The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-26
! of the Maine has the situation seemed so

critical.
The Spanish government has cabled Off
cialy to Washington that the Spanish naval
commission holds the disaster to the Maine
to be of internal origin. The government of
Spain, it can be stated positively, is not
disposed to turn back the torpedo flotilla
now proceeding from the Canaries, and
would be disinclined to consider sugges-
ton from this government tending to in
terfere with the disposition by Spain of her
own naval forces.
War preparations on an unprecedented
scale are being hurried to completion by
the War and Navy Departments and the
country practically is on war footing
The foregoing gives the record of one of
the most eventful days the national capital
has seen since the close of the civil war;
1t was day of profoundly important ac-
tion, of the deepest anxiety, coupled with
naval and military activity, one step fol-
lowing another in rapid succession. Repre-
sentative men of the administration and
public men in all branches of official and
congressional life no less than the public in
general share in the tension to which the
situation has been wrought. There was no
effort among the highest officials, nor. in
deed, was it possible from what was clearly
apparent in the developments of the day, to
minimize the situation.
Viewed in details, the findings Of the court
of inquiry was the most vital feature.
Commander Mark, judge advocate of the
court of inquiry delivered the report to
Secretary Long early this morning, and
shortly after it was carried to the White
House and placed in the hands of the
President. At 10:30 the Cabinet assembled.
half an hour earlier than usual, and began
the consideration of the momentous docu-
ment. Even the rigid rules of secrecy
which prevailed at Cabinet meetings were
made doubly strict in this case, and no in
timation of the results reached by the
court were known until o'clock, when an
Associated Press bulletin gave the informa-
tion to the country, as well as to the eager
ly waiting officials throughout Washington.
These results, briefly stated, are that the
loss OF the Maine was due to an explosion
from the outside the court being unable
to fix the responsibility for the explosion.
The court does not express an opinion as
to the character of the explosive, but the
testimony goes to show that. it was a pow
erful submarine mine the exact character
of which is not determined by the test-
mony, though the belief was expressed that
it was floating submarine mine. There
were two explosions, the court finds, the
first was from the outside, and that set
off one of the smaller magazines. 1t was
this result, expressed in detail and with
the precision Of a court deeply conscious
of it's responsibility, together with the evil
dence on which it was based, that occupied
the attention of the Cabinet throughout its
extended sessions of the morning and after
noon. All other and lesser subjects gave
way to this foremost question. There was
no change in the plan of making the re-
port public and transmitting it to Congress
early next week, accompanied by brief
message from the President.