The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-01

bodies, but il is feared this has not
been fully realized by friends n rel
atives. The men were sleeping on the
| berth deck, with metal floors and ceilings
which, by the force of the explosion.
were ground together into a confused
mass. Knowing this, there is little
| hope that many Of the bodies still miss
ing will be found or, If found, that they
will be in a condition to be brought
to the Unite States.
| STRENGTH OF NAVAL MILITIA.
he navy department today gave out
the figures showing the strength OF the
naval militia up to date. This shows
a total force Of AIS officers and enlist
ed men, which is a gratifying increase
from the 3,I03 shown by the last re-
port. The number of officers and men
by states is as follows: California 1856,
Connecticut 165. Florida 186. Georgia
225, Illinois 523, Louisiana 262, Maryland
$40, Massachusetts AL, Michigan 1913,
New Jersey 1854, New York 472. North
Carolina 230, Ohio ZIG, Pennsylvania
ZIG, Rhode Island $50, South Carolina,
152, Virginia A; total 4,445.
Aside from the forces shown in the
above list, new brigades are in process
of formation, which promises to swell
the total to much larger figures at an
early day. The organization Of this
auxiliary arm OF the navy service is
under immediate direction of Lieuten-
ant Gibbons, U. S. N, whose energy
has accomplished much i'm securing
state organization and in the har-
monizing Of the bodies into one COM
pact force, capable in emergency of CO.
operating with the regular avy. In
his last report, Mr.. Roosevelt said that
the state naval militia, in the event Of
sudden emergency, could be utilized at
once for manning the smaller national
curisers. 1t could be depended upon
mainly, he said. as a second line of de-
fence, n also be used i'm placing
mines and the establishment of signal
stations for coast defense.
. The appropriation of $50, 900 made by
congress to aid the work of the naval
militia will be appropriated among the
states i'm a few days.
WASHINGTON SAFE FROM AT
TACK.
Thanks to the prOmptness and eff
ficiency of the chief Of engineers and
the chief Of Of the army, the
city of Washington is now regarded as
being we'll nigh safe and secure from
attack by water. The Notifications at
Fort Washington and Sheridan point,
on the opposite side of the Potomac
are sufficiently advanced to be able to
repel ar ordinary fleet OF invaders, and
in case of necessity they could be vastly
strengthened in a comparatively short
time. These defenses are considered
sufficient to keep all hostile vessels be-
yOnd the rangs Of gunshOt of the ma
tiOna1 capital. Moreover, the river has
been blocked off and prepared for
| mines and torpedoes at a point below
the Notifications already mentioned, so
that it is probable some of the ships
of an enemy would be blown out Of the
water before it would be necessary to
use the guns at the forts.
EVIDENCES OF OUTSIDE EXPLO-
! SION.
' The Evening Star has received the
following cablegram from Charles M.
Pepper, it's staff correspondent in Cuba:
Havana, February %,
Via Key West, Fla.
cat his writing divers are develop
ing important results. From eXamina-
ton OF the interior wreckage they have
secured evidence which seems con-
/ elusive that the explosion came from
underneath the ship. Some of the
smaller magazines may have exploded.
The main 10-inch magazine did not ex-
plode. The condition of the interior of
the ship shows further probability of
the wreck having been due to outside
force. The further the investigation
progresses the more ~untenable becomes
the theory which the Spanish govern
/ ment adduced to show accidental cause.
1t is evident the Spanish. case will be
based on the claim hat a fire preceded
the explosion. Captain Sampson and
his colleagues of the naval board may
have outside evidence offered regarding
a torpedo float producing the explosion
Said one diver who had been en-
gagged in the work of getting bodies 0 u
from under the hatch: God may b;
merciful to the men who blew these
poor fellows to eternity; the United
States should not This was before
Longs order prohibiting officers from
talking. This diver evidently thought
the explosion was not an accident. He
had an experts capacity, and Oppor-
tunity for judging.
THE Havana public is not permitted
to know the intensity Of pubic senti.
ment in the United States. Only
meaSre details are permitted to be
know of what happens in Washington
Congress is watched with excessive
anxiety by palace officials, but the pop
ulace knows nothing of what is liable
to happen. Evidences Of i'll feeling
toward American people and eXultatior