Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-18
GOVERNMENT IS WAITING.
Vessel Not Examined - Government VIII
Await Thorough Investigation
Sensational Reports Denied.

In order to answer Inquiries from an
sections of the country. regarding SEN
satlonal rumors, the following state
ment was sent out last night by the
Associated Press from its Washington
office:
The cruiser New York has not been
ordered to Havana; Consul Lee has not
been assassinated; there is no confer
ence of the cabinet; Congress is not
in session tonight, both houses having
adjourned at the usual hour until to-
morrow; President Mckinley did not
go to the capitol, and the situation is
decidedly quiet.
Washington, Feb. E.--The govern
ment has settled back into waiting
attitude in respect to the terrible ma
rne disaster in Havana harbor. The
great shock caused by the news has
given way to n calmer and more judi
clal state of mind and realizing from
the events OF the day that the court of
inquiry Is the sole dependence in the
search for the cause of the loss of the
| Maine naval officials are now re-
signed to await the results Of that in
qulry by court opened today by the
navy department,
There was little news to add to the
| sum of information as to the disaster
daring the forenoon. No kilograms
| came and all that could be CLEANED
was denial of some absurd story or
| other that had crept into print or be-
| same current gossip. All the news OF
| the day came in the late afternoon in
the shape of Capt. Sigsbees report of
| the authorization of the funeral of his
| uead sailors and Gen. Lees graphic
story of the terrible struggle for life
| in the dark hull of the Maine.
The officials of the navy department
| devoted the day to the effort of cor
recting the list Of the living and dead;
| to answering frantic telegraphic APP
| peals from relatives of men on the
bhAileship, and last but not least in
meeting with unwavering courtesy and
| patience the exacting demands upon
their time of the press reports.
The disposition of the survivors,
Capt. Dickens,acting chief of the navi-
CATION bureau, has arranged for as
well as could be from this distance.
The wounded sailors in the Havana
hospitals. on the Spanish flagship and
elsewhere. when not in condition to be
brought back to Key West, will be
carefully looked after by Miss Clara
| Barton, who has been given carte
Blanche to buy any and everything
necessary, food, clothing, delicaclee,
and hire of nurses and physicians. The
| wounded able to get across to Key
West will ne taken care of in the ma
| rlnt nggDltHl tn-fe. Ine SOUND SnfNl-
vors will be quartered in the Spanish
army hospitals there.
As for the Maine herself. nothwith-
standing discouraging reports from
Lieut.. Hood as to her condition, tht
navy department will make the effort
to raise her. While this Is required
by every creditable sentiment. they
say they are bound to remove the hui
from the small harbor in any case, and
1t may be as easy or easier to raise hei
as II would be to destroy the hull ant
machinery by the use of divers ant
dynamite.It is believed this work car
be done by private wrecking corpor-
atlons, and negotiations are alread,
afoot for placing the contract. based
on work hy the day, at an estimated
cost of 100000.
At the navy department specific de
NAL was given of the report emanatins
from Madrid that torpedo fiotilla wa
about to leave Key West for Cuba. /
was stated that only two TORPEDO
boats. the Gushing and theEricsson
are at Key West and these have no
been ordered, and will not be ordered
according to the present plans, I,
Cuba. 1t was strongly asserted thai
no present purpose existed of SENDING
another warship there.
| Senior de Bose, the Spanish charge
has received no instructions UP to
p. m. as to going to New York ant
stopping the Spanish ship Viscays
from entering the port, and reports I,
this effect were discredited