The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-03-31

A washington, NliltI -. - Il ut court
n # inquiry appointed to investigate the
ID cause of the Maine disaster has re-
u norted that the loss Of the battleship
was due 10 an outside explosion.
\ The state department, by direction
ID If the president. has cabled United
~ states Minister Woodford ut Madrid
4 10 notify I'll" Spanish government or
this conclusion The president ana
b his cabinet advisers held two extend
= I'd sessions yesterday, one at 1920 &.
\ H.. and another nj 800 p. m, at which
1, The report was considered in detail.
. Members Of the cabinet stated after
the meeting that the discussion was
of q grave character, and that never
\ since the wrrckiug of the Maine has
the situation seemed so critical. The
d Spanish government has cabled Of
fcially To Washington that the Span
ish naval commission holds the disas-
ter TO the Maine 10 be of internal ORR
gin The government of Spain, il can
be stated positively, is not disposed TO
turn back the torpedo tiOtilla now pro-
ceeding from the Canaries, and would
he dlsnclined to consider a suggestion
from this government tending to inter
fere with the disposition by Spain OF
her own naval forces.
War preparations on an unprecc.
dented scale is being
Hurried to Completion
by the war and navy departments and
the country is practically on a war
footing The foregoing gives the rec
ord OF one Of the most eventful days
the national capital has seen since the
close of III" civil war. 1t was day
Of profoundly important action. of the
deepest anxiety coupled with navaI
and military activity one step follow
Inc another i'm rapid succession. Rep
resentative men Of the administration,
public mon in all branches Of Otfical
and congressional life, no less than the
Nblic in general shared in the tension
which the situation has been
wrought There was no effort among
The highest officials, nor. indeed was II
possible from what was clearly APP
parent in the developments Of the day
TO minimize the situation.
Viewed in detail, the findings of the
court of inquiry was the most vital
future Commander Mark, judge adj
vocate of the court of inquiry, deliv-
cred the report to Secretary Long
early in the morning and shortly after
II was carried to the White House and
placed in the hands of the president
AT 1890 the cabinet assembled, half
al hour earlier than usual. and began
the consideration of the mumentOuS
document. Even the rigid
r,r.n ~ secrecy
which prevailed at cabinet meetings,
wer" made doubly strict in this case
ana no intimatiOn of the results
reached by the court were known I'M
III o'clock. when an Associated Press
bulletin gave the information to the
country. as well as the eagerly waiting
ollclalS throughout Washington.
iheSe results, briefly stated. are that
the loss of the Maine was due TO an
explosion from the outside the court
pelng unable TO fix the responsibility
LOT the explosion. The court does not
express an opinion as to the character
Oh the explosive. but the Testimony
goes to show that it was a powerful
submarine mine. the exact character
vi which is not determined by the teS-
tlmony, though the belief was eX
pressed that it was floating subma-
rlne mine. There were two explosions.
the court finds: the first was from the
outside, and that set Off one Of the
smaller magazines. 1t was this result
expressed in detail and with the pre-
clSlon of IL court deeply conscious of
It's responsibility, together =. with the
evidence on which it was hsed, that
occupied the attention of the cabinet
throughout it's extended sessions. All
other and lesser subjects gave way to
thiS foremost question. There was no
change in the plan of making the re-
port public and transmitting J.. to
congress early next week. accom-
panied by
Brief Message
from the president. While interest
was thus conferred ut the White Fouse
,he navy and war departments We're
hurrylng forward their work of pre-
paratlons. The advance Of the Spanish
torpedo tiOtilla continued to receive
'he closest attention of naval officials.
ana while, so far as could be ascer-
,aihed, no definite line of action was
determined upon, the need of inter
Ieptihg this fleet was urged by tie
nlghest naval authorities. From the
standpoint of, the Spanish government
,nis movement was not n menace
having been decided upon many weeks
aso' On the contrary, the Spanish
government holds that the extensi 20
armament of the Dry Tortugas Is n
more direct hostile act against Epa in
man any movement of the fotil.a.
Instead or stopping the fiOtilla, the
10. 81