The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-03-11

3 q =. ~ 81. WI
i il sitting, we're given out during the
day, and de the rule Of pubhctty-4 IS still
in force, presumably nothing came
from TINT quarter. The vessel move
ments announced during the day were
devoid Of griticance.
Orders went out from the navy de.
partlnent to put the ironclads Mian-
tonomah and Katahdin into commits
sion by the 10th inst. They are now
ut the League Island navy yard, where
they have been laid up for year or
two past. 1t is said at the department.
that the purpose of putting them into
commission is to make berths for the
survivors Of the! Maine now ut Kew
West awaiting on the court of inquiry
which, without doubt, will have I'm
ished with them by the 10th inst
Havana, March 4.-Without adding
unnecessarily, to the surmises, conjec-
lures and prophecy concerning the
finding Of the court Of inquiry, it is fair
to say that, as matter of fact, most Of
the naval officers here and Mt Key
West incline to the opinion that the
court will find that the disaster to the
Maine was caused by the explosion of
q floating submarine mine under the
port side Of the ship, forward. Opin-
ions agree, not only as to the existence
Of mines in the harbor, but that this
one was laid purposely near the buoy
where foreign war vessels were direct
ed to moor, and was fired from an
electric battery OF shore. 1t is believed
barely possible that the explosion Of
the mine was the result of the care
lessness or ignorance of Spanish Of
ticers in charge of the mine station
keys when testing the circuit, but the
latter supposition is not felt to be prob
able. 1t is further regarded as settled
by the evidence before the court that
the port side of the hull forward was
only explosion on the Maine, except
of isolated cases of fixed ammunition,
was that of 1000 pounds of saluting
powder, stored forward, and of which
no trace can be found. These views
are gathered from officers who
Talk With Great Reserve
and only upon the assurance that their
identity will never be revealed. The
fact remains that only the members Of
the court of inquiry know all the testi-
mony ELECTED, and no one is authorized
to. make public matters in advance
of the final Judgment.
A good deal Of surprise was ex-
pressed here at learning that the
Spanish divers were to be permitted to
make an examination of the wreck Of
the Maine, especially as it was also
said that American naval officers
would give such divers all consistent
facilities and would throw no obsta-
cles in the way of thorough sub
marine inspection. That the permits
sion was not accorded until after the
court of inquiry had finished its work
here and gone to Key West is regarded
as significant. 1t opens wide field
for speculation. Some assert that the
court now has no objection to Span.
ish inquiry for one of two reasons:
Either the court has sufficient evidence
that cannot be controverted by the
Spaniards-or, after diligent search,
the mystery remains at deep as ever
and the court does not think the
Spanish will reach 4 conclusion where
the Americans have failed. That any
important testimony before the court
has found its way to the public is
very unlikely. Some Of the witnesses
have told certain correspo ndents of al
legged testimony, but in every case in
vestigation has showed their stories to
be wildly improbable and controverted
by known facts or else absolutely ir-
relevant. There are no signs of DEM
OnStratiOn against Americans.
Washington, March s. - Secretary
Long said at the close Of his day at
the navy department that no word had
been received from the court of in
would be given as to the movements
of the court from Key West, as the
court was fully authorized to shape its
own movements. The original orders
to the court were issued by Admiral
Sicard, as commander of the feet to
which the Maine belonged, and it has
the technical status of an admiral's
court, reporting directly to him, both
as to its movements and as to it's final
report on the cause of the disaster.
The understanding here is that the
court has not concluded its work, but
will return to Havana to take testi-
mony which has been delayed by the
difficulties in the way of the divers.
That Admiral Sicard expects this
move back to Havana was shown by a
dispatch from him few days ago sug-
costing that arrangements be made for
n vessel to take the court back. AS the
lighthouse tender Mangrove had been
doing the service the treasury depart
ment was asked to assign the Man.
grove for the return of the court to
Key West, and this was done. With
these arrangements concluded it is said
at the navy department that the court