The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-26
TAKE EXPLODED.
10 Submerged Mines In or
| About Havana HarbOr.
SENIOR DU BOsC'S STATEMENT
1t May Be Considered as al Official
~ Spanish Denial. ..su.,
SECRETARY LONG TAKES A REST.

SECRETARY LONG TAKES A REST.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt VIII Re
fl Charge OF the Navy Department
During His Cnief's Temporary ABB
sence-Precedsnts to Aid tho Author-
tiles in Shaping Their Action Should
1t Be Shown That tho Maine DIsas-
ter Was Premeditated.
Washington, Feb. 26-In view of the
widely published report that the harbor
of Havana contains system of sub
marine mines, a statement around
which has centered the chief public In
terest in connection with the disaster
to the battleship Maine, Senor Du
Bose, Spanish charge daffaires at
Washington, last night made to the
press the following statement, which,
coming from such authority, may be
considered 'as an official denial:
II wish to state on my own personal
or outside of Havana harbor, nor is
there any submarine defense of any
kind. The report Is so absolutely false
and ridiculous that 1t could only have
originated In the minds of those per-
Sons anxious to incite the evil passions
of both nations for stheir own miser-
/. able ends. l consider the very sug-
gestion of such thing an insult to
Spain"
Despite stories coming from unofficial
stories that come from unofficial
sources in Havana as to sensational
developments in connection with the
work of the divers In the Names hull
the administration remains firm in its
statement that there Is no creditable
evidence one way or the other as to
the cause of the disaster, and holds to
its purpose to await the conclusion of
the investigation now making by the
court of inquiry. This position was
emphasized at yesterdays cabinet
meeting. People who looked for some
startling announcement We're disap-
pointed, as the members without res
ervation frankly admitted that the
subject of the loss of the Maine had
been discussed, but said that the gov
sernment had received no information
from Havana since Thursday, and had
no intention of changing its policy un-
III there was something OIL substance
to warrant 1t. The Spanish legation
was equally IN the dark as 10 any ols-
.coveries reported from sources that
are not clted.
secretary Long mas pech nhcef
heaVy ana almost constant strain ever
since ne was awakened IN the middle
OF the hlghl a week ago last Tufsday
by the news OF tne loss OF the Maine,
and now that matters are at least for
the time being In quleter state he has
Withdrawn from the navy department
ana gone away Tor lie" Gays rest,
leaving Assistant secretary roosevelt
70 hiaHase the department. Inc latter
mas peen thoroughly ADVISED at every
slep Oh the aseretarys poiicy o. treat
neht OF the Malne anair' so th;e' .here
hs not likely TO be any change In that
respect caused py the temporary as
sumption OF the duties or eecretary by
Mr. Roosevelt.
I, Just before the department closed
Secretary Roosevelt had word of the
SAILING OF the cruiser Montgomery from
1Tampa for Key West. Up to that time
the vessel had been given no orders. so
That the date OF her departure for Ha-
Vana, II she is to go at all, is conjec-
tural. The ship went to Tampa in
stead OF Key West on her return from
San Domingo In order to facilitate the
speedy return to his duties in Wash
1ngton OF captain CroWninshield. the
chlef or the navigation bureau, who
saved full day by the movement.
Since so much depends upon the re-
port OF the court of inquiry 1t may be
interesting to note that so far Secre-
20 ov,oot .hi, i,,,no,t,,t s,,;,,.,,.
to this time having heard nothing from