The herald., 1898-03-02

ued today and will not be completed for

ued today and will not be completed for a
day or two.
| The cruiser Columbia, which has been
| lying in the back channel at League island
| for some months, was today brought out of
her berth and towed up the Delaware river
to the League island dry dock She was to
| have been docked today, but 1t was found
| that the tide was too low to permit her to
enter safely. She will go in at high tide
tomorrow morning Her bottom will be
| cleaned and painted and some minor re-
| pairs will be made.
STILL NOTHING KNOWN
| KEY WEST, March 1.-The second days
sessions of the court of inquiry are over,
and nothing new Is known regarding the
fate of the Maine, at all events outside the
| members of the court. Some who con-
| fidently declared a week ago that the court
had already found that the vessel was in
| tentionally blown up, have modified this
! conviction, and, for the most part, admit
that such reports must have been based
largely on speculation.
| Even naval officers are apparently as
much In the dark as the civilians as to
what the courts opinion is at the present
| moment. Excellent progress has been
made in the examination, and the court will
probably finish its work here tomorrow,
when it's members will be taken back to
Havana on the Mangrove.
Interest in the proceedings tagged
somewhat today owing to the utter futility
lof all attempts to crafty the general curl
osity. The correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press placed before one of the mem
bers the letter signed "Mauquinsta"
/ (nachinist), giving alleged details of the
filling of the Names torpedo holes with
dynamite cartridges and their subsequent
explosion by electric wires. The MEM
bers of the court in question said neither
the letter nor its developments had been
officially before the court. The Cubans
here are constantly receiving mysterious
missives from Havana purporting to re-
veal the methods by which the Maine was
sent to destruction, but as there are as
many suggestions or theories as there are
letters, little reliance can be placed upon
any.
The general situation here remains the
same. The fleet has not moved though
there are signs of activity which give rise
to rumor that an important naval step is
contemplated. Admiral Sicard, when
questioned on this point this afternoon,
merely reiterated his remarks of yesterday.
There Is no movement today. The ships
have steam up always, and they can go
anywhere"
| The tug boat Merritt passed here at
sunset with a large scow In tow and other
wrecking apparatus, She is bound for
Havana.
The report that remains of submarine
torpedo, alleged to have been raised
by the United States naval divers
at Havana with the electrical wires
| in which 1t had been entangled,
were brought here on Sunday by
the Mangrove, and are now in the ware
house of the lighthouse department, is de-
MED in official quarters.
Captain Merritt. who is in charge of the
artillery here, expected General Merritt
today by the Mascot. but General Merritt
did not arrive.
SIGSBEES MESSAGE
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The only
word received by the navy department
from Havana came tonight in the follow
ing telegram from Captain Sigsbee:
"Bache leaves today for Tortugas with
all wounded men now here, FIVE in all. as
| follows:
"Mattison, Cahill. Allen. webber and
Mack.
| "All are able to walk except Mattison
whose jaw is broken.
"Bache takes one unrecognized body.
VIII probably take four wounded men from
Tortugas to Key West. Cannot tell when
more bodies may be expected at Key West
but Bache should promptly return"
| REPAIRS READY
BRISTOL, r. l., March IA new 100 ,OO0-
pound strut for the torpedo boat Dupont