The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-02-22

came to the navy department yester-
day from Admira. Sicard at Key
West. He simply telegraphed as fol-
lows: '"The court of inquiry sail fol
Havana goth by lighthouse steamer
Mangrove. Mark arrived to-day"
This prompt action is undoubtedly
due to the express direction from Sec
rotary Long to have the investigation
begun at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Capt. Sigsbee was heard from late
Saturday night but the telegram was
not delivered at the navy department
until yesterday morning. His message
read as follows: "Only most expert
enced wrecking divers can do effective
work on the Maine In the upper
works | can use service divers. Did
some work to-day but with little sue
cess. Will do better tomorrow. Parts
Of the Maine, especially the super
structure and connections, are one
confused mass of metal
Another brief telegram from Capt.
Sigsbee states that the coast survey
steamer has arrived at Havana, bring
ing all the diving apparatus sent from
the squadron. The statement refer
ring to experienced divers is explained
at the navy department as no redec-
ton upon the men now engaged in the
work, they being enlisted men belong
ing to the navy, and not trained for
the work which will be required in
this case.
1t is to meet just this emergency that
the navy department is making every
effort to hasten the beginning of
The Work of Recovery
of the goods, and perhaps the raising
of the hull by professionals. To that
end Capt. Lemly, the judge advocate
general of the department, was at
work yesterday in his office with rep
resentatiyeS of WreCking companies
trying to draw up contracts for the
immediate prosecution of the work.
The newspaper productions Of pho
tOgraphs taken OF the wreck were
studied with much interest by the
naval officers here. Great surprise
was expressed at the extent OF the
wreck and the vast mass Of steel and
iron heaped in the forward part of the
ship was a particular object OF atten-
ton. The experts who had first ven
tured the theory of a bursting boiler as
the cause of the obstruction claim to
find strong reinforcement in the pic
lures for that belief The great mass
of metal appears to be thrown up over
the boiler space and not over the fol-
ward magazine, While the forcing
apart of the forward body of the, they
say, might have been accomplished by
the enormous expansive power of the
high pressure steam carried in these
boilers with their shells more than all
inch thick. AS to what caused n
boiler to explode. whether disguised
bomb in the coal. low water or faulty
construction, they do not undertake to
say.
Secretary Long said. after looking
over his Geographic and mail cores
pondence, that it contained nothing OF
Importance beyond the dispatches
above given. The secretary referred
with satisfaction to the dispatch stat
ing that the court of inquiry would
assemble at Havana to-day.
When Mr.. Longs attention was
called to reports that he had taken
Official COGDIzance
of Capt. SobraIs criticisms of the
American navy, the secretary said that
he had called the subject to the atten-
ton of the state department with
view of having an inquiry made by
that branch The particular express
sion to which the secretary had direct
ed the attention of the state depart
ment was the following attributed to
explosion inside of the ship. which
took place in one of the forward maya
zines. The fact of the matter is that
the discipline and the watch observed
on the ship were very lax. This, as
one English newspaper the other day
declared, is the case on American WAL
ships generally. This sort OF thing
has occurred on previous occasions on
American war vessels" The secre-
tary said he had not called attention
to those other features OF Capt. So
brars alleged interview in which ne
refers to the possibilities Of war and
to the infor nation he had gained WhlIe
naval attache of the Spanish legation.
AS a whole Mr.. Long did not treat the
Sobral matter as profoundly serious.
Assistant Secretary Day received no
DISPATCHES from Havana during the
early part of the day. lie would not
discuss the Sobral matter. 1t is under
stood, however, that the state depart
ment does lot
Attach Deep Significance
To tho renorted remarks of Sobral ow-
ing TO his MINOR position. At the same
time it is felt that he should not be
making such remarks as are attributed
to him. Secretary Long has called Of
fetal attention to them and the de-
partment will doubtless take steps TO
learn whether the interview was ac-
curate by making Il request on the
Spanish legation. 1t can be stared pos
itiveIy. however, that reports that the
state department made such request
of the Spanish legation Saturday are
incorrect. Nothing has been done mus
far and an unexpected development Oh