The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-04-05

Items of news that would be adorned
with flaming headlines at any other
time, go unmentioned now because
overshadowed by the war scare.
In England, in 1897, despite indus
trial depression there was an increase
OF $17. 500, 600 in amount paid out for
alcoholic beverages yer amount paid
out for same in 1896.
The calendar for the present year ex
actly r~eproduces that of 1887 Each
year began on a Saturday, had a % IN
day of February, and in both years
Easter fails on April 10th.
Mayor PheIap, of San Francisco, has
appointed a committee of Is to devise
a plan for an international exposition
TO celebrate the 5Oth anniversary Of
admission of California into the Union.
More than a thousand citizens Of 81
Paso, Tex, last week met in mass
convention, and adopted resolutions
demanding that Congress Immediately
intervene in Cuba, and prevent further
starvation and butchery.
A SEALING steamer, Greenland, which
has just arrived at a Newfoundland
hsrbor brings a sad story. She re-
ports 25 of her men dead, % missing
and &c so fearfully frozen that 20 of
them will lose their limbs.
A terrific wind storm swept over
a portion of Indian Territory recently.
Four farm houses were demolished
and the occupants of three of them are
reported to have been killed.
A cloudburst near Summit, Duran
go county, washed out or submerged
about 1000 feet of the M, K & 7.
Oompany's roadbed. A washout is
also reported On the Choctaw, Okla
homa & Gulf road, near Calvin, TWEEN
ty one miles northwest.
We give below a condensed account
of the report of the Board of Enquiry,
which we clip from an exchange:
1.-The report of the Maine commits
sion is what most people in this coun
try had come to expect. The commits
sion finds that the Maine was blown up
by an external explosion, presumably
q submarine mine, which also exploded
two of the ships magazines, and they
completed the wreck. The principal
evidence of this external explosion is
the fact that the plates on the bottom
of the ship were blown up "a feet
feet above their proper place, which
would have been impossible but for an
explosion of tremendous force under
the ship. The two explosions, that of
the mine and that of the magazines,
were distinctly heard in succession.
Ample evidence seems to have been
offer ed that the coal bunkers were free
from heat on the day of the disaster;
that the boilers could not have exploded
as those in the forward part of the
ship we're not in use that day, and
have been found by the divers in good
condition; that the supplies Of medl,
cal stores of an inf 4mmable nature
were carefully guarded, etc, etc
Captain Sigsbee and his men are com
pletely ~exonerated from all blame.
The reports adds: The court has
been unable to obtain evidence fixing
the responsibility for the destruction
of the Maine upon any person or per
SONS" But these additional facts are
brought OUT: % that the authorities in
Havana protested to General Lee
against the coming of the Maine, but
his despatch to that effect did not
reach Washington until after the
Maine had sailed; ~ that she was con
Quoted to her place Of anchorage in
Havana harbor by an official pilot sent
by the captain of the port; 81 that
this place Of anchorage is said by those
familiar with the haTbor to have been
the least used buoy in the harbor. The
mine that blew up the Maine was be
yond all question a very powerful one.
It is altogether incredible that it could
have been constructed without the
knowledge and c~onnivance of at least
some of the Spanish authorities in con
troll Of the harbor. That this conniv
ance extended to Madrid is improbable.
That the Cubans could have construc-
ted such a mine is incredible, and that,
if they could, they would have blown
I'D the Maine instead of the Alfonso