The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-19
THIS OPINION GENERAL
THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE.
PUBLIC ALL IMPROVISATION.
LONG SAYS NOTHING IS WITHHELD
The President Sends Flowers 10 Family Of
Capt. Sigsbee--The Commanders Con-
duct Highly Gratifying to the De-
pa tment-- kilograms Pour In.

pa tment-- kilograms Pour In.
Washington. d. c., Feb. 1S.-The fea-
ture of the day at the Navy Department
was the large number of rumors of a
warlike tendency that came to the at
tention of the officials. So formidable
had grown the List that at the close of
office hours Secretary Long was induced
to make rhe following statement as the
easiest manner of disposing at one
time of all these stories:
"Realy no information has been re-
ceiyed since Captain Sigsbee's first dis
patch adding anything to our knowledge
the Maine blew up. There is abundant
room for speculation of all sorts, but
no conclusion can be arrived at until
an examination has been made by the
divers and more facts obtained 1t is
simple fact to say that such Il thing
might happen by design, or it might
happen by accident. As vet there is
no indication of design. Therefore my
impression has been all along, and
rather think the general opinion pro-
ponderates in the same direction, that il
must have been accidental.
AT the Cabinet meeting to-day the
matter was not discussed, except AZ
any body of men talk about an event
OF that kind and most of that talk rela-
ted to the terrible loss of life and to
expressions of sympathy for the suffer
elss.
1T certainly was a very kind thought
in the President TO send flowers to the
families of Captain Sigsbee, of executive
officer Wainwright, and for the men
whose residences are in Washington.
You may say absolutely that there
has been no secret Cabinet meeting, that
nothing mas taken place in the Cabinet
that the public have not been informed
slbout that the whole policy of this
department has been to give the public
all the dispatches, that the department
has no more knowledge on the subject
of the cause of the disaster, or even of
the circumstances attending it than have
the public. and that the report which
was to the effect that Captain Sigsbee
had warned the department that the
Maine was in danger from submarine
mines or torpedoes is utterly without
foundation, no such report ever having
been received from him or from anybody
else
WILD RUM )l.S DENIED.
The Secretary also denied briefly and
comprehensively wild rumors that he had
requested the Chief Oh Police of New
York to guard the Viz"i!.t AMI that liz
had selected constructor Bowles to go
to Havana and raise the Maine. The
hast work of the day for him was to
consult the representatives of the wreck
ing companies, who probably will have
charge of this work and endeayor to ar
range for 10th of them to work together
so as to secure the use of each peculiar
plallt and to save time
The Secretary when asked what was
the departments estimate of the con-
duct of Captain Sigsbee in the terrible
situation, in which he had been placed
replied:
II think | express the feeling of the
President. as well as my own, when ]
say that Captain Sigsbee has conducte!
himself as an officer of our Navy should.
He was the last to leave his ship when
she went down. His dispatch to ne
that night was so complete that since
then / have thought of no question of
fact to ask him which is essential to the
situation and which he could answer,
which is not covered by that dispatch.
Its tone, too, is that of a discreet and
leyel-headed man who realized the IN.
preston any word from him, at that
time. would have on the public nina.
Nothing is harder than for Naval Off
Ger to lose his ship, so that | have great
sympathy for him. ! await, with conf
dcnce. further reports
During the day the department was
III receipt of a number Of kilograms
from different parts of the country ask
my in behalf of relatives of the dead
sailors that their remains be brought
back to the United States for inter-
ment. Among them We're queries from
friends OF the two officers. Merritt and
jenkins. The department forwarded
these to Captain Sigsbee whose reply
was that the officers bodies have not
been found; that as to many others ;ren-
thcatlon Is not possible, and throwing
great doubt upon the practicability of
taking any OF the remains away from
Havana. While no decision has vet
been reached formally upon the apulic,.
ti0n of the Spanish government for an
thoriZatIon to examine the wreck of tha
Maine to ascertain the cause of tne nx-
plosion the officials seem inclined Ia ra-
gard her request as one that could po+
properly be refused. and il is lkoIv
that each government will make an in
vestigati0n of this character concurrent.
~.
SPAIN TO EXAMINE WRECK.
The miniature United States flag on