The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-22
WARLIKE PREPARATIONS
CONTINUED BY ALL BRANCHES
OF THE GOVERNMENT.

sel-wrecking Machfne-Omcers OF Inc
Maine in Conference with the President
and Secretary Long-No News from the
Court-spain's Last Card to Prevent IL :
tervention
Washington, March 19.-The arrival
of several survivors OF the Maine and
their extended conferences with Presi-
dent Mckinley and Secretary Long fur
nfshed the most interesting feature in
tOday's Developments cn the Spanish
situation. Three officers of the Maine,
Lieutenant G. F. w. Holman, Lieuten-
ant George P. Blow, and Lieutenant
A. w. CaJtrn of the marine corps, ac-
companied by Boatswain Idrkins,
came on unexpectedly from Key West.
1t was said their visit was purely VOL
untary on their part, as they are now
on waiting orders and are free to go
where they please. Their long con-
ferences at the navy department and
later at the White house led ITO mucn
conjecture, it being asserted that Lieu
tenant Blow brought with him the re-
port Of the court of inquiry, or at beast
the general conclusions reached by
that court. TT can be stated positively,
however, from an authoritative source,
that the officers did not bring with
them the report, either as a whole or
it's general conclusions. 1t is stated
with equal posItiveness and authorita-
lively, that they do not know What the
action of the court of inquiry is, and,
fhGrpfOra rn in a 10
Vey any information to the president
or secretary of the navy on that point.
Their talks were confined entirely to
graphic narratives of their experiences
on the night of the explosion. In the
course of this narrative, however, indi-
Vidual opinion as to the cause of the
explosion found expression These opin-
ions, as already stated, were purely
personal and not founded on the pro-
ceedings of the court of inquiry. These
personal opinions, however. it was
learned reliably, were strongly favor
able to the theory of an external cause
leading to the destruction of the Maine
The officers themselves maintain the
sStrictest reserve. After the conferences
with the president and the secretary
of the navy, the Maine officers did not
return to the navy department and
considerable care was exercised in
having their whereabouts kept from
public attention.
Another interesting arrival of the day
was Constructor Hoover the technical
expert sent to Havana to identify the
twisted plates in the Maine wreckage
With a view to learning whether the
explosion was of internal or external
origin. MIR. Hoover also maintained
silence concerning the wreck He
made NO report to the secretary of the
navy, ais he was sent to Havana to
learn facts and then embody them in
testimony before the naval court of
inquiry.
LIKELY TO SECURE TWO MORE
WtARSHTPS.
Late in the day the prospects became
much brighter for the acquisition by
the United States of two exceptionally
fine foreign warships, namely, the ar
mOred cruiser San MARITIME o-beron gine
to the Argentine republic, and the
batt1eshfp General O'Higgins, belong
ing to Chilli. The hope of getting these
ships had been almost given UP, but
cablegrams received today from Com
mander BrownSon, NOW in Europe
made the outlook more encouraging
Up to the close Of office hours am ac
tual purchase had not been concluded
but high official summed UP the situ
alton by saying THE negotiations We're
getting very hot" The San Martint
was originally built for the italian gov
ernnent and was then known as the
VareSe, but since her purchase by Ar
gentina she has been renamed. Her
dimensions are: Length 32S feet, beam
SO, draft "a, displacement 3,S40 tons
horse power $4,000, speed 1898 knots
Her armament is two S-inch rapid fire
guns, mounted in Ibarbettes and pro
tected by hoods, ten 6-inch Qufck-fir'
guns in central redoubt, six 4.7-incl
quick-fire gums ON the upper deck an(
twenty-five smaller quick-fire guns OF
the upper deck. All the guns are pro
itected 10y steel shields. The Genera
O'Higgiins is a battleship of $500 tons
built at Ell Swick. Her diensions are
Length 400 feet, beam 81, draft % feet
her contract speed 21h knots. Her ar
Inament is four S-inch, ten 6-inch, fou
4.7-inch, Armstrong;, eight IL
pounders, ten 6-pounders and four sub
merged torpedo tubes Her protective
deck is a belt of harveyized steel sever
6nches thick. Her houses for tn
8-inch guns, and the easements of TIN
6-inch guns are protected by 6-inc
70 ates of nickel steel.
ACTIVE PREPARATIONS CON-
TTNUED.
Both the navy and war department
continue their active preparation TO
emergency, and contracts i'm al
branches of armament are being mad
daily by the various bureaus. The ma
val bureau of ordnance has contracte
for 4,5O0,000 pounds OF brown powder
(which lis probably the largest singh
order ever given. This was divided be
tween the California Powder Corlpan
and the Dupont Powder Company. Tn
order is sufficient in the aggregate t
give 200 rounds for every gun af1oa
in the American navy, and with thi
large supply on hand the navy for th
first time in years will be moore thai
amply supplied with powder.
SENATORS SEEKING INFORNIA
TTON.
An unusually large n lumber Of sena
tors took advantage of the fact tna
the senate was not in session today &
call upon the cabinet officers with tah
hope of securing definite ir,fomnatios
as to the Cuban situation. Tley sue
ceeded only lin learning that the repor