The Red Cloud chief., 1898-02-25
S%PAN1ARDS REJOICE.
ARE PLEASED OVER MAINE
DISASTER.


New YoRK, Feb. 90 "A dispatch
from Havana TO the New York Tri b-
une says:
Captain Gene raj Blanco and the
palace officials show every official
courtesy. Their sincerity is u~ndoubtcd,
&C great Is their anxiety. A special
effort is being made to discourage the
talk of the explosion being otherwise
than accidental. The newspapers give
prominence TO dispatches saying that
IL Is recognized in the United States
that the casualty was purely an acct
dent. Prominence Is also given to
Madrid dispatches quoting Sagasta
and other Spanish statesmen TO the eff.
feet That sympathy and sorrow have
caused friendly feeling between Spain
and the United States
REJOICING AMONG SPANIARDS.
Notwithstanding these u
from abroad, a painful impression is
caused Ia Cuba by the knowledge that
a considerable element among the
Spanish classes ~rejoices with little
secrecy over the disaster. IL instances
were isolated IL would not be import
ant Unfortunately the versified
cases are too many to support this
charitable view. In several places
Spanish army officers have drunk
toasts that other vessels Of the Ameri.
eau navy may follow the Maine. In
Matanzas, where m%uttcrings were
heard at the time OF the Moutgomery's
visit, tho L'Intransigient newspaper
La Region published an article
saying In substance that the calam-
ity to the Maine was q judgment
on the United States for sending q
ship to Havana rs IN afYcctionats
sign of sympathy toward the suffering
and heroic Spanish nation The tone
Is one Of mingled sarcasm and mock
coincidence. In n f%requentcd rcstaur-
ant In Havana, last night. on the bill
indicates the feeling OF q part OF the
populace, especially Of the volunteers.
While aware of these manifestations
Captain Sigsbee and Consul General
Lee concur in advising against send
ing further war vessels to Havana at
present
OFFICERS BELIEVE MINETHEORY
"The Maine is actually in ribbons,
but enough Of the vessel remains to
make possible n determination OF
whether the explosion came from
without OF from within. The officers
OF the Maine do o publicly discuss
the theory OF u submarine mine,
which may have been set Off by cx-
plosion, but it evidently has weight
with them. They are particularly
anxious for points to be gathered from
tho examination OF the plates of the
hull. Their belief Is that these will
have to establish whether the ex-
plosive force came from without or
not The nature Of the damage to the
port side has not been fully settled,
but the weight Of the opinion seems
to be that tho hole was made by an
external explosion.
Captain Sigsbee thinks that the
investigation to be made by him will
be completed in three days aud the
result laid before the court Of inquiry.
Special pains seem TO be taken to
gather facts which would help TO e.
tablish whether or not the destruction
could have been caused by a sub.
marine mine. The Spanish authorities
have an advantage on this point, for
they know whether the torpedo system
In the harbor has actual existence
and whether submarine mines we're
laid. but IL is not expected they will
disclose the sec refs Of the Havana
defenses to aid foreign Investigation.
Some persons believe that a plot was
carried out by Weyler's partisans and
that the secrets were disclosed TO con-
%spirators by the officials who were
with Weyler, and who, during his in
~cumbency, through their official posi-
ton, became possessed Of the informa-
ton. All this Is pure speculation,
without basis OF fact. Its only signi-
fcance is that the matter should be
discussed at all. The Names officers.
while not denying the possibility Of
IN accident, do not share the Spanish
admiral's off hand confidence tina. the
explosion came from within. 1t is
we'll for every body to await the Off.
cial investigation before accepting
that conclusion"
W. Il. ttons In Texas
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Feb 90 Tx