The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-29

have acpuisced, ~reserving the right
to demand action If a report from the
committee Is too long delayed. Much
will then depend upon SPANS response,
but there are those close to the presi-
dent who believe tina from the time
the port is sent to II will
drop out as a factor in the situation.
The second part of the presidents pro-
gramme passes the Maine question and
involves Intervention On humanitarian
grounds within a week or ten days af-
ter the report of the board goes to
congress. 1t will he Intervention TO re-
lieve the starvation in Cuba, and upon
SPANS acquiescence in or rejection to
this act will depend peace or war. A
prominent of the house said
today that in his opinion the next two
weeks would determine which il would
be.
Such information as exists here, leads
those close to the president to believe
that the Spanish government will go
to any length it dareS to preserve
peace. The queen-regent is especially
anxious to prevent war and 1t Is believ-
ed the ministry Will go Just as far as
it can without j~eapardiZing its own
existence and the survival of the pres
ent Spanish dynasty.
REPORT TO BE LAID BEFORE THE
CABINET TODAY.
with the report in Washington to-
night, it will be laid before the cabi-
net at the regular meeting at II o'clock
tomorrow, and at that time the presi-
dent and his advisors will begin the
grave work of weighing the conclusions
reached and determining the action that
IS to be AIKEN. The formal plan of it's
transmission to congress next Monday
is already arranged, but with the re-
mort a nd pyi6pnna before them the
president and his advisors for the first
time will be in a position to outline the
character of the message which is to
the submission of the re-
port to congress and to arrange a
definite plan of detailed procedure,
which as yet has not been worked out.
MOVEMENT OF wARSHIPS.
The navy department was advised
today Of the sailing of the monitor Ter
rOr from New York for Key West; the
arrival of the Texas at Hampton
Roads, the monitors Puritan at New
port News and Mondanock and Mon
terey at San Francisco. The battleship
Texas came up from Key West, making
an exceptionally quick run for a vessel
of her class.
The Spanish authorities here have
BEEN Informed that some time ago
Captain Sigsbee asked permission to
use dynamite in the destruction of the
| wreck of the Maine. This was refused
by Captain General Blanco, for the
| reason, it is officially explained, that
as there are evil disposed persons who
insist that the Maine was blown up
from external causes, the Spanish au-
thoritieS do not want the wreck de-
stroyed. as it affords all the evidence
| Obtainable as to the actual cauSe of
the disaster.
Madrid, March PA semi-official
note, just issued, says: cat the cabi-
net meeting yesterday Senior Sagasta,
the premier, read a telegram from Cap
tain General Blanco, saying that the
captain of the Maine nae requested per-
| mission to. blow up the wreck with dy-
Mantle and that permission to do so
had been refused him.
THE cabinet empowered the minister
for foreign affairs CSenor Gullon) to
| watch the situation with the view of
| seeing justice done and defending the
rights of Spain.
THE minister of finance declared the
| were sufficient for all war
expenses Until the new chambers meet"
| The note is absolutely reserved in re-
gard to the Spanish commissions report
| on the loss of the Maine.
Washington, March 24.-The report
of the naval board of inquiry into the
Maine disaster was received in WASH
| ing1ton at 9:35 O'Clock tonight. The -four
! naval officers who have guarded it
| since it's departure from Key West
! were hustled at once into a carriage
| by an attachee of the navy department
| and driven to the Ebbitt house. The
| party consisted of Lieutenant Com
handler Mark, Lieutenant John Hood,
| Lieutenant Carl Jungen, Passed AS
| sistant Engineer Bowers, A. T. Mark,
l - ,ADhary tcf t1n ind oa o6unnQtn and
| Ship Carpenter Helms, of the Names
| Inflated crew. There was an immense
! crowd waiting at the depot when the
train pulled in. The naval contingent
avoided the crush of citizens by alight-
| ing at the upper end of the platform
| and going out across the tracks. The
party was met by Lieutenant Ward,
of the navy department, who was the
| sole representative of Secretary Long.
He informed Commander Mark that
the secretary would mot receive the
report tonight. Lieutenant Hood car
ried the bulky document in a white
canvas bag slung under his arm. 1t
must have weighed ten or twenty
pounds, without it's carrying case. That
the hole party carrying the report
was armed was demonstrated in a
rather theatrical way just as they
were about to get into the carriage.
Some one ran against the end of the
mysterious canvas bag in which the
report was concealed. Quick as a flash
Lieutenant Hoods hand went back to
his hip pocket and Lieutenant Jungen
laid his hand on the butt of a revolver
that was ticking from his side pocket.
The movements were sufficient to pre-
vent further jOStling.
The report, in due process Of law,
must first be delivered to the secretary
of the navy and this according to al
precedents win be at the navy depart
ment. 1t will then be submitted t.
President Mckinley, upon whose de-
cision it's future migrations will de-
pend.
LIEUTENANT JENKINS BODY
FOUND.
Havana, March 24.-The body OF
! Lieutenant Friend w. Jenkins, of the
Maine, was found early this morning
near the torpedo tube aft. as it has
been expected would be the case. The