The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-22
THE PROGRAMME THEN
II WILL SOON AFTERWARDS BE
SENT TO CONGRESS-.
EXTERNAL CAUSE, PREVALENT THEORY
Appropriate Action Will Be Asked from the
Spanish Government Intense Interest
IN the Visit Of Speaker Reed
TO the White House.

to the White House.
Washington, ID. c., March 21.-The
procedure in connection with the sub
mission of the report of the Maine Court
of Inquiry by the President to Congress
is now clearly outlined, and a Cabinet
officer to-day explained the general line
of action at present intended to be pur-
sued upon receipt of the report, which
is expected to reach Washington next
Thursday. A copy of it will be LARD
before the Spanish government very
early and as soon as can be consistently
done the report will be sent TO Con
The report TO Congress will be accom-
panied by a message from the President
stating that after receiving the report
the conclusions were laid before the
Spanish government and appropriate ac-
ton from that quarter asked 1t rs
stated positively that no part of the re-
port, and no intimat;on of the findings,
hsa reached the executive authorities in
Washington as yet. At the same tim,
it IS a noticeable fact that the current
that of the unofficial opinion expressed
50 positively and persistently at Havana
and Key West, that the cause of the
explosion was external. Officials high
III tire administration stated to-day thai
while they were wholly without exact
information as TO the findings of the
Court of Inquiry. they found them
selves sharing in the apparently intan-
Al.
explosions was not accidental Opinion,
expressed by the Maine survivors who
reached here last Saturday doubtless has
contributed largely to this view in off
tfal circles. In tnis connection it is
understood that one OF the officers who
arrived on Saturday stated, not as an
opinion but as his personal observation
on the night of the disaster that there
We're two distinct explosions. The ten
dency of this is to support the theory of
external cause, as this is based on the
idea that the first external explosion
was followed by n second internal eX-
plosian.
Intense interest in the report was
manifested to-day at the White House
and at the War, State and Navy De
partmeHtS. The President received a
number of Congressional leaders. among
them being Speaker Reed and Chairman
Itstt, OF the House Committee on For.
eigl Affairs. The visit of Mr.. Reed
naturally attracted much attelrtion as
he seldom leaves the Congressional
sphere to make calls on the executiy.
branch. and it was naturally inferred
that the purpose of his visit was to
confer upon the Cuban situation and its
future before Congress, though neither
he nor Mr.. HIT was communicative.
Secretary Long also had an extended
conference with the President but so
far as 1t could be learned 1t developed
nothing additional relating to the Span
islI question.
Inc Army and Navy preparations are
continuing without interruption although
they have now DecOme so regular as to
lapse unto routine on a gigantic scale.
No further purchases of war shins were
concluded to-day and the negotiations
are not assuming promising aspect. ex-
ccpt in showing that the United States
can command the market as against
Spain.
The Ordnance Office of the War De
paUtment presented Il very busy scene
to-day when bids were opened for furn-
islring the department about 1000 cast
iron projectiles for sea-coast cannon
with which to man the Notifications.
The advertisement called for 1877 ten inch
solid shot, $40 twelve inch mortar shells
weighing 800 pounds each and 500
twelve inch mortar SMELLS weighing 1000
pounds each. There were an unusuall,
large number of firms who bid for the
contract and the prices at which they
proposed to furnish the projectiles
showed wide range.
Among the bidders were the Peters
burg, Va, Iron Works and the BaIk
and Murdoch Iron Company. of Char
iesroii, >. =. so far as figures are con.
cerlled me Petersburg Iron Works We're
tue INVEST bidders although other condi-
IONS may EXIST which will prevent them
iFoll getuing the contract The COM
paiay omefed TO supply the ten inch shot
at $lz.o6 each, one-half to he delivered
III iorty uayS anu the remainder in
seventy days. The twelve in,b sball>
Oh oVo ana l.OOo ponds each the com
pany bid to furnish ut $21 .2S and 500 on
respectively. offering to supply fifty Of
each KIND IN forty days and the re-
mainder at quick intervals.
The ten inch shot the Rome. n V
Machine Works offered to SUNNY -,
$14.25 each, to begin the delivery in
one week and they agreed to turn owe,
the entire amount in four weeks.
The battle ship Texas started north.
ward from Key West to-day, thus set,
fling the question as to the formation,
of "a second squadron mt or near Hainp
ton Roads. 1t is expected that the