Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-22
DEEP SUSPENSE.
Board of Inquiry's Report Eager
ly Awaited in Washington.
sENATE's SHORT SESSION
Due to Predominating interest in
Cuban Question.
r Caupno That NhUlI ~ CoIIoOtad MfLop Dpne
sENATE's SHORT SESSION
Course That VIII be Followed When Pres
ident Receives Report--Preparatons
for Defense Steadily Continued.

Washington, March 21.-The procedure
in connection with the submission of
the report of the Maine court of inquiry
by the president to congress, is now
clearly outlined, and a cabinet officer to-
day explained the general line of action
at present intended to be pursued upon
receipt OF the report which is expected
to reach Washington next Thursday.
A copy OF the report will be laid be-
fore the Spanish government very early,
and as soon as can be consistently done,
the report will be sent to congress, and
made public at the same time. The re-
| port to congress will be accompanied by
a message from the president stating
/ that after receiving the report, the con-
clusions were laid before the Spanish
government, and appropriate action
from that quarter asked. 1t is stated pos
itively that mo part of the report and no
intimation of the findings has reached
the executive authorities at Washington
as yet. At the same time, the current
official opinion is beginning to follow
that of the unofficial opinion expressed
SO persistently at Havana and Key
i West, that the cause of the explosion
was external to the battleship. Officials
here in the administration stated today
that while they were wholly without eX-
act information as to the findings of the
court of inquiry, they found themselves
sharing in the apparently Intangible
conviction that the cause Of the explos-
ion was not accidental.
Opinion expressed by the Maine sur
vivors who reached here last Saturday
doubtless has contributed largely to this
view in official circles. In this connec-
ton it is understood, one of the officers
who arrived Saturday stated, not as an
opinion, but as his personal observation
on the night Of the disaster, that there
were two distinct explosions. The ten
dency of this Is to support the theory OF
external cause, as this is based on the
idea that the first external explosion
was followed by second internal ex-
Intense interest in the report was
| manifested today at the ~ hite House
; and at the state, war and navy depart
ments. The president received num-
: ber of congressional leaders, among
them being Speaker Reed and Chairman
Hitt Of the house committee on foreign
affairs. The visit of Mr. Reed naturally
, | attracted much attention, as he seldom
| leaves the congressional sphere to make
calls on executive branches, and II Is
inferred that the purpose of his Visit
was to confer upon the Cuban situation,
and it's future before congress, though
neither he nor Mr. Hit was commIlnica-
tive. Secretary Long also had an eX-
tended conference with the president,
but so far as it could be learned it de-
veloped nothing additional relating to
the Spanish question.
The military and naval preparations
have now become so regular as to lapse
into routine on a gigantic scale. No fur
ther purchases of war ships We're con-
cluded today, and Uhe negotiations are
not assuming a promising aspect, eN-
cept in showing that the United States
can command the market as against
Spain The ordnance office of the war
department presented a very busy scene
today, when bids were opened for fur
nishing the department about 1900 cast
iron projectiles for sea coast cannon in
the Notifications. The advertisement
called for 1877 ten-inch solid shot go
4 twelve-inch mortar shells, weighing 800
pounds each, and 800 twelve-inch NOR
tar shells, weighing 1000 pounds each
An unusually large number of firms bid
for the contract and their prices showed
/ a wide range. The companies bidding
included the following: The Johnson En-
gineering and Foundry Company; Rear
ic Engineering Company Of Columbus
Ohio; the Davies and Thomas Company
of Catasaqua, Pa; the Phoenix Foun-
dry Manufacturing Company of Lans-
4 dale Pa; the Vulcan Iron Company of
Chicago; the Westpoint Foundry Com
pany; the Wyman Machine Company of
/ Lebanon, Pa. the Pulaski Foundry and
i Machine Company of Pulaski, Va; the
/ West Side Foundry Company of Troy,
| Y lisay,,, 80
! Petersburg, Va, Iron Works; the Rome,
! N. Y, Machine Works; the Builders
Iron Foundry, Providence, r. l.; the
Payne Engineering Company of Elmi-
ra, n. Y; the Pottsville, Pa, Iron and
Steel Company, and the Balk and Muir
dock Iron Company of Charleston, S C.
The Petersburg Iron Company was
the lowest bidder, although the other
conditions may prevent it from getting
/ the contract.
The company offered to supply the
4 10-inch shot at s10.66 each, one-half to
be delivered in 40 days and the re-
mainder in 10 days; Pinch shells of
/ 800 and 1000 pounds each, at $21.2S and
| $2S.97 respectively. 80 Of each kind to
be furnished in 40 days, and the re-
mainder at quick intervals.
/ The Rome, n. Y, machine works Of
fered to supply the 10-inch shot at
S1425 each, to begin the delivery in one
week, and to turn over the entire
amount in four weeks
The battleship Texas started north
ward from Key West today, thus set
thing the question as 90 the formation
4 of a second squadron at or near Hamp-
ton Roads. 1t is said the MASSACHUSETTS,
will follow in few days, but the final
orders for that move have not been
given. The navy department received
a preliminary report today from one of
its agents. who is at Havana watching
the progress OF the wrecking. 1t is un-
derstood that this refers mainly to the
technical work of salvage, and not to
the question of cause. The judge advo-
cate generals office. where the report
was received, will not disclose the de-
tails of the report
The short session of the senate today
was quite unusual for the first working
day Of the week. That no one was pre-
pared to go on with any pending meas
| ure was given as the explanation, but
| privately the opinion was stated by
some of the senators that while the
/ Cuban question remained in such sus-
| pense there was no desire to take up
| important legislation. The outlook as
to Cuba was discussed among senators
almost to the exclusion of other topics,
and the belief was quite decided that
the administration was preparing to