The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-28
M'KINLEY'S TAME MESSAGE
Says the Findings Will Be at
Once Laid Before the
Queen of Spain.
RELIES ON HER SENSE OF JUSTICE
Is Mark Hanna,s Man Afraid 2
Full Tex. OF Message
and Report.

WASHINGTON, March 2S, 1s9S.-The
President today 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 adVan,
tages to flow from the visit of national
ships to the Cuban waters, in accusIom-
ing the people to the presence OF our nag
as the symbol of good will and OF our
ships in the fulfllment of the mission OF
protection to American interest, even
though no immediate need therefor might
exist.
Accordingly. on the 24th of January last,
after conference with the Spanish Minis
ter, in which the renewal of visits OF our
war vessels to Spanish waters was dis
cussed and accepted, the peninsular au-
thorities at Madrid and Havana were ad-
vised of the purpose OF TINS Government
to resume friendly naval visits at Cuban
ports and that in that view the Maine
would forthwith call at the port of Ha-
vana. This announcement was received
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 Havana on
the 25th of January, her arrival Deing
marked with no special incident besides
the exchange of customary SaiuteS and
ceremonial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival No appreciable excitement
attended her stay on the contrary, feel
ing of relief and confidence followed the
resumption of the long interrupted friend
ly intercourse. So noticeable was this
immediate effect of her visit that the
sConsuI-General strongly urged that the
presence of our ships in Cuban waters
Should be kept up by retaining the Maine
at Havana, or in the event of her. recall
by sending another vessel there to take
her place.
AT forty minutes past night in the even
ing of the fifteenth 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 officers and two hundred and sixty
four of her crew perished, those VINO
were not killed outright by her explosion
being penned between decks by the tangle
of wreckage and drowned by the imme-
diate sinking of the hull. Prompt assist
ance was rendered by the neighboring
vessels anchored in the harbor aid being
especially given by the boats of the
Spanish cruiser Alphonso XII and the
Ward Line steamer Gity OF 4hs Masnimgadoni nngded
were generously cared for by the authorl-
ties of Havana, the hospitals being freely
opened to them. while the earliest ssa,lea re,
by the municipality in a public cemetery
in the city. Tributes of grief and sym
pathy We're offered from all o1nclal quar-
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force, and for brief time an intense eX-
citement prevailed which in a community
less just and self-controlled than ours
might have led to hasty acts of blind re-
sentiment. This spirit, however soon
gave way to the calmer processes of rea-
son and to the resolve to investigate the
facts and await material proof before
forming Judgment M as to foo the earss tne
the remedy due. This course necessar-
lily recommended itself from the outset to
the Executive, for only IN the light grtofnta OF
could it determine the nature and meas
ure of its full duty in the matter. Inc
usual procedure was followed, as IN an
cases of casualty to disaster to ma
tional vessels of any maritime state.
naval court of inquiry was at once or
ganized composed of officers well quail
discharge the onerous duty imposed upon
them. Aided by a strong force of wreck
make a thorough investigation on the
spot, employing every available means for
the impartial and exact determination of
the causes of the explosion. Its opera
tions have been conducted with the ut
most deliberation and judgment. and
while independently pursued no source of
information was neglected and the fullest
opportunity was allowed for a simultan-
eous investigation by the Spanish authori-
ties.
reached after twenty-three days of con-
tinuous labor, on the 2lst of March in
slant, and having been approved on the
22d by the Commander-in-Chief of the
United States naval force on the North
Atlantic station was submitted to the Elk
ecutive
It is herewith laid before Congress, to-
gether with the volumnious 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 buoy No. 4, to which she was
moored in from five and one-half to six
fathoms of water.
The state of discipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers, coal
bunkers and storage compartments are
passed in review, with the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no in
dication of any cause for an internal ex-
plosion existed in any quarter.
At o'clock in the evening of February
Is everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet.
At forty minutes past nine o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions with
a brief ir rival between them. The first
lifted tz-4419rward part of the ship very
perceptibly; the second, which was more
open, prolonged and of greater volume, is
attributed by the court to partial explo-
sion of two or more Of the forward maga-
zines.
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was prac-l
tically intact and sank in that condition
very few minutes after the explosion.
The forward part was completely demol-
Upon the evidence of concurrent ex-
ternal cause the finding of the court is as
At frame II the outer shell of the ship,
from point eleven and one-half 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 thirty-four
feet a|boye where 1t would be had the ship
<-.--< l. ~lxL<4 In 111rr r<cA