The copper country evening news., 1898-02-19
AWAITS THE INQUIRY.
President Believes Maine Explo.
sion an Accident. X
WILL TAKE NO ACTION AT PRESENT

II IL Is Discovered the Explosion Was Not
Due to AN Accident Prompt and Decisive
Steps Will Be Taken I'm the Premises
Mason stirs Up the senate, Declaring
Facts In Regard to the Explosion Are
Being Conceaied-To Raise the Maine.
Washington. Feb. ls.-Shortly after
midnight President Mckinley decided
TO make the following statement regard
Ing the Maine, which was given by his
secretary:
Based upon information now in his
possession. the president believes that
the Maine was blown up as the result
of an accident, and he reports the court
of inquiry will develop that fact. IL IL
Is found that the disaster was not an
accident. prompt and decisive steps will
be taken in the premises. The finding
of the naval court will develop the
cause. and until that Is submitted
nothing will be DONE"
While no important dispatches were
received by the departments in the
early hours Of the day. the opinion was
stronger that the catastrophe to the
Maine was wholly due to accident.
SdDie was NOT Cut.
Some of the red ink war sheets from
New York arriving here loaded with al,
legged special facts and theories tended
to befog public opinion. but that is
clearing away rapidly. The rumor that
the Havana cable had been cut as a
war measure proved a canard. pure and
simple and the laying of this news
ghost drove most of the other theoret-
ical ghosts into hiding.
The president and his advisers were
strenuous all day In their efforts to
prevent anything that would augment
the bitterness of feeling between Spain
| and this country. The question Of send
| ing another warship TO Havana has
been carefully considered by the presi-
| dent and the secretary of the navy, but
| 1t has been finally decided not to send
one at present. The New York may be
detailed for such service in the near
| future The vessel will remain at Key
\ West SO as to be ready for any emer-
| gency.
President Receives Du Bose.
| President Mckinley received Senor
| Du Bose, charge daffaires of Spain.
| who had been commanded by the queen
| regent of Spain to bear in person to
| the president her expression of pro-
| found sorrow over the calamity to the
! Maine Being a communication from
| the ruler of one government to another,
I the usual intermediary of the state de-
partment was waived and, accompanied
| by Assistant Secretary Day. Senor Du
| Bose went to the White House at ii
( o'clock and delivered the message to
| the president The message was brief
and heartfelt, expressing the sorrow OF
| the queen regent and her people. Cap
( tain General Blanco has telegraphed TO
| Senior Du Bose the details of the burial
! of the sailors Of the Maine at Havana.
! He states that the occasion was pro-
I foundly solemn and impressive.
| Discussed at Cabinet Meeting.
| The only absentees from the cabinet
| meeting were Secretaries Sherman and
! Alger. During the meeting the disas-
\ ter to the Maine was the principal topic
\ of discussion. Secretary Long read a
| cablegram from Captain Sigsbee Civ
| ing an account of the funeral Of nine
| teen victims of the explosion, substan-
| TALLY as cabled to the Associated Press
| and printed in the morning papers. 1t
I appears that unusual, and in some re-
spects extraordinary evidences OF SYM
| pathy and respect were shown by the
Spanish authorities and people. Al
| though the president and the members
! of the cabinet await with interest the
| result of the inquiry into the cause OF
| the disaster, there remains scarcely
| doubt in their minds that Ii was an ac-
| cident, purely, and such as might hap
| pen at any time. This view of the mat
| ter, however. will not influence the
president to stop short Of a most search
ing investigation into all the facts.
present and remote. that may have any
possible bearing upon the case, or
throw upon 1t a single ray OF light.
Presidents Course Commended.
Until facts are shown to the contrary,
the president will assume that the ex-
plosion came from within and was not
the result of treachery on the part OF
any one. The president Is receiving a
large number of congratuatory tele-
grams commenting him for the course
he has pursued in this matter as well
as in the case of the late Spanish min
ister DE LONE. The president an
nounced to the cabinet that he would
send a bouquet Of flowers to Mrs. Sigs-
bee. a decision which was approved
| by the cabinet, and accordingly Ensign
Kittelle, son-in-law of Captain Sigsbee,
was summoned from the navy depart
ment to the White House and laden
with an immense bouqet tied with white
satin ribbons. Floral tributes were also
ordered to be sent to the families OF
the six members of the Names crew
living here, who met their death in the
explosion.
MONEY TO RAISE THE MAINE.