The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-21
READY FOR THE INQUIRY
NATAL COURTS FIRST SESSION IN
 HAVANA TO-DAY.

HAVANA TO-DAY.
 Dispatches from Captain Sigsbee-Divers Now at Work on Outside Part of Wreck. but Only Professional Divers Considered Capable to Enter the Intricate Mass Within-Ofdclal Announcement Made That Captain sebreI, Military Attache at the Spanish Legation, Has Been Recalled His Insult to American Navy Called to Attention of State Department.
 Washington, Feb. 20-The naval court of inquiry appointed to investi- gate the Maine disaster will begin it's work at Havana tomorrow afternoon. This news came to the navy depart ment this afternoon from Admiral Si- card at Key West. He telegraphed simply as follows: 'The court of in- quiry sail for Havana, 10th, by light house steamer Mangrove. Mark ar rived to-day" This prompt action is undoubtedly due to the express direc- tion from Secretary Long sent yes- terday to have the investigation at the earliest possible moment The tele- gram was dated yesterday so the board should have arrived there before night fall and be ready to begin work to- morrow morning. The board undoubt- edly would have started previously but for the necessity of awaiting the arriv- Lieutenant Commander Mark, naval officer well skilled in the intricacies of marine law, who is to be judge advo- cate of the court.
 Dispatches From Sigsbee.
 Captain Sigsbee was heard from late last night, but the telegram was not delivered at the navy department until this morning. His message goes to confirm the press reports of the events of yesterday in Havana harbor as far as they relate to the exploration of the wreck. It reads as follows: Havana, Feb. 19.-Only most experienced wreck ing divers can do effective work on the Maine. In the upper works I can use sefvice divers. Did some work to-day, but with little success. Will do better tomorrow Parts of the Maine, es- pecially the superstructure and con- nections, are one confused mass of metal"
 Another brief telegram from Captain Sigsbee read: Havana, Feb. 20- sBache.' This means that the coast survey steamer has arrived at Havana bringing on board all of the diving ap- paratus sent from the squadron. f4
 The statement relative to experience ed divers is explained at the navy de- pertinent as no reflection upon the men now engaged in the work, they being enlisted men belonging to the navy. It is the practice on board of men, war to assign few men, always volunteers on account of the hazardous nature of the work, to duty as divers in connec- tion with their regular work. The scope of their work is the exploration of the ships bottom generally, the disen+an- element of cables from the propeller shafts and sometimes the search for lost torpedo or anchor. Such work rarely carries them deeper than twen- ty-six feet into the water and it is said that for operations in deeper wa ter, such as would be involved in ex- animation of the Maine's bottom, their training has not fitted them. They are also lacking in that kind of skill necessary to enable a diver to grope his way safely through the inter- nal parts of a mighty ship like the Maine, torn and dismembered as she is, and this work is highly dangerous. Creeping through narrow iron-bound passages and groping for the doors of the numerous water-tight bulkheads which divide the hull into many com- partments, on slimy floors and in per- feet darkness requires the highest ex- perience and skill and that is why Cap tain Sigsbee, with only his sailor divers at his command had not been able to do much so far towards unraveling the mystery Of the Maine's untimely end.
 To Raise the Wreck.
 It is to meet just this emergency that the navy department is making every effort to hasten the beginning of the work of recovery of goods and perhaps the raising of the hull by professionals. To that end Captain Lemly, the judge advocate general of the department, was at work to-day in his office with representatives of wrecking companies trying to draw up contracts for the inn mediate prosecution of the work. He has been at the task now two days. It is believed that the obstacles have now been surmounted and that the contracts can be signed tomorrow. It is the purpose of Captain Lemly to hurry this work and to that end he is arranging to have two of the compa- nies combine their forces. They will be paid on the scale of day work with a provision for bonus if they succeed in raising the vessel thus ensuring the recovery of as much of the valuable equipment as is possible, should 1t not be practicable to float the Maine again
 S4O,OOO Turret Guns.
 Great difficulty is expected in recov- ering the big ten-inch turret guns, each worth $4o,000, owing not only to their own weight, fifty tons apiece without carriages, but to the enormous turrets enclosing them with hundreds of tons of steel. It is doubtful if the tops of these turrets can be removed as was at first supposed by cutting off the bolt hpQdG that Hy thpra to ha cidac