Evening star., 1898-03-25
PRESIDENT HAS 1T
Report on the Maine Disaster Taken
to the White House.
NOT OPENED BY SECRETARY LONG
Going Over the Document With
Judge Advocate Mark
CONSIDERED BY THE CABINET

The report of the Maine court of inquiry
was delivered into the hands of President
Mckinley at 9:42 o'clock this morning. 1t
was handed to the President by Lieutenant
Commander Mark personally, Secretary
! Long leaving that honor to the officer who
brought and guarded the report for SO
many miles.
At the Navy Department.
The document was brought to the Navy
Department about O'Clock by Lieutenant
Commander Mark, the Judge advocate of
the court. and Lieut.. Jungen, one of the
survivors of the Maine, who were of the
party that brought it from Admiral Sicard
on his flagship New York at Key West
They spent the night quietly at the Ebbitt
House, and, after breakfasting, this morn
ing proceeded to the Navy Department.
They were in civilian dress, and attracted
no special attention as they walked from
the hotel up the avenue past the White
House to the Department. Lieut.. Jungen
carried the report in canvas bag or hav-
ersack, slung over his left shoulder
1t was almost exactly o'clock when
they reached the department. In accordance
with the invariable custom in such cases.
they went first to the office of the Judge ad-
VCcate general of the navy and report ed
their arrival with the record of the Maine
court of inquiry. The usual course of pro-
cedure in such cases is for the judge advo-
cate general 10 review the proceedings and
findings, 10 see that they are regular and
in accordance with the law and the regu-
lations of the navy, with special view to
see thai the finding is justified by the evil
dence. Owing to the vast Importance of
this case, however, the usual formalitics
were waived and the judge advocate gen.
eral did not open the package containing
the report.
Delivered to the Secretary.
A messenger was sent to the Secretary's
office to see If he was there and ready to
receive the bearers of the report. An af-
firmative reply was received, whereupon
Lieut.. Commander Mark, accompanied by
the judge advocate genera al and his messen-
ger. the latter bearing the report. proceeded
down :ne corridor to the Secretary's office.
1t was then about 80 O'Clock Secretary
Long, who was seated at his desk engaged
in the consideration Of his mail, arose ard
81 eeted Lieut.. Commander Mark cordially
That officer then took the report from the
messenger and formally delivered it by
pacing it in the hands of the Secretary of
the Navy. The judge advocate general
and his messenger remained only a few
minutes, leaving Lieut. Commander Mark
alone with the Secretary.
Secretary Long and Commander Mark
did not exchange wcrd concerning the
contents of the report. The meeting in the
Secretary's office was purely formal, and
was devoted exclusively to the formal sub
mission by Commander Mark TO Mr.. Long
of the report and the volum;nous evidence
accompanying it. Without commenting Oil
the purposes of the visit, the Secretary in
vited Commander Mark to wait Until he
had gone through the important dispatches
ard reports arriving during the night and
early morning
Some of these required speedy attention,
and Mr.. Long called IN his private secre-
t&ry, Mr.. Finley, and dictated several let
ters and dispatches before turning to the
report. He also sent for Capt. Glover,
chief Of the bureau of information, and
Capt. ONeil, chief of the bureau of ord
nance for brief conferences. These over
Mr.. Ling asked Commander Mark to ac-
company him TO the White House. The
two then proceeded to the White House to
deliver the report into the hands CT Presi-
dent Mckinley. When the two gentlemen
left the Secretsrys office in the Navy De-
partment they were met by several news
paper men. Secretary Long greeted them
pleasaI tly and said with q smile that he
had not opened the report and really knew
no more concerning its contens than they
did. With that he and his companion pass
ed into the elevator ard were taken to the
first floor, where they entered Secretary
Longs carriage ard were driven to the
f1,,F 4
the report in the canvas bag in which it
was brought from Key West, and the
Naval Secretary carried his familiar small
black portfolio and wooden roll around
which was wrapped large sheet of trans
parent paper, such as maps are made of.
At the White House.
There was nothing exciting in the arrival
of the report at the White House or in the
preliminary incidents. President Mckinley
was not ready for breakfast as early as
usual this morning. He had remained in
his Office late last night. having been en-
gagged in conference up to II o'clock with
Senators Hanna and Fairbanks, and work.
ing in his Office for more than an hour
afterward. Breakfast was over, however.
shortly after o'clock, and the President
went upstairs and began going over the
morning papers He was engaged in this
when Secretary Long and Commander
Mark arrived.
Secretary Long carried the green cloth
bag in which he carries all the important
documents to be submitted to the Presi-
dent. Commander Mark held in his right
hand the canvas bag containing all the
papers of the investigation into the Maine
disaster.
The canvas bag was ships mail pouch.
Given to the President.
President Mckinley was seated in the
long hallway In the private apartments of
the second floor when the momentous doc
ument was turned over to him. Lieut..
Commander Mark was introduced to the
President by Secretary Long.
After few words the three repaired to
the library, where so many important con-
ferences have recently been held There
the report was gone into fully. Comman-
der Mark remaining to answer. all ques-
tions propounded by the President and Sec
retary Long, and ready to explain the
drawings. which were made for the court
chiefly by Ensign PoweIson The President
Co.