The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-10
oye, .. Kitagata, T. Magazine and K.

""S anu caDlnet have received a re
port that the Maine was blown n
from the outside. A partial report T.
TINS effect has also been received. it /
stated by a high authority, from tn,
board OF inquiry. Nothing has as We
oeen developed, however, according t.
TINS information, which connects Span
ish officials with the crime.
The information that such mes
sage has been received was game,
Thursday from an official who saw
he read 1t. 1t is from a source re
gXded as reliable as an official state
| ment.
it was said that the policy OF tn,
administration might be perfected ant
ready for immediate application. i
necessary, when the full official report
OF the board is made public. 1t is be
lieved to be the basis of the action now
being taken by the administration in
fortifying the coasts, assembling the
warships, purchasing supplies and am
munition, and securing options on
cruisers being built abroad.
The government has employed an ex.
pert photographer, now in Havana,
who will send to the naval department
In Washington photographs of armor
plates and different portions of the
wreck Immediately upon recovery from
the water.
If the Spanish court of inquiry un-
der Capt. Peral has a definite plan Of
action, which seems doubtful. it has
not been made public. The Spanish
divers will, of course, report the re-
suits OF their observation to the Span
ish court of inquiry, but when or
where has not been known.
1t is believed now that the BODY re-
covered last Friday and buried here
was that of Quartermaster Robt.
Burkhardt, German. 1t was ident:-
fed from a description by piece OF
cloth and paper bearing his name.
1t is possible but not certain. that an
other body buried last week was that
of Chas. A. Scott, of Orange, n. j.,
carpenters mate. 1t had odd fellow
links tattooed on the arm.
The Spanish divers did not go down
Thursday. but the American divers
got some fixed ammunition out of the
forward part of the wreck
KEY WEST, Fla, March 5.-After two
postpOnements of its departure the
court of inquiry left for Havana Fri
day evening on the lighthouse tender
Mangrove. 1t is believed by the best
informed here that the court will COM
plete its labors in the Cuban capital
within ten days.
Only three of the six days the court
was here were devoted to the work of
investigation. The inactivity Of Thurs
day and Friday is still unexplained,
except by semi-official statement that
Rr. Adm. Sicard was awaiting instruc-
tions from Washington.
The sessions, it is generally under
stood, developed no evidence by which
the court could definitely determine
the cause of explosion.
A naval officer in close touch with
the members of the court said to this
correspondent:
with one exception the witnesses
who testified here were Maine sur
vivors. The evidence though in most
cases taking longer to tell, can be
summed up in the words of an enlisted
man who, when Judge Advocate Mark
asked him what he knew about the eX-
plosion, replied, Sir, was blowed up.
| was saved and I'm here. That was
all he could swear to-"
One important fact has been learned.
however. 1t is this. although members
Of the court may have their individual
theories, they are by no means pre-
pared as a body to render decisive
verdict. The officer already quoted
said: IF the court has yet heard any
testimony which would enable it TO
lecide intelligently that the Maine
vas blown up from external
,auses, am the most mistaken
nan in the world. Before the |
coming Havana sessions are over it
nay secure some evidence and possibly |
ind the blowing up was Intentional.
t will learn from the divers the actual |
of the ship after the eXplo-
ion as it has already learned from the
uryivors most of the details OF the |
hips condition before the explosion.
With these bases thoroughly estab-
ished the court will hear more expert |
testimony and then reach
erdict."
This statement can be taken as more
worthy of reliance than that of the
laine officer who said the other day
e believed the court was bound on
vidence already heard to find the
ause of the explosion external. It's
is also at variance with
he opinions of many other naval
fficers here, especially those of the
ounger set, and directly contrary to
ne belief of most of the Maine sur
ivors that their ship was Intentional
: blown up.
Before sailing Friday night Capt
ampson had a long consultation with
DIM. Sicard.
HAVANA, March 5.-The American
ivcrs, having examined more or less
the ward room of the Maine
nd the senior and junior officers mess
,oms, were Friday trying TO effect an
itrance into the petty officers COM
artment in the hope of finding bodies
lere. However, each day the belief
-ows stronger that few if any more
,dies will be recovered. Not one
ody was recovered Friday.
Capt. sharp, who is in charge of the