Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-03

1ty Of the large magazine has been in
progress only four days. The state
ment in the Sigsbee dispatch that
friends Of the dead should under
stand that we are in tropics" is un-
derstoOd by the navy department to
refer to the urgent pleas of relatives
of the dead that they be brought to
the United States. These appeals
continue to be received here and
while they excite the deepest sympa-
thy of the officials, no hope can be
held out that the dead can be brought
back. One of the appeals makes a pit
iful plea against burying the dead by
"alien hands in an alien country" It
must also be understood that the men
were sleeping on the berth deck,
with metal floors and ceilings, which
by the force Of the explosion were
ground together in a confused mass.
Knowing this, there is little hope that
many of the bodies still missing will
be found
The navy department yesterday gave
out figures showing the strength of
show a gratifying increase from 3,703
shown by the last report. The num-
Der of officers and men by states is as
follows: California, 1856; Connecti-
cut, 165; Florida, 1856; Georgia, 225;
Illinois, 523; Louisiana, 1852; Mary
land, 246; Massachusetts, Al; Mich
igan, 1913; New Jersey, 1854; New
PIG; Pennsylvania, PIG; Rhode Island
1870; South Carolina, 142; Virginia, A.
Aside from these forces lists of new
brigades are in process of formation,
which promise to swell the total much
larger at an early day. In his last
report Roosevelt said that state
naval militia, in event of an emergen-
cy, could be utilized at once for
manning the smaller national cruisers.
1t could be depended upon mainly, he
said, as a second line of defense and
also be used in placing
mines and the establishment
of signal stations for coast de-
Tense. The appropriation of $4,000
made by congress to aid the work of
the naval militia will be apportioned
among the states in a few days.
Thanks to the promptness and eff
cheney of the chief of engineers and
chief of the ordinance Of the army,
the City Of Washington is now regard
ed as being we'll nigh safe and secure
from attack by water. Notifications
at Fort Washington and Sheridan
Point, on the opposite side Of the
Potomac, have sufficiently advanced
to be able to repel an ordinary fleet OF
I invaders and in case of necessity
could be vastly strengthened in a
comparatively short time. These de-
fences are considered sufficient to
keep all hostile vessels beyond the
range Of gunshot Of the national cap
ital. Moreover the river has been
blocked off and prepared for mines
and tOrpedoes at a point below the
Notifications already mentioned, SO it
is probable that some ships of the
enemy would be blown out of the wa
ter before it would be necessary to
use the guns at the forts.
Referring to the rumors of treach-
cry in connection with the Maine dis
oster, Mr.. Boutelle, chairman Of the
house committee on naval affairs, said:
Il feel that any man who by spoken
/ or written utterance adds a spark tC
| inflame the public sentiment at this
juncture, is as guilty as the man who
would touch a match to the powder
! of a vessel. This is a time for calm
est Judgment instead of unguarded
! talk, wholly without a basis of estab-
/ lished fact, of war which would entail
+ the lives of hundreds and thousands
of our people"
Late last night the navy department
received the following telegram from
| Captain Sigsbee: THE divers report
more bodies in the wreck. Some are
in hammocks involved in the debris
They are probably not recognizable -
This dispatch indicates that the
divers have finally secured at least a
partial entrance to the quarters of the
forward part of the vessel, where the
crew were asleep when the explosion
occurred and under which were the
magazines. One fact, that the divers
were unable to extricate the bodies
shows the fearful obstacles against
which they are operating and bears
out the belief that the work of the
submarine investigation necessarily
proceeds slowly. Mr.. Boutelle, chair
man of the house committee on nava
affairs, has introduced a bill providing
for the relief Of the victims of the
battleship Maine. 1t follows gener.
orally the Samoan disaster relief bill
of 1890 and is the result Of seyera
days conference in the committee ant
embodies the views of the administra
ton. Chairman Boutelle had con
, ference with President Mckinley a
which he went over with him the pro
! posed legislation and the latter sub
mitted the measure at an informa
meeting of the committee. 1t vii
be referred back to the committee, i'm
mediately acted upon there, and it
!passage by congress expedited.