The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-08
SPAIN DELAYS HER INQUIRY.
Hopes, 1t Is Said, to Cast Doubt on the
Work of American Divers.

BOSTON, Mass, March THE Globe has
secured the following cablegram from it's
Havana correspondent:
Spanish divers, supposed to be investi-
eating the cause of the Maine disaster for
the information of the Spanish court of in
curry, have been proceeding in such a leis-
urely fashion to incite comment. 1t was
supposed at first that the divers were simp-
~ following the usual Spanish methods of
doing nothing to-day which could be post
po1ed until tomorrow, and Of doing no
more work than was absolutely forced upon
them. While our divers stay under water
for three hours the Standards after being
down twenty minutes or half an hour, come
to the surface and rest for an hour or so.
Il have it on unimpcdchable authority
that there is considerable method in this
'easy-go-lucky' fashion of the Spaniards.
Fhey are all good men and understand their
1.-THE first days investigation showed
them that the Maine must have been blown
up from the outside. and tl.ey so reported to
their superior officers. The divers were then
ordered to continue tier research in the
hope that a more careful study of the for
ward portion of the vessel might reveal
something on which to base an opinion that
the explosion was due TO internal causes.
This further investigation, instead of alter
ing their. previous opinion, only tended to
These reports have thoroughly alarmed
the palace who fear an uprising while the
farce of the divers investigation is still to
DO kept up to satisfy public opinion and en-
able Spain to controvert the report of the
American court Of inquiry by being able to
present a report of her own experts to sub
stantiate the Spanish claim that the explo-
sion was due to lack of discipline and negli-
gence on the part Of officers of the Maine.
THE Spanish divers have been ordered to
work as slowly as possible to create the inn
preston of the thoroughness of their work
compared with that of our court, SO as 10
create the impression in the minds of the
Spanish populace that the American court S
verdict generating Captain SigSbee and his
officers Of all blame is made simply to shield
them and cover UP the facts.
THE Spaniards in their dense ignorance
Will be more than ever certain that Ameri-
can navy officers do not know how to ham
die their ships, and they will feel certain
that the Vizcaya and AImiranteo Oquendo,
now in this harbor, are more than a match
for the entire United States navy
This is not mere boasting; it comes from
the profound conviction of the Spanish that
Americans are towards and can fight
neither on land nor sea: The Spanish press
and public men carefully foster this delu-
sion.
Private advices received by Americans
here that the administration discourages
the thought of demanding sharp account
ing from Spain and intimating that the tes-
timony developed by the court Of inquiry
has been negative rather than positive,
causes intense, but suppressed Indignation
in the American colony. The return of the
court of inquiry to Havana and the further
testimony ELECTED has not brought forth any
evidence to show that the explosion came
from the inside. On the contrary 1t con-
firms and reinforces the previously ex-
pressed belief of every ore cognizant with
the facts that mine of some description
caused the wreck.
There is no real reason why the court
should waste any more time in taking tes-
timony II has now as much evidence as 1t
will ever have, and enough on which to base
a reasonable conclusion.
"All hope of raising the hull Of the Maine
and floating her out of Havana harbor has
been practically abandoned One of the div
ers who knows more about the condition Of
the vessel below the water than any other
man tells me that the Maine will find a
grave in the mud of this harbor.