The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-02-24
AN INQUIRY BEGUN.
Navy Experts Seek to Solve the Mystery
of the Maine Disaster

Navy Experts Seek to Solve the Mystery
of the Maine Disaster.
Havana. Feb 23-The Key West light
house tender Mangrove has arrived at
this port bringing the United States
navy officers who constitute the court
of inquiry to investigate the cause of
the Maine disaster. They are Captain
William T. Sampson, commanding the
battleship Iowa, president. Lieutenant
Commander Adolph Mark, executive
officer of the receiving ship Vermont,
judge advocate; Captain F. E. Chad
wick and Lieutenant Commander w p.
Potter of the New York.
They begin their work at once, and
thorough investigation is promised.
The coast survey steamer Bache has
arrived at Havana, having on board
all of the diving apparatus sent from
the squadron at Key West.
The members of the court of inquiry
have personally inspected the wreck of
the Maine. BY their invitation Captain
Peral, appointed by the Spanish gov
ernment as a special judge to inves-
tigate the disaster, and his secretary
viewed the divers at work. Captain
Peral expressed his appreciation of the
courtesies shown by the court of in
quiry.
Captain Sigsbee was examined by the
court of inquiry on board the Mangrove
yesterday afternoon. After the exami-
nation he said to a reporter:
Il would be glad to give news. but
owing to Che delicate situation the
board has decided to make nothing
whatever public. do not know what
testimony may develop, and it is only
fair to the Spanish government not to
tell the public the testimony until all
has been received and the findings have
been considered. You may say that this
rule is absolute. Due care will be taken
for the rigid enforcement of it, and all
stories purporting to come from the
court should be set down as false.
have no idea as to how long the court
will remain here. No one is authorized
to fix the time, as the members them
selves do not know. | will give such
routine news Of the proceedings as is
proper"
Captain Sigsbee told a correspondent
that he was quite pleased with the ex-
animation, and that he was able to an
swer all the questions asked. not only
as to his own acts, but as to those of
his subordinates on the Maine.
Lieutenant Commander r. Vain
wright, executive officer of the Maine,
was called to the witness stand. Lieu
tenant Commander Wainwright has
been in immediate charge of the wreck
since the explosion.
The arrangement is that the stenog-
rapher shall write out his notes day by
day, and the court will adjourn from
time to time to give him the opportuni-
j ty as was the case yesterday, when
the court again visited the wreck and
spent some time in additional inspec-
tion.
The pomp and circumstance of the
/ tribunal are not as much as an ordinary
garrison court martial would show, but
the high character of its members and
/ the evident earnestness of their purpose
to find the truth if possible give dignity
to the court of inquiry
! Judge Peral of the Spanish admiralty
court has been taking today the depo-
( sitions of the officers of the Spanish
vessels and the harbor officials on the
subject of the disaster to the Maine.
Four divers are at work, two in the
fore part of the ship, the others aft.
The task is most laborious. The men
naturally are extremely careful, as they
have had to work in complete darkness
Several have had bad falls.
Gunner Charles Morgan of the cruiser
! New York, who is in charge of the div
ers, will devote special attention to ex-
| amining the ammunition in the fore
part of the Names hull and to ascer-
| tanning the condition of plates, maga-
zines and engines. He is graduate ir
| gunnery and is regarded as entirely
competent, as indeed are all the diver:
under his direction. He is under strict
l orders not to give out anything on the
subject Of his Investigations except ts