The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-29


THAT the letter referred to a Pope Bar.
qtrin. that .he also died suddenly, about
two or three days after the explosion
of the Maine. Witness declared his
informant was Mr.. Charles Cabonnell
an American citizen.
SUSPICIOUS VEHS4ATION.
| A witness was introduced whose namo
was suppressed by agreement between
him and the court. He had to talk
through an interpreter. This witness
was crossing about half past seven on
the morning of the 18th from Havana
to Reglas on ferry boat. He was
sitting near three Spanish officers, two
of the army one of the Navy, and n
citizen. They were talking about the
| Maine.
one of the army officers said; THAT
| is nearly arranged"
The citizen asked if making explosions
in the bay would not endanger Havana.
The officer said mo" 1t was arranged
so that it would simply explode, open
the vessel and She would sink '1mme-
diately. The other man Joy0usly eX-
claimed
u will take plenty of beer ON that oc-
casion."
Some one came by and they suddenly
stepped the conversation. They had
Said it was shame she Cthe Malnel
should he in the bay and they would
blow her up anyhow.
REPORT OF SPANISH FINDING.
Washington, ID. G., March 2S.-A full
svnorsis of the report of the Spanish
| Naval Commission which investigated
the destruction of the battle snip Maine
| is here given by the Associated l'ress.
! 1t is taken from IL copy of the oflSlnai
| report. which is now on it's way here
| from Havana, the synopsis being cableu
| in the meantime and to-day placed III
the hands of this government. The con
clusions reached are directly opposite to
| those in the report of the Court OF IN
curry submitted to Congress to-day. line
synopsis is as follows
THE report contains declarations
made by ocular witnesses and experts.
From these statements it clearly deduccS
| and proves the absence of all those at
| tendant circumstances which are inva-
variably present on the occasion OF the
explosion of a torpedo.
'tlhe evidence of witnesses COMPARE
| lively close to the Maine at the moment
| is to the effect that only one explosion
| occurred that no column of water was
| thrown into the air. that no shock to the
side of the nearest vessel was felt, nor
on land was any vibration noticed, and
| that no dead fish were found.
THE evidence of the senior pilot of
the harbor states that there is aband-
ance of fish in the harb0r and this is
corroborated by other witnesses. The
Assistant Engineer of Works states that
after explosions made during the eAecu-
ton of works in the harbor he has al
ways found dead fsh.
THE divers were unable to examine
the bottom of the Maine which was bur
led in the mud but a careful eXamina
ton of the sides of the vessel, the rent
and breaks in which all point outward
shows without doubt that the eXplo-
sion was from the inside.
NO SIGN OF A TORPEDO.
a minute examination of the bottom
of the harbor around the vessel shows
absolutely no sign of the action of a tor
ped0 and the Fiscal Judge Advocated
of the commission can find no precedent
for the explosion of the storage maya
zines of a vessel by torpedo.
The report makes clear that owing
to the special nature of the proceedings
followd and the absolute respect shown
for the Observation-Disclosures of the Maine
the commission has been prevented from
making the hypothesis the internal orr
gin of the accident. This is to be attr-
buted to the regretable refusal to permit
of the necessary cooperation of the
Spanish commission both with the com
mander and crew of the Maine and the
different American officials commission
ed to investigate the causes of the ac-
cident and later on with those employed
in salvage work.
The report finishes by stating that an
examination of the inside and outside
of the Maine as soon as such examina-
ton may be possible as also of the bot
tom where the vessel rests will prove
that. supposing the remains (of the lower
wreck not to be totally or partially al
tered in the process of extraction. the
explosion was undoubtedly due to some
interior cause"
Ia LUCIA BLOWS OFF.
Havana, March 2S-1'he Naval Board,
consisting of Captain Chadwick and
Lieutenant Commanders Cowles AMI
Wainwright, appointed to decide upon
the disposition Of the portions of the
wreck of the Maine which it is not pos
sible to salye. held meetings hast night
and to-day. Its decisions have not been
made public but it is believed its pu"-
poses We're accurately outlined in last
nights cable dispatches.
Deep interest is felt here in the news
received to-day from the United States.
La IAcha, in an editorial, says:
THE United States note to Spain. de-
handing that date be fixed to end the
/ hostilities, is simply declaration Gf
war. 1t was not issued until after the
findings of the United States Court of
Inquiry had been received, which is
without scientific basis and is open to
question even upon the part of the nest
prejudiced."
Continuing. Ia Lucia remarks:
1T is well for Spain to know at last
the real purpose of the money loving
Americans. Spain now knows what TO
expect and how to- act"
La Lucia then warns the United
States that if she eXnactS IN have all her