The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-22
THEY'RE LOOKING INTO IT
The Formal Investigation Is Fin
ally Begun at Havana.
THE TESTIMONY is SECRET
The Spanish Charge dAffaires Says
Sobral Is Not an Attache of the
Spanish Legation-A Call for
Naval Enlistments.

Washington Feb. 21.-To-day's devel-
| opments in the Maine disaster were of
/ negative character, greatly to the
| disappointment of considera BILE num-
| Der of persons who We're looking for
| some startling discovery by the divers
working in the sunken hull The state
department after learning that Lieu
tenant Commander Sobral was no
longer recognized as an attache OF the
Spanish legation, decided to ignore the
interview attributed TO him, which it
was at first disposed to resent. 1t is
now learned that Secretary Long late
on Saturday called upon Assistant Sec
retary Day of the state department and
laid before him the newspaper clippings
containing the reported interview.
Acting Secretary Day agreed with
Secretary Long that there was warrant
for looking into the matter, and called
the attention of the Spanish charge
d'affaires to the publications. The
charge d'affaires, however, declared
that the naval officer was no longer an
attache of the legation, his successor
having been appointed and gazetted
Dec. "a. He further explained that it
was owing entirely to the more i'm
portant and pressing matters before it
that the legation had overlooked the
sending of the proper notification of the
change to the state department. 1t is
said that as a matter of fact there are
frequently greatly delayed receipts of
such information of changes among
attaches at the state department.
For very obvious reasons Captain
Sigsbee at Havana is making the most
strenuous efforts to hasten the recov-
cry of the bodies, probably 100 in num-
ber, still imprisoned in the wreck of the
Maine. 1t was d knowledge of the cap
tain's desire that probably led Consul
General Lee to inform the navy depart
ment of the need of more divers. This
had the desired effect for the navy
department took action to send more
help.
Admiral Sicard telegraphed from Kew
West this afternoon that he had sent
five divers to Captain Sigsbee and
asked If that was sufficient
THE acting chief of the navigation
bureau. Captain Dickens, at once took
the sensible course of directing the
admiral to put himself in communica-
ton with Captain Sigsbee and learn his
needs at first hand. The business of
the navy department is getting back to
Its normal condition, as is evidenced by
the fact that an order has been issued
to discontinue the special telegram
service which was established with Kew
West, and hereafter the office at that
place will close at 10 o'clock at night as
formerly.
Commander Forsythe, the commandant
at Key West, has also asked permission
of the department to stop his daily bull
letins. and this has been granted, with
an understanding that he will report
any deaths that may occur among the !
sufferers in the hospital there To-day
ne reported that they were all getting |
along nicely. |
The exchange of official coincidence |
still continues. To-day Secretary Long
sent a telegram Is follows: TO Cap |
tam Eulate, commanding officer of the |
Spanish cruiser Vizcaya Tompkins- /
vile, y. Y: I have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your telegram |
OF confidence for the loss of the Maine
ana TO thank you for the expression of /
sympathy"
A similar response was made to a I
eaolegram from Vice Admiral Spann at
vienna, expressive of sympathy for the
terrible disaster to the Maine.
what threatened to be another inter-
national incident growing out of GER
tam alleged utterances by Lieutenant
Commander Sobral. has been dismissed
summarily as shown by the following
statement given out at the department
of state:
The department of state learns from
the Spanish charge d'affaires that Lieu
tenant Commander Sobral to whom
unfavorable utterances respecting the
discipline of the United States navy |
had been recently attributed in a news
paper interview, was relieved of his
functions as a naval attache TO the
Spanish legation in the United States
some time ago, his successor Lieuten
ant Commander Don Ramon Carranza
Reguera, having been appointed on
The 24th of January last in his capa-
city''
Steps have been taken by the navy
department to fill the vacancies in the
enlisted branch of the navy caused by
he loss of most of the crew of the
Maine. The legal quota is now about
700 short and arrangements have been
made for the immediate enlistment of
about that number of men. Tele-
graphic orders have been sent to the
'ecruiting officers in charge of the re-
'ruiting ships at New York. Phiiadel-
ma and Norfolk. authorizing them 10
mist Immediately 40 apprentices. 40
andsmen, 10 shipWrights IA machin-
sts. second class. and 40 coal passers.
lnese enilstments are in addition to |
nose previously authorized to COM
iete the crews of the monitors, Puri-
ar ana Terror, and the dispatch boat
loiphln. In each case it was specified
nat the recruits should be citizens Of
he United States.
numerous letters and teiagrams have
cen received at the department from
1diNidaals desiring to join the navy.
SKIING TO be enlisted Immediately 4 ,
elegfam was received this morning
rom an organization in Detroit offer ,
1e the immediate services of 10000 .
ltzens OF that city in case of war ,
atfletic offers also have been received {
rom other plarnS