The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-18
THE MYSTERY UNSOLvED.
oNLT THEORIES As TO THE cal
OF THE MAINE DISASTER.

A Board or Inuuiry Appointed ana on Its wa
TO Havana to Asccrtain tho Faots-No War.
snip 70 ne sent to Take tho Place or
the HIaine-No Foundation for storie.
About Secret nnd Sensational Despntcbc,.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE mystery of the
explosion that destroyed the battleship Maine
in the harbor of Havana on Tuesday night.
sending 2G0 gallant sailors to an untime,y
death, is still unsolved. A board of naval
officers has been appointed to learn the truth.
IL possible. and 1t now seems probable that the
public will be compelled to wait until their re-
port is received to know the facts. In the
meantime tho President OF the United States.
the members OF his Cabinet and the men who
control tho sentiment and acts of Congress-. fol-
lowing tho suggestion made by Capt. Sigsbeo,
of the Inflated ship. Immediately aftor tho dis
aster, are withholding their opinion OF its cause.
The President still hopes that the American
public will be equally forbearing, 60 that the In
vestigation Of the direful calamity may DO pur-
sued without prejudice, and controlled only BY
q desire to learn the truth.
There is no foundation for the widely pub
ohue"e Secre-
tary of the Navy. or either Of them, ia in 70.
ceipt OF secret dispatches throwing light upon
the causes that wrecked the Maine. One of the
first acts Of President Mckinley, after receiy.
ing the startling dispatches from Ho-
vana in the gray dawn OF yesterday. was
| IN vo,cs tho hon. that -,
- "o'ofhr
"eh' "ouio express an opinion that would
needlessly add to the i'll feeling already
existing in this country ap.ins. sn,,,
and that the citizens OF tho IJnited
States generally would he patIent nnder
| provocation and not make mattera vorse Inv an.
advised comments upon a subiect NJ which thox
| must necessarily know very little Pres,donh
Mckinley Yesterday directed that ali desnotch..
received at the NAVY Denartment obnr,d h.
| promptly made public. and this order has hoon
| carried out. What the President and secretsrv
Long know about the loss Of tho Maine the nub.
lilo knows. and the Administration int.nds th.,
| this policy shall be carried ont to the ond
Being in profound Ignorance therefore ~ t,.
| agency that Ia responsible for the TERRIBLE .,.
plosion which DESTROYED the Maine and k,,I.a
her loyal sailors, the people of Wasbington aro
still in q state of suppressed exciten,ent ana
over the city hangs the shadow NJ the avt,I
| event, which seems to grow mora Grave each
hour. In accordance with the Presidents orde,
| Issued last night. the flags of all fha uhlio
buildings few at half-mast from earlv morn IN.
day. and ON many priyate residences ana
| places of business the national coIor.
| were displayed with tho like sign of tho nation,
| mourning. Social eyents of an ofacial
| or semi-oficial character have been nostnoned
or abandoned. and the expressions Of condoL.nc.
| from tho rulers of nearly all tho countries nj the
| world are piled hiRh upon the desk NJ tho secre.
tary of State. Last night the President was to
- -
1 card receptions, and TONIGHT no was In have
received the public at the only function of the
season to which all were yelcome with.
out invitation. Both affairs were aban.
| doned, and tonight the President. instead
| of shaking the hands of thousands of bis fellox
| citizens, is sitting In his office. as he was LASH
night, receiving dispatches, comforting with bis
official advisers, and giving directions for The
pursuit of the inquiry into the causes of the
great disaster, making suggestions for the care
of the survivors, and mapping out the work Of
the officials of the Administrator.
During the two days that President MCKINLEY
and his Cabinet have given to the consideration
of the details of the %apallinR event thew bovs
been immeasurably relieved by the knowledpe
that the threatening friction between the
| United STATED and Spain caused by the incidenh
| which resulted in the abrupt resignation and
departure from the United States of the spanish
Minister. Dupuy de LONE. had beep am;cab,v
| adjusted in q manner satisfactory To the
United States and consistent with thu
| dignity and honor of the President On
| Monday evening last q despatch was received
from Mr., Woodford at Madrid. Indicating that
Spain had determined to disayow the letter of
Dupuy do LONE, and they have since waited ma.
tiently for the formal ratification of the MInia.
ter's despatch. 1t came TODAY. and to.nigbt
there lies on tho Presidents ohice desk. among
tho mass of kilograms and other official
documents, q second telegram from Min
ister woodford. sent from Madrid to-dox
containing a full abstract of the nots
handed him yesterday by the Spanisb Gov.
eminent expressing its regret for Dpnuv da
Lome's unfortunate act and reppoiaI.no The
sentiments of his letter to Se0or Canaleias rhi.
despatch closes finally tho incident of the latter
and as tho indiscreet diplomat who wrote 10