Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-26

Bose set on foot an inquiry by Cable.
Naturally, the inquiry was tlistnstefui
to the charge and to the Spanish an.
thorities, as they deeply resent any
even Implied imputation that the
catastrophe to the Maine would be due
to mines or other external influences,
But for the purpose of giving the one
essential statement of fact in the
knowledge of those having the onlv
direct information on the subject, the
official statement was secured and
made public by Senior Du Bose. 1t il
not. however, 1t is explained at the
legation, a statement of the Spanish
government, for the government has
not felt called upon to repel lnsinua-
lions, which from its standpoint gross.
ly reflect upon its honor. The purpose
of Senior Du Bose was to make the
statement as one of fact established
from the best official advices and not
to make 1t as government utterance.
which he regarded as unnecessary. Az
n statement of fact, however, 1t is
given by Senior Du Bose with the
greatest positiveness, and from sour
ces of Spanish information whose au-
thority If not open to question, he
says.
When seen today. Senior Du Bose
had no details to add to his state
ment. With emphasis he expressed
to be his duty to repel the insnuation
and statements that Havana harbor
was mined, which were inspired, he
said, by those anxious to stir passion
and resentment between the two ma
tions. He considered such suggestions
an insult to Spain, and without deign-
ing to answer them he submitted as n
bare fact that there were no mines
or submarine defenses of any charac-
ter in or about Havana harbor.
'Then the attention of Prof. Philip
Aiger of the bureau of ordnance, navy
department, was called to Senior Du
Bosc's statement, he said he had been
looking for some such expression, as
II seemed the natural thing for the
Spanish authorities to make such
statement in case no mines existed.
From the first, he said, he had main
tanned the view that the explosion of
the Maine was probably the result of
an accident and If Senior Du Bosc's
statement could be proved to be true.
II would. in his opinion, render the
torpedo theory untenable.
BODIES CANNOT BE SHIPPED.
Notwithstanding the repeated ex-
plantations of Captain Sigsbee, couched
In language as broad as consideration
for the feelings of reltives of the de-
ceased sailors would permit, to show
that 1t Is practically impossible to
bring the remains of the victims of
the explosion to the. United States for
some of the relatives per-
sist in their efforts to overcome his de-
cislon Recently an application was
made through the trends of Reyes, one
of the victims, to the state department
for permission to have his remains
brought to the United States. Keyes's
had already been Inferred for
several days, his body being among
. l.. 1.
quest was referred to Consul General
Lee, who has just replied to the state
department that the Spanish laws for
bids the elimination of dead bodies.
This legal obstacle in addition to the
other serious objections that have
been made TO the removal of bodies
such as the danger of bringing con-
tagion into the country, the impossi-
bility of accurately Identifying the re-
mains and other reasons. will probably
be sufficient. 1t is thought, to deter
further applications of the kind.
MORE wRECKING CRAFT.
Judge Advocate General Lemley has
received telegram from w. +. Humph-
rey. president of the Boston Tow Boat
company, one of the concerns engaged
in the wrecking of the Maine. stating
that the big tug Underwater sailed
from Boston yesterday for Havana, to
join the Merritt companys boat now
Mt that place. The Underwater Ia to
stop at New York on her way south
and pick up the Merritt and Chapman
floating derrick Chief, and later the
big derrick Monarch will follow. The
function of the latter craft,
which is specially engaged at large
expense, will be to undertake to lift
off the turrets and big guns of the
Maine weight beyond the capacity
Of the smaller derricks to handle,
No word has yet come from the
court of inquiry at Havana touching
The time when they Will leave Havana
'or Key West nor, in fact,has the court
been heard from in any manner since
hlA In t MI LII