Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-02-25

Not since that terrible day when
Guiteaushot President Garfield have
the people Of the United States been
so wrought up as they we're at the
news OF the destruction OF the Maine.
When the news came the first thought
was that the Spaniards had blown her
up and this of course meant war.
Captain Sigsbee telegraphed that
there was nothing to show what had
caused the terrible disaster and asked
the people Of this country to defer
Judgment until a board Of inquiry
could decide az to the cause. The
daily papers of the yellow" variety
printed new evidence every day that
the disaster vas caused either by a
mine or by a torpedo, and then the
next day would come a telegram o
ing the %falseness OF the drst one. In
this way the people Of the country
were kept wrought up to a fighting
pitch, II was the universal senti-
ment or the county that If the dis
aster had been caused by a torpedo or
a mine that Spain would have to pay
dearly for it, that IL it was caused by
an explosion Of the magazine or a
boiler, it was an accident that would
cause another revolution in the war
ship building business. All the news
and all the ailedged news from Ha-
wanna was read with greatest inter
est. President Mckinley, like Can
tain Sigsbee, exhibited the greatest
caution regarding the matter and re-
fused to express an opinion that il
was anything but an accident. He
received messages from most OF the
governments expressing regret at the
incident and sympathy for the fam
lilies aud friends of those who were
killed. The Havana authorities did
everything in their power to care for
the wounded and dead. One of the
most Imposing funerals ia modern
times was held over the remains Of
the bodies which were recovered.
y board Of naval officers was appoint.
ed to go TO Havana aud investigate
the disaster. They were provided
with professional divers aud arrived
there Sunday, and on Monday the
divers went to work. In the mean
time there had been a little friction
regarding the employment Of divers.
Some OF the yellow" New York
papers had hired divers TO make an
independent investigation, but the
Havana authorities would not let
them approach the wreck of the
Maine. They knew them too well. 1t
1t certain that il they had gone to
work at it they would have found
enough torpedos to blow up IN entire
navy and most Of the island OF Cuba.
Captain Sigsbee put some divers to
work on the inside of the boat getting
out the bodies OF the dead and secur-
ing the books and important papers
from the Captains cabin, but they
maze no Investigation OF the wreck.
ln fact they were not experienced men
and were liable to get lost and
drowned IN the wreck. The Havana
authorities wanted to send down
Spanish divers with those sent there
with the naval board, so as to make a
check on their work, but this was not
allowed. President Mckinley thought
the American divers could be trusted.
The board of inquiry has been in ses-
sion since Monday, but the sessions are
secret. Divers have been at work.
but il has not been learned that they
have discovered anything OF impor-
lance. The government has made a
contract with a wreckiug company TO
so to Havana, rescue all the material
possible from the Maine, and, il pos
sible, to raise the boat and take her to
New York.