Evening journal., 1898-02-28
AT KEY WEST NOW.
Tho Court of Inquiry Arrives From III
vnna and Begins Work.

Tho Court of Inquiry Arrives From Ha-
vana and begins Work.
KEY WEST, Feb. 2S.-The long ex-
pocted court Of inquiry has come at
last It will probably return 70 Havana
on wednesday at the latest, after TAX
Inc Testimony here. The sessions Of the
court win be held In the United states
district court room, I'm the federal build
ing. The only important witness exam
ined win be Lieutenant Blandin, the
officer Of the deck when the Maine eX-
plosion occurred. The testimony OF the
other survivors will take only short
time, and celerity is the order Of the
day with the officers OF the court
It can be stated that the court itself
has arrived at no definite conclusion as
70 the cause OF the disaster, much less
given out any information which would
tend 10 positively decide this enthrall-
ing question of the day.
Later IN the morning Captain Samp-
son, Captain Chadwick and Lieutenant
Commander Potter came ashore and ar
ranged preliminary details for the ses-
sions Of the court They seemed de-
lighted to set foot once more upon
American soil.
To a correspondent Captain Sampson
said:
eve have finished up our work in
Cuba 10 a certain extent There is, as
you know. nothing can say regarding
our opinions on the Maine disaster. All
reports purportng TO express our opin-
Ions are false"
Lieutenant Commander Mark was @
trine more explicit I'VE had a pleas.
ant trip from Havana" he said. 1--WE
left there last night. l am glad to NEE
so many friends here. We are going I,
start In at once, as we can't afford q
lose any time, you know. We expect T.
be here less than a week. Yes, we ma!
go back to Havana. The wreckinl
divers are pegging away there, but the,
seem slow. and little has been accom-
plished yet We brought back Reddinl
the Names diver who was In the ex
plosion. He has a bad cold, He is
splendid diver. that same man, Red
ding
Asked with reference to the repoi
that the Names fate was known pos
itively TO have resulted from a mine eS
plosion. Lieutenant Commander Mari
laughed and said: These stories anus
us. OF course I can't tell you what "
have found out so far: but these stori,
(pointing 20 a local extra" with sensi
tional headlines). why. they amuse l
lIiliuSHaciy.
Martin Redding the diver referred
by Lieutenant Commander Mark. is
native OF Key West and returned he
after the explosion. He was taken ba'
to work on the wreck. His arrival he
caused much comment, and il w
said that he had talked too much
Havana and had been removed in co
sequence. He held forth at consider
Bile length before street corner a
diences. but his condition was such IN
little credence could be given his n
merous statements.
Rear Admiral Sicard has had frequs
conferences with Captain Sampson a
other members OF the court Of inqu
at the hotel, He remarked last ev,
ing: 'I think they ought 10 get aw
by Wednesday. AS yet there is no
ing that can be said about their wor
In reply 20 a question as to the rumoi
removal OF the warships to Cuba, I
miral Sicard said; 'sThe fleet is
moving. and know nothing about
going 10 Cuba. Still. you know II
steam up and could go anywhere II
dered."
He was asked If anything had h