Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-22
CRISIS COMING SOON
President Mckinley Nearly
Ready to Act.
THE TIME TO INTERVENE
Report of the Board OF Inquiry Expected
in Washington Thursday. More Evil
dencc AS to the shocking Cum
Il tton of Affairs In Cuba.
(By TelegIuph,)

Il WASHINGTON, March 21.-The pro-
cedn:e in connection with The subtn -
sion of the report of tire Maine court of
inquiry by the President ~ .s.g.s ess
5 now c.tur.y outlined. aud 4 .au.n,.s
officer TO-DAY eXlha.LeI the general Inns.
OF action a.. plesent inienIed 10 he pun :
sued upon receipt o.; the report, which
IS expected 10 reach Washington next
1 thursday. \ o-py Of it WIN be lu.d
4 before the Spanish government ve.y
carry, and as soon uS can be COM, sit :
i ehIy done. the report VIII be sent 20
Il Congress and made l,lbiic at the same
.lH1e. Inc report to Gungress viii De
4 accompanied by the President, si,atigl.
Il toat after receiving Uhe report the con-
4 oiuslohS We're hii before the Spanish
i government and appropriate action
4 iiofn ohat quarter asked. 1t is sta.el
Il positively That no part LT the re,,,rt
4 and no intimation of the findings has
1 reached the executive authu ities in
4 WASH ngtCn as yet. AT the same time
II IS a n"alcea Die fact thai the current
! OF official opinhtn is beginning to a dow
4 tnat OF tne unofficial opLniorr expressed
SO positively AND persisenyly at Ha
4 .aha ana hey West. thav the cause nf
.ne explosion was external Officials
4 ulsh m the administration stated TODAY
4 tHdt while they were wholly without ex
act lnforma ton as to the findings OF tn,
4 court of inquiry. they found t.lt.n sts.yes
siar!nS in the apparently intane be
CONVICTION that the cause OF the explo-
| 40 nv aSSlNeHl3I OPINIONS az
| pressed by the Maine SUI yiyoIw ,,.ho
| reached here last Saturday d.,1Ibtlass
mas ccHtflEuted largely to this view in
onic!ai circles. In this connection N is
$1,000 tnat one OF the officers Woo
| as!!Eed on saturday suited NOT as an
I'-pinicn. but Us his personal obsarv, ;,1,,
On the night of the disaster, that there
We're Two distinct explosions. Tn,. TEN
ushSy Oh this Is to support the theory
OF external cause. as this is has...i IN
L ayn
! lowed by second Internal explosion
intense interest in the REPORT was
llSdhlIested today at THE White Hars.a
mems ' rs var Dr. state and navy depart
psr or congressional leaders, amy,ne
1 .lpshl pc ng Speaker RI eiI-,;1asf Cf,,z;,r
of he Fsotis If t,a
,,.,ts, gu, anairs The visit of Mr.. Rec
! ne, ne seldom leaves tia -eeaeyressonlll
| sPi,vha IN rr,ar>e calls on the txeclrtjI-a
nIaach. and 1t was naturally inferred
' tIns g purpose of his visit was to
,|hter tpon the Cuban Shtlation unH tic
| iulnre before Cong. ess, Though n..i,hs,,
| ne nor MI. Hit was comnlni,,,tivt.
| SECRETARY Long also elad an eyian,1a,i
| toNielsnce with the President, bur 50
| - as II could be Learned it tsy.,,one,l
| nothing additional relating 10 tn. So ~
| Ssh question. ~ ''e @l'i IL
,n,,t 1,IllS and navy preparations ore
lMtiulns without interruption. an
| t'4NS nave now become 81, ,A,y,l
| .tf as 70 lapse into rcutne on n sieon
NC scale. No further purchases ~
| "aFsuloS We're concluded today and M
| iirs,sol'''lons are not assuming a prom
~, ,sls aspect, except in showing that
| h'arket as against SPAIN
| ne ordnance office OF the way- de-
| phIlneht presented n veI-y BUSY scene
t"oay when bids We're opened for furnl
| !snlng the department about GOO ras+
| IRON pro eCtlltS for
! Mith which TO man the fortsfiratf.,n
| the ADVERTISEMENT called for lS7 ZEN
| men men, solid shot. $40 twelve inch mo-. tar
2n 1.' ~, Meighins 500 pounds each. d nd
| 3uo Twelve inch mortar shells. WEIGHING
i,ooo pounds each. There were an UNI
asually large number of firms who hid
lpr me contract, and the prices at which
si.ey PROPOSED to furnish the projectiles
showed a wide range
,Amlns the biddes We're THE Peters
nuIg. Va. Iron Works, and the faaaII
4 Murdoch Iron Company, of Charles.
ION. 5. Z. So far as figures are cen.
csrhed the Petershflrg Iron Works ws4.e
! Lne frwest bidders, although other f.nnl
diions may exist which will prevent
! them from getting the CONTRACT The
Company offered to supply the ten in2h
| 9n"t II $l2.66 each. one half to be de
livered in forty days, and the rs.n,a ind f~
IN seventy days. The twelve inch shells
or 500 and 1000 pounds each the Gem
pany bid to furnish at 212S and Se3 81
respectively. Offering to supply fifty of
saen KIND in forty days. and the re-
mainder at quick Intervals
The ten inch Shot the Rome, N. Y.
| Machlne Works offered to supply AT
70 eacb. to begin the delivery i'm one
s meeA, ana they agree to tHcn over the
| Entire amount in four weeks.
The battieship Texas sta rte,i north
| ward from Key West today. dhus se4tt-
ling the question ais TO the FORMATION
~ second squadron at or near Harnp-
TON Roads. 1t is expected that the
massachusetts, win follow i'm a few days
but the final orders for that move have
not been made. The navy department
received a preliminary report today
from one OF its agents who is at Ha-
wanna watching the progress of the
Wrecking. 1t is understood that This
refers mainly to the TECHNICAL work If
salvage, and rot to the question: Of
cause. The judge advocate generals
Office. where the report was received
| VIII not disclose the details of this. re
port
| The government has made no further
purchases of warships. but it's neg tia
tons IN tnat line have been productive
al leaSt or one important result, name
ly. in establishing that unless th.. bat
tleship OH!ggns beasrnes the proper
ty OF the United States it will not be
sold a. all. Spain. it is Confidently as
serted. VIII not be able to secure this
wa: vessel. nor are her chances any bet
ter or as good as those of the United
States: Practically the same ltion
prevails as to the Argentine armored
cruiser san Maltno, which WIFI become
the property Of this government if it
passes out of the hands Of Argentina.
me Spanish minister celaed at the
state department today' and pres ntet1
Nessrs. AnSua, Valera and Caderas
VINO are the direct representatives OF
the autonomous cabinet at Cuba. WITH
this presentation, neea tons toward
commercial treaty wild be opened. 4
hlsh OFFICER of The navy, Who has in.
innate knowledge of it's affairs, said 70.
day:
The greatest difficulty is being ok.
: per!enced by the government in pro.
curing ships from abroad. but it is hand
! ress as could reasonably be expecte(
under the circumstances. Spain is rush
ing work on her war vessels. lhe pc
layd, It's largest and. best bait Ieship. /.
practically ready for sea. and It's secont
best ship. the Carlos ". will be read,
!! in a Fortnight or three weeks. The Of
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