Evening journal., 1898-03-26
UNCERTAIN WHO DID IT.
Belief Expressed That Floating Sub
marine Mine Was the Agent.
DONS STICK TO INTERNAL CAUSE.
The Flying Squadron Is Now Organized,
with Commodore sohley In Conn
mand--North Atlantic squad
ron 10 BE Augmented.


WASHINGTON, March 26.-The court
Of inquiry appointed to investigate the
cause OF the Maine disaster has re-
ported that the loss Of the battleship
was due to an outside explosion. The
state department by direction of the
president has cabled United States Min
lister Woodford at Madrid 10 notify the
Spanish government Of this conclusion.
The president and his cabinet advisers
held two extended sessions yesterday,
one at 10;30 a. IN. and another at $3.50
D. m, at which the report was consld-
cred in detail. Members OF the cabinet
stated after the meeting that the dis
cussion was Of grave character and that
never since the wreckng OF the Maine
had the situation seemed so critical.
The Spanish government has cabled
20 Washington that the Spanish naval
commission holds the disaster to the
Maine to have been Of internal origin.
The government Of Spain. It can be
stated positively, is not disposed to turn
back the torpedo fiotilla now proceeding
from tho Canaries and would be disln-
clined TO consider a suggestion from
this government tending 10 interfere
with the disposition by Spain of her
own naval forces. War preparations on
an unprecedented scale are being htfr-
ried TO completion by the war and navy
departments, and the country 10 practi-
cally on a war footing.
The foregoing gives the record Of one
of the most eyentful days the national
capital has seen since the close OF the
civil war. It was a day of profoundly
important action. OF the deepest anxiety,
coupled with naval and military activ-
ity. one step following another in rapid
succession. Representative men of the
administration, public men In all
branches Of official and congressional
life, noless than the public Ia general,
shared In the tension to which the sit
uation has been wrought. There was
no effort among the highest officials, nor
indeed was II possible for what was
clearly apparent In the developments Of
the day, TO minimize the situation
Viewed in detail the findings OF the
court OF inquiry were the most vital
feature. Commander Mark, judge ad-
vocate OF the court OF inquiry delivered
the report to Secretary Long early in
the morning, and shortly after II was
carried 70 the White House and placed
I'm tho hands of the president At 10;S0
the cabinet assembled, half an hour
earlier than usual, and began the con-
Bideratlon Of the momentoua document.
Even the rigid rules OF secrecy which
prevail at cabinet meetings were
made doubly strict in this case, and no
intimation OF the results reached by
the court was given out till 2 o'clock
when a press bulletin gave the informa-
tion 70 the country as well as the
eagerly waiting officials throughout
Washington.
These results, briefly stated. are that
the loss of the Maine was due TO an
explosion from the outside, the court
being unable to fix the responsibility
for the explosion. The court does not
express an opinion as TO the character
of the explosion, but the testimony goes
TO show that 1t was a powerful subma-
rine mine. the exact character Of which
IS not determined by the testimony,
though the belief Is expressed that
II was a floating submarine mine There
were two explosions, the court finds.
The first was from the outside, and that
set Off one of the smaller magazines.
II was this result, expressed In de-
tail and with the precision of court
deeply conscious OF its responsibility.
together with the evidence on which
It was based, that occupied the atten-
tion OF the cabinet throughout It's ex-
tended sessions of the morning and aft
ernoon. All other and lesser subjects
gave way TO this foremost question
There was no change In the plan OF
making the report public and transmit.
ting II to congress early next week, ac-
companied by a brief message from tho
president.
While interest was thus centered al
the White House. the navy and war de.
partments were hurrying forward theii
work of preparation. The advance OF
the Spanish torpedo flotilla continued
to receive the closest attention of nava
officials, and while so far as could b,
ascertained no definite line Of actor
was determined upon the need of inter
cepting this fleet was urged by tn,
highegt naval authorities. From tn,
standpoint of the Spanish government
this movement was not menace, hav
ing been decided upon many weeks ago
on the contrary, the Spanish govern
ment holds that the extensive arma
ment Of the Dry Tortugas is q more di
rect hostile act against Spain than an,
movement Of the notina. Instead o
stopping the fiotilla, the present atti
tude Of Spain tends toward re-enforcin
1t with other Spanish vessels. not as
menace, but from what the spanisl
government feels is a requirement calle
for by the existing condition Of affairs.
Hardly less suggestive than the ap
proach Of the torpedo flotilla was tn
information received by the hiehes
military authorities that the SPANS
government had hurried TO completio
extensive fortihcations on the island {
Puerto Rico, lying just of Cuba, an
the only Spanish possession in thl
hemisphere other than Cuba. The exaS
character of these new defenses IA
been made known here. and they al
being given weight with the militar
authorities as showing the disposition
Spain. The orders issued by the nav