The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-27
A CLASH OF THEORIES.
Continued from First Page

Il prevalent feenng tnat Cne accluent
theory casts n reflection upon the Navy,
and also that its acceptance would be
hurtful to the Nays interests. The
contrary seems to me to be true. The
wit of man has not yet devised any i'm
plement of destruction which accident
may not turn against friend with an
effect equal to that which it was intend
ed to produce upon an enemy.
ADMIRAL SICARD TALKS.
Key West, Florida, Feb. 26.-TheI
United States coast survey steamer
Bache arrived here this morning from
Havana. She had on board four of
the Names wounded. Two of them
were well enough to walk.
Admiral Sicarl to-day explained the |
departure yesterday of Commander West
for Havana.
There is nothing particularly signiii-
cant about it, he said. Commander
West asked my permission to run over
to Havana to talk with Captain SigSbee
and the officers of the Court of Inquiry.
Commander West, chief of my staff, has
aIl the papers in the case and we keep
in close touch with what is going On
at Havana"
Regarding the movements of the fleet,
Admiral Sicard said:
The boats ut Tortugas are doingI
some target practice; but. the elaborate /
plan of manoeuvers which | had laid out
has had to he postponed, pending devel- |
opmentS | brought the New York III
here because | wish to be in close and
constant communication with the Navy
Department.
lettering to the land naval station
here, the Admiral remarked:
Only nominal forces are here now.
Should anything occur" added Admiral
Sicard, guartledly. 1t would have to be
strengthened considerably
Absolutely nothing is known here re-
gartling the rumored intention to in |
crease the strength of the Key West gar
rson No provisions have been made
for the accommodation of additional
troops at the barracks and there is only |
room for the two batteries now in quar-
tiers.
Several officers. who were questioned
to-day. said no word had been received
from the War Department regarding
the transfer of troops from Fort Nc
pherson or any other place to Key
West
,rhe United States cruiser Marble
head is in the harbor.
/ The wounded sailors brought from
Havana by the Bache, were left by her
ut the quarantine station at Tortugas.
They will stay there about ten days.
After undergoing the proper quarantine
surveillance, all the meE of the Maine
will be brought here.
Some fear of fever is expressed by
the Navy officials here.
The Bache also brought some small
arms from the Maine. The survivors
here will be put to work for two hours
Il day. in order to clean the rifles, etc.,
recovered from the wreck.
RATTLESHIPS COAIING.
Key West, "a. Feb. 26.-The De-
troit. the Nashville, the Montgomery and
the Marblehead are at the dock coaling,
and the New York and the Iowa are /
about six miles out The battle ship
Texas arrived at the Tortugas this af-
ternoon, and will remain there. The
Detroit will leave on Monday with pro-
visions for the fleet. The torpedo boat
Ericsson, now here, will join the fleet
tomorrow. The Montgomery, the Mar
hIehead and the Nashville, after coalipG
will wait here for orders.
ATTITUDE OF PRESIDENT.
Washington, Feb. ga member of
the Cabinet, in speaking to-day OF the
attitude of the President on the question
of Il war with Spain. sad:
president Mckinley IS giving Thought
full and earnest consideration to every
phase of the Cuban situation aus it APP
pears. but he will not be jingoed into
war, or act in anticipation of events
which may never occur. He fully real
ICES what war means and will not go
to this last direful extremity without
the approval of his conscience, and
firm conviction that such a course would
he right in the sight of God and of man.
But. whenever the honor and integrity
of the nation or its people become IN
volved, the President may be depend
ed upon to do his whole duty and do II
promptly"
CADET HAMS ACCOUNT.
New York, Feb. 26.-The Schenecta-
dy IN. " boy, Ambrose Ham, who was
on board the Maine when she was blown
mp at Havana, has written to llis father.
Young Ham, who is an apprentice, was
on watch when the explosion occurred.
His letter says: Three bells. or 9:30,
sounded and nothing occurred to warn
us of the accident soon to happen About |
20 minutes to 10 | was standing at the |
break of the poop and was going to turn |
around to walk further aft, when
saw a fash of light or fire which SEEM |
ea to envelop the whole ship, then
heard a report and | was hit with piece |
of iron on the left side of my face; then |
a second report, longer and more terrible |
than the first, occurred and the big ship |
was lifted out of the water, and fell
back into the water. n mass of broken
and tangled steel, that is, the forward
part of the ship.
Fifty feet from the stern forward
was not touched. When she settled
back ipto the water she began to sink. |
When ! recovered from the shock i ran
aft to the captains boat and helped
TO lower it, and we picked up a lot of
men that were in the water" Ham ex-
presses his opinion that the disaster was
caused by the people who are in Havana,
and who caused the riots
BIG MAGAZINE UNEMPLOYED.
New York, Feb. 26.-A copyrighted
cablegram to the Evening World from
Sylvester Scovel at Havana says:
Divers working forward yesterday
found absolute proof that the forward