Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-25
PROGRESS OF MAINE SEARCH.
AUTONOMY CONFESSED A FAILURE.


New York, Feb. 25.-A dispatch 10 the
Tribune from Havana says:
Patience is necessary on the part Of
the people of the United States in the
Maine investigation. Notwithstanding
VeNations delays. real progress Ia being
made by the divers. The decision re-
garding the cause of the disaster ul-
timately rests on their work Captain
Sampson's naval board has been able
to gain the fullest information showing
that an accident through lack of dis
cipline was impossible. This branch of
the inquiry brings out what was well
understood, that the officers and crew
of the Maine were under the strictest
discipline. because, although on the sur
face the visit Of the Maine was friend
ly, Captain Sigsbee had taken proper
precautions against hostile actions
The work OF clearing out the bodies
under the hatch proceeds.
The sights there are pitiabie almost
beyond the endurance of the divers.
accustomed as they are to such expert
ences, The condition in which the
bodies are found shows that the men
sleeping In the hunks must have been
driven against the beams overhead
with terrific force. In many instances
the bodies are beyond the possibility Of
recognition.
The board has not yet directed the
examination OF the hull plates. While
the divers examinations show that
some of the smaller magazines may
n w l.I ~
ten-inch magazine was not exploded
seems to have been conclusively- estab-
lished.
The story OF the fin ding of a ten
inch copper cylinder was correct.
The Spanish authorities adhere to the
story of a fire in the ship and an ex-
plosion afterwards. The result of the
divers work is conclusively against
that theory Though their reports are
carefully guarded, 1t is known that
what they have found in the interior
OF the wreck has demolished the theory
of fire before the explosion.
In the uncertainty of the relations
with the United states, the Importance
OF the recent action of the autonomist
party is overlooked. Its central COM
mittee has formally approved the
plan, which Is a confession of the fail
ure of the present scheme OF autonomy
and an offer to the insurgents to con-
cede everything except the Withdrawal
OF the Spanish flag. Its Significance
lies in the fact that Senior Gown. a
member of the autonomist cabinet, was
leading spirit in the meeting and Of
fered the resolutions for treating with
the insurgents, which include a series,
of propositions outlined by Gibera two
weeks ago when the radical autono-
mist party was formed. These cover
everything but Independence.
These nutonomists have no author
lily to represent Spain in the negotia-
tons and give no guaranty that Spain
would yield the concessions offered.
The resolutions are In one sense an
answer to the complaint from Madrid
that the autonomist cabinet was doing
nothing to bring the insurgents to
recognition. II negotiations are ever
actually opened with the insurgents,
GOWN and the radical autonomists'
proposition will be rejected.
The intransiReants are still hostile to
the government. Among them the
Maine inquiry is adding to the anti
American feeling, The authorities pro-
TESS ability to hold it in check.