The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-03
/ MAINE BLEW UP
FROM TIFF OUTSIDE.
30 Says Message Received From the
Court OF Inquiry
MEANS INDEMNITY OR WAR.
The Full Report Cannot be Received for
Three or Four Weeks. Our Warships
are Ready to move on to Havana.
The President VIII Review all
the Evidence Before He Acts.

Washington. March 8-The President
: and Cabinet know positively that the
Maine was blew up from the outside. A
partial report to this effect has been re-
\ 4ceived from the Court of Inquiry.
The Information that such a message
has been received was gained this morn
4 Ing from an official who read it, 1t is from
. source absolutely reliable and thefact
shat there has been report disposing Of
h the accident theory, there cannot DO the
. eli ,htest doubt
1t was sent that the policy of the Ad-
minlstratian might be perfected and ready
for immediate application, if necessary,
when tho full official report Of the Board is
made public.
1t forms the basis OF the action now be-
Ing taken by the Administration in fortl.
Tying the coasts, assembling the warships,
purchasing supplies and ammunition, and
securing options on cruisers being built
abroad.
All Of that Is to meet the contngency of
war If that should result from the work of
+ the Naval Board.
On the other hand, the report forms the
. ground work OF the line of action now I'M
der consideration by President Mckinley
: AMI his advisers.
Starting with the fact that ths Maine
was blown up from the outside, they are
discussing various lines of policy with Il
! view Of selecting that which will stand for
the best interests and the dignity Of tho
N,tion. One Of the questions is whether
20 destruction Of the Maine shall be con-
sllered cause for war. That seems to
have been decided. Other questions re-.
late to indemnify, intervention, rccogni-
ton Of the beligerency, arbitration. and
the purchase of Cuba.
Before tho Presidents decision is an
nounced, he will review all tho evidence
taken by the Board.
Although the main fact has been deter
mined the Board will continue at work in
the hope that evidence will be found that
will fix tho responsibility for the disaster.
Lsuch evidence is secured it will come
through tho explorations made by the dl.
yors Their work is necessarily slow, and
: unless it should be rewarded with sneedy
and unexpected success, tho Board may
not complete the report until the latter
part Of the month";
The Navy Department Is preparing to
have, within the next thirty days, fleet
OF nearly two score Of vessels within less
than twenty four hours run to Havana.
Every preparation has been made to mo.
belize along tho Atlantic Coast, and within
ashort distance of Florida Keys, the larg-
est American tlotila OF fighting vosscls
within the history Of modern times. Not
only Is this mobilization contemplated,
but it has actually been ordered to be con.
suinated if certain feared exigencios arise.
Every vessel on the North Atlantic STU.
tioD, as well as those on the South ATTAIN
tic station, has received sealed orders 10 be
in readiness. Admiral howell, at Lisbon,
Ia Portugal, has received similar orders.
This means that IN the event OF an emer.
gency the United States Government Gun
have, by mere dispatchIng orders, no less
than thirty nine fully equipped and amply
prepared war vessels off the Florida coast
within thirty and probably wsthia fifteen
days. 1HsM
OUNCE IN COMMAND.
Should war break out to -morrow or at
any time within the next month or six
weeks, Admiral Bunco would have tho
supreme command, with Sicarl second.
and Commodore Schlcy third
Sehley is now here, but he is certain to he
given an important command II the worst
comes to the worst The same Is true with
Captain Evans, familiarly known as
Fighting Bob" He would DO given a
ship without doubt
4 Fighting Bob is now with tho Light.
house Bureau, but he has been communi
Gated with by the department. His ser.
vices at sea would be especially valuable
as he is Ole Of tho sailors idols Of the
navy. He Is now here in Washington
restless and all at ease
HIhe department has it all figured out
In the event Of II move toward Havana the
Iowa, among some battleships, under Cap
tain Sampson, regarded rs one of the bes
commanders in the service, would he OK
psoted to bear the brunt Of conflict, AZ
she is looked upon rs the queen Of her
o'ass
Among the monitors the Puritan, with
her now boilers, is thought to DO abba 10
whip anything of her size afiUat 1t is even
said in naval circles that she should be able
10 whip anything twice her size.
Ii 1t comes to close quarters the ran,
Eatahdin, is expected will prove herself
David to any Goliath nfoat.