Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1898-02-25
.AN INVESTIGATION BEGUN
A Court Of Inquiry to Look
Into Maine Disaster.
THE WRECK WILL BE RAISED
Many absurd Rumors Afioat Concerning g
Cause of Disaster Burial Of the Dead
and Caring for the Wounded.

NNADy AObuTu AhHNB0EH HhOhh ObhSGHbihB
Cause Of Disaster--Burial Of the Dead
and Caring for the Wounded.
Washington, Feb 19.-Thc govern
ment has settled back into q waiting
attitude In respect TO the terrible Maine
disaster in Havana harbor The great
shock caused by the news has given
way to calmer and more judicial state
OF mind, and, realizing from the events
OF the day that the court Of inquiry is
the sole dependence in the search for
the cause Of the Maine's disaster, the
naval officers are now resigned to await
the results OF that inquiry by court
opened today by the navy department.
There was little news TO add to the sum
Of information as to the disaster re.
ceived during the forenoon. No tele-
grams came, and the only news CLEANED
was denial Of some absurd story or
other that had crept into print or be-
come current gossip. All the news Of
the day came in the late afternoon In
the shape Of Captain Sigsbee's report
OF tho authorization Of the funeral Of
his dead sailors, and General Lees
graphic story of the terrible struggle
for life In the dark hull Of the Maine.
The officials at the navy department
devoted the day TO the effort of correct
ing the list Of living and dead, to an
swering frantic telegraphic appeals from
relatives OF men on the battleship,
and last, but not least, in meeting
with unwavering courtesy and patience
the exacting demands upon their time
by the press reporters.
The disposition Of the survivors, Cap
tain Dickens, acting ahief OF the navi.
cation bureau. has arranged for as vel
as could be done from this distance.
The wounded sailors in the Havana
hospitals, on the Spanish flagship and
elsewhere, when not in condition to be
brought back to Key West, will bt
carefully looked after by Miss Glars
Barton, who has been given carte
blanche to buy anything and everything
necessary, food and delicacies, and hir'
nurses and physicians. The wounded
able TO get across to Key West will b.
1 taken care OF in the marine hospita
| there. The sound survivors will b,
quartered in the army barracks there
AS for the Maine herself, notwith
standing discouraging reports from
Lieutenant Howe as to her condition
the navy department win try to rais'
her. They say they are bound to re
. I l,,D Ia II har ff.r
in any case, and it may be as easy, o.
easier, to raise her as it would be t,
destroy the hull and machinery by thu
use Of divers and dynamite. 1t is be
lievecf the work can be done by private
wrecking corporations, and negotia
tions are already afoot for placing the
contract, based ON work by the day, a
an estimated cost of $500, 900.
At the navy department specific de
nial was given of the report emanatins
from Madrid that torpedo fiotill
was about to leave Key West for Cuba
1t was stated that only two torped,
boats, the Cushing and Ericsson, ar
at Key West, and these have not beer
ordered, and will not be ordered, &C
cording to the present plans, to Cuba
1t was strongly asserted that no pres
snt purpose existed of sending anothe
warship there.
On the streets there was noticeabl.
less excitement than yesterday, whel
the people were 10th to believe tina
the loss OF the Maine could be traced t
other than Spanish sources.
All the flags throughout the city, in
cluding those on the capitol and the de
partment buildings, are flying at half
mast, and among the Others is con
spicuously that of Cuba libre, !" whic
flies from the staff OF the Hote
Raleigh, the headquarters of the Cuba
junta.