The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-13
ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
Commander Converse Denies a Report
About the Montgomery.

About the Montgomery.
Havana, March 12.-In an interview
had by the correspondent of the asso-
ciated press with Commander Converse
of the cruiser Montgomery regarding
the report circulated IN the United
States that the cruiser had been in
jured. the officer dictated the follow
ing: THE report is absolutely false. No
damage of any kind to the hull or ma
chinery has been done to the Montgom-
cry during the nine months she has been
under my command. Would il not be
well for sensation mongers to give some
thought to the feelings of the wives and
other relatives of the officers and crew
at home before causing deep alarm by
such baseless stories?"
There is general Indignation over the
story. The correspondent was also re-
quested to deny the rumors telegraphed
from here. which were heard to-day for
the first time: First. that Captain Sigs-
bee is indisposed, and second, that Con-
sui General Lee and DIR. Bruner, the
United States sanitary physician, are
on bad terms. Both stories are declared
on the authority of the men named in
them to be without color of truth
Captain Sampson seems to be all right
again. The court of inquiry did little
work to-day. The members examined
divers, went over drawings and plans
and photographs in the cabin OF the
Mangrove and read over the stenograph-
ers copy of some past testimony. The
wrecking tug is anchored a cable length
from the port side of the Maine, sending
down divers II is hard to see any
marked advance in the work of the
wreckers.
The Montgomery was to-day visited
by several Spanish army officers, accom-
panied by two ladies, all coming on the
rya9ara1'c The ugIIal
naval and official courtesies were eX-
tended by everybody to the officers and
cadets of the Austrian training ship
Donau.
The members Of the court Of inquiry
are deeply interested in the account
given by this correspondent of the IN
terview had with Captain Peral, presi-
dent of the Spanish court of inquiry.
Each member asked questions in or
der to make the points of Captain Perai
clear but. of course, made no COM
ment whatever.
A grand ball was given tonight in
honor of the officers of the Vizcaya and
the Almirante Oquenda.
Additional advices received by this
correspondent from Matanzas show
that the 1900 pounds of quinine on the
Fern and barges cannot be distributed
without orders from the government
and fears are felt that the work of dis
tribution Will be delayed because the
red cross society did not make proper
arrangements beforehand. However,
all have confidence in Consul Brice.
The Fern, as soon as the slow work
of unloading is finished, will take the
same amount of stores 10 Sagua la
Grande The Fern hopes to reach
Sagua tomorrow. She must unload
there, as at MatanZas there are nc
lighters. AT MatanZas. she had To use
her own small crew to transfer the
freight. no adequate provision Of steve
dores having been made by the Red
Cross society. The news that there was
food in Matanzas spread rapidly
through the town and hundreds OF poor
people crowded to the wharves Will
sacks and boxes only to be disappoint-
ed and told that they must wait. \
report though 1t has not yet been Neri-
fed is that the stores sent to Matan-
zas by the Red Cross 10 days ago arr
still in the railroad warehouse and that
none has been distributed.
The visiting senators and congress
men and other guests. who went Il
MatanZas by sea this morning with
Miss Clara Barton, Mr.. Elwell and 9TH
ers. spent much time in visiting the
governor of the province.