THE WRECK.
YEsTERDAY-DIvERs CLOSELY QUESTIONED
STRICT SILENCE STILL MAIN
TANNED BY THE BOARD.


TANNED BY THE BOARD.
Havana, Feb 24-The Court OF Inquiry held
its usual sessions to-day. Captain Sampson
reports that Chaplain Chadwick was examined
as to his personal experiences at the time or the
disaster TO the Maine. and that the testimony
was taken of the captain Of British park IN
the harbor and the superintendent OF the Yves,
Indian OIL Works across the bay at Regia' poth
OF whom witnessed the explosion. Mr ROLL
the British engineer Of the floating dock In the
harbor wrote letter to the court, but, 1t is
said did not say anything material to what
was known
At the afternoon session the divers were ex-
amined more fully than before. Their testimony
IL taken from day to day The court has now
about finished its work here and Is almost READY
to sail on the Mangrove for Key West. where
the other officers and men VIII be exaHiineu'
The session Of the court this afternoon was
devoted to taking the testimony OF two Civilians
Americans who saw the explosion from the deck
Of the Ward Line steamer City Of Washington,
that was moored a few hundred yards from the
Maine and Of two divers, who have been at
I work on the wreck for several days.
1t Is believed the court will return to Ha-
vana after hearing the Key West witnesses out
no official confirmation Of this can be optained'
The explosion is no longer the sole topic OF
conversation. though often referred 70. Inc
| public here appears TO be content to await the
report of the Court of Inquiry and to be well
assured that nothing except surmise is possible
/ until the report s made. Havana seems nor
mally busy. and the stores are well hiled with
customers
The coast survey steamer A. d. Bache, after
many delays left here for the Dry Tortugas this
! thraa
well. Owing to the American quarantine regu-
! lations the wounded. having been In hos
! pitals here and exposed TO fever. must be
| taken to hospitals fl the Tortugas for quaran-
| tine The names OF the wounded on the Bache
are John Heffron. OF Freemanstown. n j.;
/ Thomas Waters. OF Philadelphia. and Jere-
miah shea. Of Haverhill. Mass. The other
wounded are doing we'll late this evening Even
/ Hotzer though sorely wounded, is better. ana
| is making a gallant fight for life.
No bodies were recovered to-day from the
/ wreck Recent orders from Captain SigsDee
strictly forbid all officers Of the Maine TO give
out any information except to those ofhcially
empowered to ask t. The order is generally
understood to apply to all official matters
though some think It affects only matters con-
nected with the disaster
The wrecklng tug Right Arm did not go
|
| moored beside the poop OK the wreck, and Will
| salvage the smaller portions as far as possible
! in advance OF the arrival OF other tugs win
! better facilities for heavy work The hosting
apparatus must be capable Of raising scores OF
! tons In the effective work TO be accomplished.
| The wreck has sunk several feet In the mud al
ready and will probably continue TO settle
| Additional newspaper men arrive with every
| steamer The papers of all the large cities In
| the United States are represented. and the
| principal hotels are we'll filled. The skies are
| bright to-day, and hecked with light clouds
| There is a strong breeze blowing. and the tenn
| perature is below seventy.
Neither the officers of the Court of Inquiry nor
the witnesses will give the slightest indication
Of the testimony or the conclusions deducble
from t. and all say that the men employed on
the wreck have been warned to observe an
| eoualIv strict reticence This course is regarded
as emnently wise by the American and all In
,el1igent Spanish officials there is no telling
what passions might be aroused or what evil
results might be brought about by talking freely
on official matters In the present state OF public
feeling in Havana. Thus far Americans are
treated with the utmost courtesy and Kindness
and II seems the special care Of the residents or
Havana to show frendliness Such a state OF
things is certainly desirable; but It might easily
ha changed II officers. only partly informed Of
the truth. talked for publication.
| Corsu,-General Lee says there is truth In
the report that he had asked Captain General
Rlanco TO dismiss from Cuba certain newspaper
men for sending sensational stories TO the United
States on the contrary, General Lee has never
! jnterfered with the American newspaper men
! in any way whatever
To-day the principal streets and buildings are
In hon
q, the spanish soldiers 2029 infantry men, under
the command Of Jose Amador. who arrived this
morning by the steamer Montevideo from Bar
| celOna.
General solano. the second Chief Of the staff,
to-day returned on board the Mangrove the visit
Of the Court OF Inquiry, acting as the repre-
sentative of the Governor General Admiral
Manterola personally returned the visit paid to
him by the Court.
The Thursday receptions OF General Blanco
were resumed this evening.
The Insurgents have ralded the Smith and
Fischer plantation the Canamabo. In the
Trinidad district. and killed one and wounded
five of the defenders who numbered only seven.
They burned all the buildings but the dwelling
Of Mr.. Smith and. according to the Spanish
account OF the affair. took away or destroyed
5000 900 worth OF provisions and merchandise
and got 81 900 in cash
On Saturday last party Of about forty
guerillas left fort on a farm near Aguacate.
about forty miles from this city, "as their
custom" to dine at a neighboring place. In
the absence OF the gueras a detachment OF
about fifteen insui gents occupied the fort and
when the garrison returned from dinner the in
surgents fell upon them with machetes and
killed twenty-five out OF the forty guerillas.
The remaining fifteen members Of the Govern
ment force succeeded in escaping.
SUMuONED TO SECRETARY LONG.