Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-02-24
THE MAINE HORROR.
The Number Of Dead Seamen Now
Thought to 30 EGO.
dBOme Survivors Reach Key West. Fla, and
They POoh-PoOh the Idea That the
DIaAAter to the BAttIoshIP
Was an Accident

Hpl plS uebbTuCUlOu OF inc OdLblebnlp
Maine in Havana harbor Tuesday
might, the situation last night, after
the exchange Of "a number of cable
grams between Washington and Ha'
vana, can be summed up in the words
sof Secretary Long, who, when asked,
sas he was about to depart for the day,
whether he had reason to suspect that
the disaster was the work of an enemy,
replied:
have not In that 1 am influenced by the
2fact that Capt Sigsbee has not yet reported TO
the navy department on the cause. He is EVIL
identity waiting to write full report So long
=as he does not express himself l certainly cam
mot should think from the Indications, how
ever, that there was an aocident-that the
magazine exploded How that came about
vdo not know For the present, at least, no
cother warship will be sent to Havana
The large majority of naval officers
=are inclined to the belief that the ex-
Iplosion resulted from spontaneous com
bustion of coal bunker, the over
heating of the iron partitions between
the boilers and the magazine, or from
'the explosion of boiler, though the
last theory finds little support. The
NEWS of the disaster created a pro.
found impression at the capitol. Sena-
tors and members of the house, as a
rule, expressed the opinion for publ
~cation that the catastrophe was the re-
asult Of accident, and not of design,
but there were some opinions gener.
Hally expressed under the breath, with
the admonition not to publish, to the
effect that the affair looked very mys-
fterious and doubtful. AS rule sena.
tors expressed the opinion IT, ut the de-
Jpartment would and should make thor
cough investigation and added that for
the present it would be unnecessary
for congress to take the matter up.
TELEGRAMs SENT AND RECEIVED.
WASHINGTON, Feb. II. The follow
ing cablegram was received by the
estate department from Consul General
Lee last night;
HAVANA, Feb 16-Profound sorrow exs
pressed by government and municipal au-
7thorities, consuls OF foreign nations, organized
bodies OF all sorts and citizens generally.
-F'logs ut half mast on governor generals pal
SAGE, on shipping in harbor and in city BUSH
mess suspended; theaters closed. Dead num-
tber about 300 Officers quarters being in rear
sand seamens forward where explosion took
place accounts for greater proportional loss Of
sailors Funeral to-day at three p m. Officers
Merritt and Jenkins still missing. Suppose
you ask that naval court Of inquiry be held to
sascertain cause of explosion Hope our people
will repress excitement and calmly await de-
aCision LEE
The president has ordered that to-
day and until further notice the flag at
sall navy yards and on naval vessels, at
posts, army headquarters and on all
public buildings shall be half masted.
Late last night the following dis
patch from Capt sigsbee, at Havana,
addressed to Secretary Long, was re-
rceived:
All men whose names have not been sent as
ssaved probably are lost Have given up Jen-
Sins and Merritt as lost Bodies are still float
ing ashore this afternoon, l keep nine officers
zone private and Gunners Mate Bullock here
with me
Secretary Long, for the president,
sent this telegram to Capt. Sigsbee:
Sigsbee, United States steamer Maine, Ha-
vana: The president directs me to EXPRESS for
himself and the people Of the United States his
profound sympathy with the officers and crew
of the Maine, and desires that no expense be
opdlCu III pIONluluR lOr inc survivors ana the
care Of the dead JOHN D. LONG. Secretary
SOME SURVIVORS REACH KEY WEST
KEY WEST, Fla, Feb II. The steam.
ship Olivette arrived here last night |
with large number of the wounded |
and many other survivors of the Maine |
disaster. The officers were, as a rule,
reticent, and followed in line with |
their chief, Sigsbee, in saying that the
ecause of the explosion could only be |
ascertained by divers, but many of the
sailors were outspokeu in their declara-
ton of belief that the explosion
was deep laid plot of the Span
-iards. They are greatly incensed
against the Havana people, who have
shown them small courtesy, who
looked upon their presence as ma
tional affront, and who have pub
lished anonymous circulars captioned
Down with Americans" They be.
lieve that the author of such expressed
sand cowardly hatred would not stop
at an act of such terrible vengeance as
the blowing up of the Maine. These
sailors, acquainted with the drills, dis.
@cipline and ensemble of man-of-war.
pooh-pooh the idea of an internal ex.
plosion as the last thing to be thought
of The correspondent of the Asso-
'ciated press has been assured in a re-
liable quarter that Capt. Sigsbee is
under the impression that the warship
Maine was blown up by a floating
torpedo and that he has communicated
his impressions to Washington, asking
at the same time that the navy depart
iment should send naval engineers and
mechanics to investigate the explosion.
CAPT. sIesBEE INTERVIEWED.
HAVANA Feb. 17.-Capt Sigsbee. in
terviewed last evening by the CORES
pendent of the Associated press with
reference to the cause of the explosion
on the Maine said:
cannot determine the cause, but competent
Investigators will decide whether the explosion
was produced from an interior or exterior
cause cannot say anything until after such
an investigation has been made. will not and 1
cannot conscientiously anticipate the decision. ,
nor do wish to make any unjust estimate Of
che reason for the disaster
LONDON PAPERS THINK IT TREAcHERY.
LONDON, Feb. 17.-The headlines of
all London newspapers hint that the l
disaster to the Maine points to treach.