Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-01

TO Design.
v.-urNGTON. February 2S.--At the
.... .f Office hours a telegram came to
". navy Department from Admiral
-. at Key West, in the following
.... west. Fla, February 2S.-To the
s.....ry OF the Navy, Washington
..-. .s inquiry viii commence sessions
". .e West to-day. They must re-
.-. sessions at Habana, TO obtain evil
..... .r divers after further work upon
... wreck lSisneO SGCARD."
- important feature OF this commu-
......r is the declaration that the court
.. urn 20 Habana. II sets at rest
--. that have been current for some
.... ..st that the court was not to re-
.... .. Hahaua. for the reason that it
Dad nytred the cause Of the sinking
.t.. Maine which was not an accident,
.-s that they had consequently no
..-H.- business in Habaua.
ODD. important deduction TO be drawn
dam he message is, that the report OF
.rr court OF inquiry can scarcely be eX-
....r for several weeks to come. The
..-. VIII be occupied at Key West for
.-r. days al least, i'm taking the testi-
.-.rr .f the survivors there. Then, upon
... -.sru To Habana. it is said that a
.. deal Of time must elapse before the
...-s can get through the mud which
... .reompasses the lower part of the
.-.. uE the Maine, and examine the
r.r.u After this is done, the court
must deliberate i'm order to secure an
.....v.nt upon their findings The pre-
....t belief at the Navy Department is.
.... lid tJ this moment the court has not
.... Undertaken TO compare notes and
.r g.r 20 reach such an agreement.
LETTER FROM SAMPSON.
letter from Captain Sampson, dated
a. ANA. February 3D. was received du-
@ ..- day. and with the candOr which
.- .. far characterized all his dealings
... .., public i'm this matter, Secretary
r..- caused it TO be given TO the news
..rs as soon as he had read 1t him.
Although IL Is simply a statement of
events mat had already been reported by
...-r.rh. one fact is igniticant-viz.,
... statement that the testimony of GER
.. civilian witnesses before the court
sE na Of Importance. His letter is as
FEBRUARY %. 1S9s-sir: The court has
take. the testimony of all the officers OF
Did. Maine still here. Tomorrow we Will
take such testimony as the divers have
...uu.ated. The Right Arm arrived
.... tfiS morning and reported TO Cap
..r S.rsbee. according TO orders. / trust
u. Wrecking company will be given the
..... work. as no other plan VIII be
feasible. There are two citizens i'm Ha-
.... who have siguificd their Willingness
. testify. After taking their evidence
.r. that of the divers, ! propose TO Te-
-r tU Key West and take the evidence
..f o. officers and men there. 1t may be
....s-ary 10 return here after further
r-af.ss has been made with the divers.
VERY respectfully,
lS-neD wv. T. SAMPSON,
Captain United states Navy
STORIES THAT AMUSE.
The reports that came. from Key West
about the great activity and the OBJ
..r.uee of unusual precautions among
Oh. few soldiers quartered there, was re-
....l with amusement at army head
quarters here. IL was said that no or
".-. had gone forward from this city TO
explain the hustle. but there was the best
Reason to suspect that the commandant
81 simply brushino up the post and put
ting his best foot forward against the eN-
r..-.I appearance there on his tour or
-r..ti0n of General Merritt, the com
handing general of the Department or
OH. East
In. gunboat Wilmington sailed to-day
from La Guayra for Barbados, travel
Ding over the ground covered few days
before hy the Cincinnati and Castine.
AU of the boats a'e slowly cruising
around in the Caribbean Sea, and Will be
. employed until April, when they VIII
q. south again.
Secretary Long said at the close Of
.7.. hours to-day that no orders had
-r. out to send another warship to Ha-
... reports to the contrary notwlth-
standing
Az the White House the utmost duiet
Prevailed. Many communications nave
conn. from organizations and individuals
oE ring their services in case Of conflict.
som. af the congressional callers have
stated Go the President that their States
ur. ready 10 furnish fun quotas Of men,
BOND REPORT DENIED.
-.."..#IIt. Long ana Anger an" ANSP'N-
sentative Diugley were among the Presi-
dents visitors to-day but IL was stated
chat they mad nothing OF Importance on
". Maine affair to discuss with MIN.
ST.. DIueIey spoke afterward in strong
terms against the reports that financial
circles Iu New York were being sounded
as 90 the readiness with which money
could Doe raised in an emergency.
Attention was called TO the pubhshed
statement that the President was making
ready for "a bond issue, and that. the Bu-
r. oil Engraving was preparing the
Ia.. Secretary Long pronounced the
statement unqualidedly false. No such
action had even been considered, he said.
LDtG CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT.
Secretary Long went TO the White
Hns. carly tonight, and remained In
conference with the President Tor some
tle BE returned TO his hotel about 10
o'clock and Immediately retired leaving
word that there was no news
BIG DERRICK on THE WAY.