Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-04-07
M'KINLEY'S MESSAGE.
Expected Statement on the Maine
Report Transmitted to Congress.
No Recommendation Made and No Action
Asked FOr--Malne Sent to Havana on
Gen. LeO's Re0uest-Her Mis-
sion One of Peace.


WAsHINGToN, March 29.-The presi'
dent yesterday sent the following mes.
sage to congress-;
To the Congress OF the United States:
For some time prior to the visit OF the Maine
TO Havana harbor our consular representatives
pointed out the advantages to flow from the
visit Of national ships to the Cuban waters In ac-
customing the people to the presence OF our flag
as the symbol OF good will and OF our ships in the
fulhllment OF the mission Of protection to
American interests, even though no immediate
need therefor might exist Accordingly on tne
Gath Of January last after comforting with the
Spanish minister, in which the renewal OF visits
OF our war vessels to Spanish waters was dis
cussed and accepted, the peninsular authorities
ut Madrid and Havana were advised OF the pur-
pose of this government to resume friendly
naval visits Mt Cuban ports and that In that
view the Maine would forthwith call at the
port of Havana This announcement was re-
ceived by the Spanish government with appre-
citation OF the friendly character Of the visit of
the Maine and with notification Of intention to
return the courtesy by sending Spanish ships
to the principal ports OF the United States.
Meanwhile, the Maine entered the port OF Ha-
vana on the 25th OF January, her arrival being
marked with no special incident besides the
exchange Of customary salutes and ceremonial
| visits.
The Maine continued In the harbor of Ha-
| vana during the three weeks following her ar
| rival No appreciable excitement attended her
stay; on the contrary, a feeling OF relief and
confidence followed the resumption Of the long
interrupted friendly intercourse So noticeable
was this immediate effect OF her visit that the
consul general strongly urged that the presence
of our ships in Cuban waters should be kept up
/ s..a L. h..
of her recall, by sending another vessel there
to take her place
At 9:4O in the evening of the 18th OF February
the Maine was destroyed by an explosion, by
which the entire forward part OF the ship was
utterly wrecked. In this catastrophe two OH
GERS and 200 Of her crew persisted, those who
were not killed outright by her explosion being
| penned between decks by the tangle Of wreck
age and drowned by the immediate sinking OF
| the hull. Prompt assistance was rendered by
the neighboring vessels anchored in the har-
Dor, aid being especially given by the boats OF
the Spanish cruiser Alphonso XII and the
Ward line steamer City Of Washington which
lay not far distant The wounded were gener-
| ously cared for by the authorities OF Havana,
the hospitals being freely opened to them,
while the earliest recovered bodies Of the dead
were inferred by the municipality in public
cemetery in the city. Tributes Of grlefand SYM
patty were offered from all official quarters Of
the island.
The appalling calamity fell upon the people
of our country with crushing force and for
| brief time an intense excitement prevailed,
which In community less just and self-con-
troled than ours, might have led to hasty acts
OF blind resentment This spirit, however,
soon gave way to the calmer processes Of reason
and to the resolve to investigate the facts and
| tI,n al oaN hot a
| judgment as to the cause, the responsibility,
and, il the facts warranted, the remedy due.
This course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive for only in the
light Of dispassonately ascertained certainty
| could IL determine the nature and measure OF
| its full duty in the matter.
The usual procedure was followed as In all
cases Of casualty or disaster to national YES
seis OF any maritime state. A naval court OF
| inquiry was Mt once organized, composed OF of
hcers well qualified by rank and practical eX-
perlence to discharge the onerous duty imposed
upon them Aided by strong force Of wreck
ers and divers the court proceeded to make
thorough investigation on the spot employing
! every available means for the impartial and
exact determination OF the causes Of the explo-
| sion.
The finding of the court Of inquiry was
reached after % days Of continuous labor on
the 21st of March, instant, and having been ap-
proved on the POD by the commander-in-chei
OF the United States naval force on the north
| Atlantic station, was transmitted to the exec
utive 1t is herewith laid before the congress
to-day with the voluminous testimony taken
before the court. Its purport is, in brief, as
| follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana she was
conducted by the regular government pilot to
i h,,o No A 70 unit cha xyo in
BIZ to six fathoms of water. The state Of dis.
ciplne on board and the condition Of her maya
| zines boilers coal bunkers and storage COM
partments are passed In review with the con-
clusion that excellent order prevailed and that
no indication of any cause for an internal eX-
posion existed in any quarter
| AT eight o'clock in the evening OF February
Is everything had been reported secure and all
was quiet. At 40 minutes past nine o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed
There were two distinct explosions, with
brief interval between them. The first lifted
the forward part OF the ship very perceptibly;
the second, which was more prolonged, is at
tributed by the court to the partial explosion
of two or more Of the forward magazines. The
| evidence OF the divers establishes that the
after part Of the ship was practically intact and
sank in that condition q very few minutes after
the explosion. The forward part was COM
petey demolished.
Upon the evidence Of concurrent external
cause the finding Of the court is as follows:
At frame II the outer shell OF the ship, from
point llh feet from the middle line Of the
ship and six feet above the keel when In its
normal position. has been forced up so as to be
now about four feet above the surface OF the
water; therefore. about "a feet above where II
would be had the ship sunk uninjured
At frame 10 the vertical keel is broken in two
and the keel bent into an angle similar to the
angle formed for the outside plates. This
break is about six feet below the surface Of the
water and about 20 feet above its normal posi-
| tion. In the opinion Of the court this effect
| could have been produced only by the explosion
| of mine situated under the bottom Of the ship
| at about frame IS and somewhat on the port
side of the ship
The conclusions OF the court are: That the
loss OF the Maine was not In any respect due to
fault or negligence on the part of any OF the
officers or members Of her crew. that the ship
was destroyed by the explosion OF submarine
mine which caused the partial explosion OF
two or more OF her forward magazines; AMI
that no evidence has been obtainable fixing
the responsibility for the destruction OF the
Maine upon any person or persons.
have directed that the finding Of the court
Of inquiry and the views of this government
thereon be communicated to the government OF
her majesty, the queen, and I do not permit
myself to doubt that the spnse Of justice OF the
Spanish nation will dictate course Of action
suggested byhonor and the friendly relations OF
the two governments
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.