The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-02-24
A Council of War Held at
the White House
Trouble Expected.
Governors Of All States Wired as
to How Many MiIitiamen Can
BE Ready in Two Days,
An Expectation That the Government M.y
Know within "a Boars Something to
Verify OF Dis.ipzte the suspieioo.
of Trezehery Entertained

ing from its correspondent at Kew
West:
learn on uadoubssd authority that one o.
the maime1 sailors Who uas taken to the Ma
zine hospital. out of gratitude for the kind
treatment and careful nursing reserved from
ths surgeon and attendants. has broken the
seal q silence. entoinei hy his superior oH1ce-s
before leaving Havana and makes staternens.
the truth of which eannos Be doubted and which
points 20 the deliberate destruction Of the
vessel The sailor whose name for obvious
reasons Is withheld for the present says he
Vas on watch on the forward deck shortly BE-
fore the explosion occurred While hooking
over the Names bow into the dark waters q n :
bay he sag black object coming toward the
| vessel The object. whatever IL Was -a< an
psreutly illuminated ard emitted smoke He
suspected something wrong and sts rted to CON-
nEntcAte the fact to the ofrccr OF the day.
when the explosion took place. The
Maine was Faised In the air and he
was thrown 10 the deek stunned and bleeding.
He also says that simultaneously with the rsiS-
ms Of the Naire he saw the steam launch
which Was mOored alongside the Maine also
thrown out OF the water. This occurred Def ore
the seoond explosion in the Names magazine
vas felt aud which sent her 20 the bottom.
The President Ready tn Act.
| WAsHIs6ToS. Feb. 1S-At an early
hour this morning President Mckinley
decided to make the following state
ment regarding the Maine, which was
given by the secretary:
Based upon Information nov In his posses
sion the president believes that the Maine was
blown Up as the result Of an accident II it is
found that the disaster Was not an accident
prompt and decisive steps viii be taken in the
premises The finding OF the naval court viii
csveiop the cause and until that is submitted
nothing viii be d1ne
IL is said at the department that the
naval court of inquiry, which is to in
vestigate the disaster. can scarcely as
semble for the work at Havana before
Monday. The navy department au-
thorizes denial of the statement at
tributed to Capt Sigsbee tLat he rec
commended to the department before
he sailed for Havana that no other
ship than the Maine be seat to Havana
because the harbor was too dangerous.
owing to the number of torpedoes
planted in the bottom.
No more than glance at the presi-
dents face Is necessary to rcalize how
grave is the situation. In a fortnight
Mr.. Mckinley will have been in the
white house a year. He has under
gone much strain and pressure in the
il1z months No person. however, has
seen on his face until now the look
of care and responsibility that is there.
A new spirit is perceptible everywhere
Official reticence is suspended in the
departments 1t is no trouble to get
information. The party lines are
down at the capitol Not partisan
utteranee is heard. The word has
gone through the corridors of the de-
partments, Let the people know the
whole truth 1t is regarded that
these are times when Americans get
together. Work on war material is
being rushed. The officers whose busi-
ness it will be TO supply are ascertain
ing where they can quickly obtain the
use Of transports TO cross an army into
Cuba The matter of rations and
blankets and uniforms for 100, 900 men
/ is being looked after. The United
States will be into the field with little
delay If the cali comes.
The administration has decided that
another man-of-war should be sent at
once to Havana to replace the Maine.
The Montgomery viii probably be the
vessel selected and that vessel will be
in Havana harbor probably Monday
noon
Council OF War Reported.
NEW YORK. Feb. 10. A Washington
special to the Evening Journal says:
Secretary Long was summoned to the !
white house by the president at S:I5 |
o'clock. At the same time word was
sent TO the members of the house and |
senate committees on naval affairs to |
come to see the president at once
They responded, using hacks, cabs and !
the quickest methods at hand The /
council of war was held at once. The /
secretary of war was asked TO notify 4
every one in authority TO be ready 4
10 move troops at moments 4
notice. The orders were at once
wired with additional instructions 4
that trouble was expected within the 4
next few days The president has
wired 10 the governors of all the states
asking for immediate replies on how
many members of the national guard
each state can have ready to move
within the next two days IL IS the
intention of the war department To
mobilize the militia troops on the
southern coast, probably at Key West.
for immediate transfer TO Cuba in case
il is decided to send an army there on
the first outbreak.
At least 100. 600 troops could be con-
centrated there within four days
President Mckinley later notified the
members of the appropriation commit
tee of the house that he may soon call
for an emergency appropriation of
several millions for additional ammu-
milton and war supplies The members
of the committee promptly responded
that they would be ready.
Belief That the wreck Wa. Designed.
MAsHISGIoS, Feb i9-The hours
that have passed since the first news
of the destruction OF the Main was re-
ceived have accomplished little toward
clearing mp the mystery. No tenable
theory assuming the explosion TO have
been the result OF an accident has
beea advanced which could stand tne
test of examination in the light of
known conditions Great Importance
should not De attached to the
fact that the president and the
secretary OF the navy advance
the opinion with reservation that
II was an accident. for either of them
TO intimate that the destruction of the
Maine was by design would be equiva-
lent TO charging treaehery upon spain,
OF al least nPon some Spanish subject
ihey can entertain no suspicious To