The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-19

Washington, Feb 1S-Soon after
the senate met to-day Mr.. Hale of
Maine introduced the following joint
resolution:
That the secretary of the navy may
be. and he is hereby authorized to en-
gage the services of a wreckjlg COM
pany. or companies, having proper fa-
cilities for the prompt and efficient per-
formance of submarine work for the
purpose of recovering the remains of
the officers and men lost on the United
States steamship Maine and of saving
the vessel, or such parts thereof and
so much of her stores, guns, material,
equipment, fittings and appurtenances
as may be practicable and for this
purpose the sum of 5000, ,000 or so much
thereof as may be necessary. is hereby
appropriated and made Immediately
ayaila BILE.
The resolution was prepared at the
navy department, and introduced al the
request of Secretary Long who, in for
warding it to Mr.. Hale, also sent a let
ter explaining its purpose. He says in
this letter that lit is deemed proper and
important that steps should be taken
Immediately to recover the remainder
of the officers and men lost on the oc-
casion of the most deplorable catastro-
phe to raise the vessel, or to save such
parts of her armament and equipment
as may be practicable"
To this the secretary adds: THE
meager information received respecting
the nature and extent of the injury sus-
tanned by the hull of the Maine renders
1t difficult to determine at this time
whether there is reason to hope that the
vessel herself may be raised, bur it
seems probable as she lies within the
protection of harbor and is not wholly
submerged, that much valuable prop
erty may be recovered If the necessary
action is taken without delay The
vessel with her stores, guns, material
equipment, fittings and appurtenances,
cost, approximately, 100000 AS an
illustration of the value of single items
which may have escaped serious injury
it may be said that the 10-inch guns, of
which the Maine carried four, were
worth, with their mounts, $43,500 each.
Aside from the melancholy duty rest
ing upon the government to recover and
to bring to this country for burial, if
this may be done. the bodies of the
officers and men who lost their lives in
this disaster, it is believed that much
valuable property may yet be saved
from the vessel. In any event, it is of
the utmost Importance that whatever
is to be done in this matter should be
entered upon without delay
The sinking of the Maine will be the
subject of an immediate and exhaus-
tive inquiry and congress will be fully
advised of the result of such investiga-
ton
Mr.. Long states that in fixing the sum
asked for the department is at this time
unab Bile to estimate the necessary ex-
pense with any degree of accuracy, but
ne says he has conferred with the
bureau of construction and repair, and
If the appropriation requested be MADE.
only so much as may be found neces-
sary will be expended in the work. The
secretary encloses a table showing the
cost Of a number of items of the ord
nance outfit of the vessel aggregating
$500, ,152.
Mr.. Allen thought ii very desirable
that provision be inserted in the reso-
luton for the transportation and burial
of the remains of those who lost their
lives in the disaster.
Mr.. Hale called attention to the fact
that reference was made to the trans
pOrtation of the bodies in the letter of
the secretary of the navy. In many
cases, he said, ii would be impossible to
bring TO this country the remains of the
men killed as the bodies were so badly
mutilated and the facilities for en-
balming so inferior in Havana that
already the remains of many of the
dead We're decemposng and 1t would
De necessary probably to bury them at
once.
Mr.. Mason hoped that provision
would be made for the Transportation
OF the bodies to the United States and
for their burial in this country To that
end he proposed an amendment to the
resolution, as follows: After the word
thereof and before the word and in
sert the following: And for the trans
portation and burial of the remains of
the officers and men SO far as possible "
The amendment was agreed to and the
resolution as amended was passed
The resolution offered yesterday by
Mr.. Allen Of Nebraska directing the
committee on naval affairs to make an
investigation of the disaster to the
Maine. was then laid before the senate.
1t precipitated the most furious debate
Mr. Chandler of New Hampshire
thought that # the word immediate"
be stricken out and the matter left with
in the discretion Of the committee there
would be no objection to the resolution.
Mr.. Mason Of Illinois proposed an
amendment striking out all after the
word resolved" and inserting yhe fci-
lowing. By the senate. and house IF
representatives c1neurring. that joint
committee IF five. consisting ~ th5 .
ms MIXERS IF the hous@ and TWO members
OF the senate, 0e appointed - ilFesli-