Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-02-24
INQUIRY COMMENCED
No Important Testimony VIII Be
Made Public Yet Awhile.
NAVAL VACANCIES TO Be FILLED.
Foreign Population In Havana Said to he
iievs That the Maine Was Blown Up
by Design Magazine Said 70
BE Intact

HAVANA, Feb. %. The United States
lighthouse tender Mangrove arrived
here yesterday, having on board the
officers composing the court OF inquiry
appointed by Rear Admiral Sicard to
inquire into the loss Of the battleship
Maine. The board met on the Man
grove at ten o'clock. with Capts. Samp-
son and Chadwick and Lieutenant
Commanders Potter and Mark pres
ent Capt. Sampson presided and
Lieutenant Commander Mark, recent
" executive officer Of the Maine, acted
as recorder
Capt. Sigsbee, the commander OF the
Maine, was the first witness called.
He was under examination until one
o'clock yesterday afternoon, at which
hour an adjournment was taken. Capt
Sampson received an Associated press
correspondent Immediately after the
morning session Of the board. He
said, in the course of his interview:
would be glad TO give the Associated press
news but, owing TO the delicate situation the
board has decided to make nothing whatever
public. do not know what testimony may de-
velop, or when. and 1t Is only fair to the
Spanish government not to tell the public the
testimony until all has been received and the
findings have been considered You may say
that this rule Is absolute, Due care will be
taken for tho rigid enforcement Of 1t, and oil
stories purporting to come from the court
should be set down o. false have no idea as
TO how long the court will remain here No
one Is authorized to fix the time, as the men,
bers themselves do not know. shall give to
the Associated press such routine news OF the
proceedings as is proper
Capt Sigsbee, on board the Man
grove, told the correspondent that he
was quite pleased with the examine
ton and that he was able to answer
all the questions asked, not only as to
his own acts, but as to those OF his
subordinates on the Maine.
Gunner Charles Morgan, OF the
cruiser New York, arrived on the Man
grove and is in immediate charge Of
the divers. The latter have been at
work all day, but up to the time OF
sending this dispatch no discoveries OF
importance have been made 1t is be-
lieved that the salvage by the wreck
ing company will be considerable and
valuable.
The divers have made only three de-
scents at the wreck of the battleship
Maine. Capt Sigsbees state docu-
ments were rescued from private
drawer in his cabin The keys to the
magazines were found just above the
hook over the head Of the captains
bed--their usual place. They had
been floated upward by the rising OF
the mattress. About 100 of the Names
heroes are yet in the wreck The
divers found a copper cylinder used in
conveying charges to the six.inch guns
The fact that it had exploded seems to
show that there was an explosion in
the magazine for fixed ammunition on
the port side forward.
In the afternoon the court OF inquiry
personally inspected the wreck Of the
Maine. By their invitation, Capt
Peral, appointed by the Spanish gov
eminent as a special Judge to investi-
gate the disaster, and his secretary,
viewed the divers at work.
NAVAL VACANCIES TO BE FILLED.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 22.--Steps have
been taken by the navy department to
fill the vacancies in the enlisted branch
of the navy caused by the loss OF most
of the crew of the Maine. The legal
quota is now about 800 short, and ar
rangements have been made for the
immediate enlistment of about that
number of men. Telegraphic orders
have been sent to the recruiting
officers in charge of the receiv-
ing ships at New York, Philadel
phia and Norfolk, authorizing then
to make enlistments Immediately
There will be no difficulty whatever
in securing these men, inasmuch as
there are applications on file far in ex
cess of the requirements of the navy
for some time to come unless congress
shall Immediately comply with thu
recommendation of the department
for an increase of 1000 men in the en-
listed strength of the navy. tele
gram was received yesterday morning
from an organization in Detroit offer
inc the immediate services of l0.O0'
citizens of that city IN case OF need.
SENTIMENT IN HAVANA.
New YORK, Feb. ~. THE Ward lin
, steamer Seguranca arrived at quaran
tine Yesterday from Tampico and Ha
vana. The Seguranca arrived at Ha
yana at ten o'clock on the morning
: after the disaster to the Maine, ant
) passed close by the wreck. The Segu
, ranca's passengers said that great ex
citement prevailed at Havana, and, a
the time of sailing the foreign popu
lation was generally of the opinion
h that the Maine was destroyed by de
/. sign. They cited, among other thing
: in support OF this theory, the fact tina
. the Spanish man-of-war Alfonso NIL
Q which was anchored near the Maine
e changed her mooring just previous t
!: the disaster. One of the passengers
|. William L. Carbin went so far as I
!, say that he saw boat go near tn
Maine short time previous to the e'
plosion.
"a MAGAZINE SAID TO DE INTACT.
v New YORK, Feb. ga dispatch
q l ~