The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-21
THE INQUIRY

arrived at Madeira.
THE INQUIRY 5
0fthe Naval Conrt WIN Degin Its Invs,.
gatioms To-day. t
WASHINGTON, Feb. Gothic naval
court of inquiry appointed to inyesti-
gate the Maine disaster VIII begin It's
work ut Havana tomorrow. This news
came TO the navy department this morn
Ing from Admiral slcard at Key West.
He simply said: 1.-THE court OF inquiry
Will sail for Havana Goth by lighthouse
steamer Mangroye. Mark arrived to-
day"
This prompt action Is undoubtedly due
TO the express direction from Secretary
Long sent yesterday TO have the inves-
tisat!on begun at the earliest possible
moment. The telegram was dated yes
terday. go the board should have arrived
there before n!ghtfall and be ready to
begin Its work tomorrow morning. By
error incident TO the haste with which
the orders were gotten out. the first &C.
courts placed Lieut.. Commander Seat0n
Schroeder on the board as the third
member. while as matter Of fact
Lieut.. Commander Potter, the executive
officer OF the flagship New York, holds
that place. The board undoubtedly
would have started previously but for
the necessity or rlawalting the arrival at
Key West from Washington OF Lieut..
Commander Mark. a naval officer we'll
skilled IN the intricncles OF marine law,
who Ii TO be Judge advocate OF the court.
Captain Slgsbee was heard from late
last night, but the telegram was not
delivered at the navy department until
this morning. His message goes to
confirm the press reports OF the events
OF yesterday In Havana har6or 80 far
es they relate 60 the exploration OF the
wreck. 1t reads as follows:
"HAVANA, Feb. 10.
only most experienced wrecklng dl.
vers can do effective work on the
Maine. In the upper works can use
service divers. Did some work to-day,
but with little success. VIII do better
tomorrow. Parts OF the Maine, espe-
c!ally the superstructure and connec.
tIors are one confused mass OF metal"
Another brief telegram from Captain
Slgsbee read: "Bache." Which meana
that the coast survey steamer has arriv.
ed at Havana bringing on board all the
diving apparatus sent'from the squad.
ron.
The statement relative to experienced
divers Is explained at the navy depart
ment as no reflection upon the men now
engaged In the work, they being enlist
ed men belonging to the navy. 1t Is the
practice on board OF men-of-war to as
Sign few men. always volunteers. on
account of the hazardous nature OF the
work to duty as divers In connection
with their regular work. The scope OF
their work Is the exploration OF the
ships bottom generally. the disentan-
clement OF cables from tho propeller
shafts, and some times the search for O
lost torpedo or anchor. Such work rare
ly carries them deeper than twenty-five
feet into the water and It Is said that
for operations In deeper water. such as
would be involved In examination Of
the Maine's bottom, their training has
not fitted them. They are also lacking
in that kind OF skill necessary to enable
q diver to grope his way safely through
the internal parts OF O mlghty-shi like
the Maine, torn and dismembered as
she Is. and this work Is highly danger
Gus. Creeping through narrow iron
bound passages and groping for the
doors OF the numerous water tight
bulkheads which divide the hail into
many compartments. on Shiny floors
and In perfect darkness requires the
highest expert skill. and that Is why
Captain SIgsbee will only hire sailors.
Divers at command had not been able
TO do much 20 far towards unravellng
the mystery Of the Names untimely
end.
It is to meet Just this emergency
that the navy department Is making
every effort to hasten the beginning OF
the work OF recovery OF goods and
perhaps the raising OF the hull by pro-
fesslonals. To that end Captain Lemly,
the Judge advocate general OF the de-
partment. was at work to-day In his Of
flee with representatives OF wrecklns
companies trying to draw up contracts
for the immediate prosecution OF the
work. He has been at the task now
two days and 1t has not been easy to
dispose OF This IS owing to an appar-
ent disposition on the part OF at least
one Of the concerns to drive a hard bar
gain. leaving the department In the
dark as 10 the amount OF money to be
paid for their services. But It is believ-
ed that the obstacles have now been
surmounted and that the contracts can
be signed tomorrow.