The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-02-25

Issued Spanish Authorities Ex-
press Regret
Key West, Fla, Feb. 1.-THE cor.
respondent of the Associated Press
has been assured in a reliable quarter
that Capt. Sigsbee is under the impress
sion that the warship Maine was
blown up by floating torpedo, and
that he has communicated his imnres-
slons to Washington, asking ut the
sumo tlme that the navy department
should send naval engineers and me.
chanics to investigate the explosion.
-
Washington, Feb. 17.-After q day of
intense excitement ut the navy depart
ment and elsewhere growing ont of
the destruction of the battleship Maine
IN Havana harbor, the situation, after
the exchange of q number of cable.
grams between Washington and Ha-
vana can be summed up in the words
Of Secretary Long, when asked as he
was about to depart for the day
whether he had reason to suspect that
the disaster was the work of an enc
my, replied: II do not. In that am
influenced by the fact that Capt. Sigs-
bee has not yet reported to the navy
department on the cause. He is evil
IDENTIFY waiting to write q full report.
SO long as he does not express himself
certainly cannot. should think
from the indications, however. that
there was an accident-that the maya
zine exploded. How that came about
do not know. For the present at
least no other warship will be sent to
Havana"
The latest advice from Capt. Sigs-
bee places the loss at 25S. Those
known to have been saved are the of
hcers and twenty-four uninjured Of
the crew. Eighteen wounded men are
now on board the Ward line steamer,
IN the city hospital and at the Mas
cote hotel. SO, SO far as known.
Suspicion Of Treachcry.
The appalling nature of the disaster
and the gravity of the situation that
would arise should investigation give
basis for the undercurrent of sus-
picion Of treachery and foul play that
ran through all minds had SOLDERING
effect upon public men Of all shades Of
political opinion: The fact stands
forth and is little less than remarka-
BILE that not a single resolution vas
introduced or a single speech made in
either house Of congress, save one of
coincidence with the families of the
killed, offered by Mr.. Boutelle and
adopted by the house of representa-
tives. Public men expressed their
opinions with reserve when an
Where tier! was / demand for an f.
vestigation and full details in the light
Of Which the horror may Justly be
Viewed.
Secretary Long undoubtedly sum-
married. the general opinion of the
majority Of the naval experts in find
ing it impossible just now to state the
cause of the destruction of the Maine.
There are a great number Of theories.
but most of them are Of character
that makes it easy to prove or upset
them by a single investigation by a
diver. Secretary long has taken i'm
mediate steps to make this investiga-
ton. He telegraphed Admiral Sicard
at Key West to appoint board of
naval officers to proceed at once to
Havana, employ divers and generally
to make such inquiry as the regula-
lions of the navy demand shall be
made in the case Of the loss of ship.
The large majority of naval officers
are inclined to the belief that the en-
plosion resulted from spontaneous
combustion of coal bunker, the over
heating Of the iron partitions between
the boilers and the magazine of from
the explosion of a boiler, though the
last theory finds little support.
Worst of the Kind.
It is said at the navy department
that this disaster is the greatest Of the
kind in naval history since the sinking
Of the big British warship Victoria by
collision with the Caperdown in the
Mediterranean off Malta, June, 1898.
by that accident the British admiral
commanding. % officers and 1886 men
lost their lives.
The Spanish legation was early adj
vised of the horror by Capt. Gen.
Blanco, who expressed his profound
regret, and added that the occurrence
was chance accident, the undoubted
cause being an explosion of the boiler
of the dynamo. This was the only spe-
cific cause assigned from an official
source during the day.
Senior du Bose, the Spanish charge
d'affa!rcs, called at the state depart.
ment to express his profound regret
and the entire Spanish staff left their
cards ct the navy department as a
mari: of personal coincidence. At all
of the foreign establishments there
was the deepest interest and solicitude
over the affair, and during the Gay
Ambassador Cambon Of France, Sir
Julian Pauncefote, of the British en-
bassy, and other foreign representa-
t:ves called on the president or ut the
state department to express their re-
2rets.
Dexsing for News of Loved ones.
Hard work and harder waiting and
expectancy marked the evening for
most Of the department officials whose
duties connected them in any way
with the Maine disaster. Very little
information was received that would
throw light on the situation, but near-
~ hundred private kilograms came
from friends and families OF the Of