The Anaconda standard., 1898-02-25
.RUMORS LESS FREQUENT
No Additional Information Re-
ceived From the Maine.
THE WORK ON THE WRECK
Bodies of the Sailors Were Frightfully
Mangled by the Explosion Strength
OF the Naval Militia ashing-
ton Sale From Attack.

startling discoveries in the wreck of the
Maine were less frequent, but there were
enough of them still afloat to-day and
laid before Secretary Long TO influence
him in making this statement to the
newspaper men as he left his office:
Summing up the situation, | should
say that the navy department knows
to-day nothing more about the cause of
the disaster tnan it did five minutes
after the receipt of the first dispatches
from Captain Slgsbee.
The secretarys attention was drawn
to the published statement that Captain
CrownnSnieid, chief of the bureau of
navigation, had just arrived at Tampa,
fla, on the Montgomery from a trip to
Cuba, where he mad been inspecting
prospective coaling stations near Matan-
zas. The secretary's comment was SIM
ply this: Captain Crownnshield has not
been to Cuba. He has been away on
matters not in any wise connected with
the business of the navy" Secretary
Long further said that he rather expect
ed to see Captain Crowninshield to-
morrow.
Until the conclusion of the investiga-
tion by the court OF inquiry at Havana
the principal business of the navy de-
paftment in connection with the Maine
will relate to the conduct of the wreck
ing operations. Captain Lemley, the
judge advocate general, who has this
branch of the work Immediately in
charge, to-day received kilograms from
the Merritt 4 Chapman Wrecking COM
pany at New York stating that the
steamer Merritt and the wrecking light
ef Sharpe had sailed for Havana, and
that the tug Underwater, with the Chief,
would leave New York on Saturday for
the same place. fhe assistant wreck
ing master was gong to Havana on
the Ward line steamer Saturday, and it
was suggested to the department that its
inspectors should take the same steamer.
inasmuch as Lieutenant Commander
k.mbail, who Is now at Havana, has
been assigned to the duty of inspecting
the wrecking operations, it viii not be
necessary to observe this suggestion.
'fhe only exact information received
by the navy department from Havana
during the day was conveyed in Cap
tain Sigspee's telegram, as follows:
Long, Secretary OF the Navy The
Wrecking tug arrived yesterday; begins
work to-day. Much encumberlng metal
must be blasted away in detail The
bodies of Jenkins and Merritt are not
found. Two unidentified bodies of the
crew We're found yesterday. Aft COM
partment filled with detached, broken
and buoyant furniture and fittings
mud and confusion. Spanish authori-
ties continue offers of assistance and
care for the wounded and dead. Every
thing that goes from the wreck to the
United States should be disinfected.
The Wrecking company should provide
for this. The surgeon of the Maine,
after consulting with others, recon-
mened that all bedding and clothing
should be abandoned. 1t might go to
the acclimated poor Useless fittings
and equipments might be toWed to sea
and thrown overheard. Will take all
immediate responsibility but invite de-
partments wishes. Shall old metal of
superstructure and like be saved?
Friends of the dead should understand
that we are in the tropics. Captain
Chadwick is charged with all matters
relative to the dead. His conduct is
beyond praise. Don't know what re-
ports are being printed. but intensely
active representatives of press here
have been very considerate of me and
my position"
Secretary Long Immediately answered
Captain Sigsbee, approving all his rec
concentrations. He was directed to have
Lieutenant Wainwright, the executive
officer of the Maine, make arrangements
with the wieckers for the disinfection Of
everything sent to the United States.
The recommenda tions that all the cloth
ing be abandoned and If need be given
to the poor was approved without COM
ment The same approval was given
to the suggestion that useless fittings
and equipment be towed to sea and
thrown overheard, it being left to Cap
how far this destruction should be car
ried on. To the captains inquiry as to
the saving of old metal and parts of the
superstructure, the answer was given
that such material was of no use to the
bureau Of equipment. 1t was left TO
Captain Sigsbee to say what of this shat
tered material was worth preserving.
His statement that much blasting would
be required to clear away encumbering
material indicates that II IS essential
further to destroy the portions of the
wreck TO get at what is more valuable
beneath.
Captain Sgsbee's statement that the
divers have been down aft seven days
and forward four days gave the navy
department the first information of the
time that the divers had been in the
vicinity of the zone of the explosion
as he has termed ii.
Yhe statement in Sigsbees dispatch
that friends of the dead should under
stand that We are in the tropics, is
understood at the navy department as
an answer to the urgent pleas OF the
relatives of the dead for the bodies 10
be brought to the United States. To
these appeals. while they excite deep
sympathy. no hope can be neld out that
the dead can be brought back. One of
these appeals makes a pitiful plea
against hurying the dead by alien
hands in an alien country.
There are circumstances which, If
they could be made known. would end
such appeals. and would show that the
department has net been wanting in a
desire to bring the remains to this
country. These circumstances have
been withheld, mainly through a de-
sire to save friends and relatives from
the pain which would be caused by a
full disclosure of the effects of the ex-
plosion. The press reports have given
in part the terrible mutiiation OF the
fG fRa .a1 tHaG Of
been fully realized by friends and rel
atiNes. the men were sleeping on the
berth deck. with metal floors and cell
ings. which by the force of the terrible
explosion We're ground together in a
confused mass. knowing this, there is
Iitile hope that many Of the bodies still
missing will be found. or. n found. that
they will b. in Il condition IL be
brought 10 the United States.
The navy department to-day gave