The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-19

| explosion Of the Maine, to the Spanish
commission in London, asking the com
mission TO hurry up the electrical ca
bles. Whether that referred to wire
for submarine mines or ~torpedoes. [
do not know" He continued: Il tried
to ascertain if amy of h wire or cleo
trica1 cables had arrived there, but
they came ON Spanish Ships, and I
could not find out"
General Lee said that this testimony
IN regard to Manterolla, and also that
with reference to the Weyler telegram,
had been furnished to the court of in
quiry which investigated the Maine
disaster, but had not been sent to con-
gress nor published because of a re-
quest of his made to the state depart
ment not TO make them public, las I
was afraid the Spanish papers there
would republish it and they would
probably kill the man that gave it to
me-"
Continuing his testimony General Lee
said he had made inquiries and as
~certained that n of the electric
lights of the city went u at the time
Of the explosion. He had also heard
that some of the Spanish officers cele-
DRAFTED the blowing up of the battleship
by drinking champagne.
In reply to a question from Senator
Gray, the general stated that the Span
hNi pOpuddlpUN is not especially hostile
toward the United States He said
that the condition Of the r~econcentra
does was just as bad now as in Gen.
egal Weyler's day.
In regard to the cessation of hostili-
ties, General Lee thought the arnistice
amounted to practically nothing. He
did not hin the insurgents would
pay any attention to it. He stated
That provisions were scare in Havana
o~1 H. ~,,- 4li-A
ade, the town would surrender in a
short while. The insurgents also were
living from hand to mouth He said
that he had expended ALL but about
IS, 200 of the $50, 900 appropriated for
the relief of American citizens in Cub
He described the condition of the Span
ish soldiers in the island as being very
had and said that if Spain had really
appropriated $500, 900 for the s~ustenance
Of h reconcentradoes, those people
would get but very little of it, but he
did not believe they had appropriated
anything Of the kind. He did not hin
that there was the slightest possibility
Of Spain c~onquering the insurgents
and restoring peace i'm the island. A
number of American citizens are still
there, for whom active steps Will have
to be taken as they are suffering and
starving. He said that the same con-
ditions of things existed when Presi-
dent Cleveland first sent him to Ha-
wanna and that he had so reported.
Continuing he said: eff I had TO write
THAT report over I would not dot an T.
or cross a 'T, although I have been
there two ear since hen"
Concerning the insurgent govern
ment, General Lee said he had never
though that the insurgents had any
thing except the skeleton form of a
governments moving capital.
- Il~L -I~~ Ih lie
Havana the Spanish troops had not
been paid for about nine months, nor
had the Spanish officers for about four
months. He thought that an America
army of occupation could go into the
island with safety now.
NAVAL OFFICERS TESTIFY.
Admiral John Irwin, a torpedo ex-
pert, appeared before the committee On
the 2nd instant. He is familiar With
Havana harbor and said, in effect, the
fact that there were mo dead fish the
day after the explosion was mot sur
prising, as there were no fish there.
Captain Sigsbee, the commander of the
Maine, was examined March 31st. He
repeated his opinion that the Maine
was destroyed by a mine, either tenn
pOrary or permanent.
I'm reply to a question, Captain Sigs-
bee said he thought it possible that the
: explosion could have occurred With
put the knowledge Of the hight Off
Gals. He said that the examination
made by the Spanish board was absurd,
as compared with that of the American
board.
Commander Bradford, torpedo ex-
pert, stationed at New Port, was before
the committee on March Goth and was
asked to state the danger from the
Spanish f1otilla Of torpedo boats and
49, ~zI l04x II ZnT h0
was not impressed as many naval ON
GERS with the dangerous character OF
of these boats. In his, opinion thell
chief value is in preventing ~ockad
if i'm ports where such attempts are
being made.
Commander Bradford, in answer fo
a question, said it would e an impor-
tant advantage in case Of war TO dis
pose of the 1otilla before ut reached
| HAVANA