The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-03
The Wreck Of the Maine Is
Settling Slow ].
Nothing New Reported From Court
of lnQuiru's investigator.
In Spite of Sensational Stories There
is No Credible Evidence
Either Way AS to the Cause OF the Terrible
Disaster-The Victims Already Buried
Can Not Be Resurrscted Under Five
Years by an Old Spanish Law.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-1n view of
the widely published report that the
harbor of Havana contains a system of
submarine mines, a statement around
which has ccntcred the chief public
interest in connection with the disas-
ter to the battle ship Maine, Scnor Du
Bose. Spanish charge d'atfairs at
Washington, Friday night made to
reporter the following statement,
which, coming from such authority,
may be considered an official denial:
81 wish to state on my own official
knowledge that no mine exists inside
or outside of Havana harbor: nor is
there any submarine defense of any
kind. The report is SO absolutely false
and ridiculous that it could only have
originated in the minds of those per-
sons anxious to incite the evil passions
of both nations for their own miserable
ends ! consider the very suggestion
of such thing an insult to Spain"
The friends of the victims of the
Maine disaster have discovered that
they can not have their bodies brought
to this country in cases where they
have already been inferred. This is
due to the fact that the Spanish laws
forbid the cxhunation of corpses until
the expiration of the period of five
years after burial.
The prohibition had its origin in the
fear of infection from contagious dis
eases. Some applications have al
ready been made to have bodies
brought to the United States by pri-
vate individuals and they have en-
countered this obstacle.
Whether an effort will be made to
have it removed is not yet apparent.
HAVANA. Feb. 26.-The wreck of the
Maine is slowly but surely sinking into
the mud. Before the hull could be
raised it would be necessary TO remove
the guns and deck debris For lack of
proper appliances practically nothing
in this line has been accom- plished.
Aside from the officers and cabin eff
fects the salvage thus far has been
pitifully small. The cloudy wealth
err and rain made the work of
the divers unsatisfactory Friday
and very little was done. 1t is
said that a hole has been made
by the divers in one of the forward
batches, and it is hoped that number
OF bodies will be recovered. The court
of inquiry sat longer than usual Fri
day, the six divers being examined
more in detail than heretofore. The
time of the departure of the Mangrovc
with the court for Key West has not
been determined. Capt. Sampson said
Friday that it was doubtful whether
his vessel would sail Saturday: that
all depended on the developments of
the testimony.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso MI.
has been towed to a buoy further with
in the harhor to make room for the
Nizcaya which is cXpccte / here Satur-
DAY or the next day from the north.
No word has been received at the
consul generals Office from MIR. Walter
j.. Barker. tna United States consul at
Sagua La Lrunde and ii is believed
that the reports of Mr.. Baricrs illness
is untrue.
WASHINGTON, FEB. 2G,-In spite OF
the stories That come from unofficial
sources IN Havana as to sensational
developments in connection with the
work of the divers in The Maine's
hull. the administration remains firm
in its statement that there is no
ere .iDlc evidence one way or the
other as to the cause of the dis
aster and holds to It's purpose to await
The. conclusion of the investigation
now making by the court OF inquiry.
This position was emphasized at Fri
days cabinet meeting. People who
looked for some startling ann ounce
ment were disappointed. as the men,
bers without reservation frankly
admitted that the subject Of the
loss of the Maine had been dis.
cussed. but said the government hat
received no Information from Havan
since Thursday, and had no intention
of changing its policy until there was
something of substance to warrant it.
The Spanish legation was equally in
the dark as to any of the discove rieS
reported from sources that are not
cited, as was shown by the message
from Capt. Gen. Blanco.
HAVANA, Feb. 26.-The United States
light house tender Mangrove is still
here and the naval court of inquiry
continued its usual sessions Friday.
Its members hoped to get away to Key
West late Friday evening or early Sat
urday morning, but they are not sure
which it will be. 1t is probable that
the testimony of the civilian witnesses
did not add to the courts knowledge of
the circumstances attending the ex-
plosion, of the causes of which these
witnesses could know nothing, as they
were quite distance away at the time
of the occurrence.
The wounded were reported to be
doing well Friday.
The Merritt e. Chapman Derrick and
Wrecking company's tug, Right Arm,
is again at work removing such parts
of the wreck as it is possible to handle
in advance of the'arrival of the strong
er tugs and derricks from the north.
1t is believed the divers from the fleet
and the Right Arm will remain al
work when the Mangrove leaves. The
Fern will be the only United States