Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-31
WAS A MISSION OF PEACE.
The BsttIeShIp Was Sent to Havana to
Cement the Friendship of Spain and
AmerIca-The President Trusts
That the Queen Regents
Justice Will Cause
Proper Action.

sage to Congress:
ITO the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit of the
Maine to Havana harbor onr consular rep
res entatives pointed out the advantages to
flow from the visit of national ships to the
Cuban watr = in accustoming the people to
the presence Of our flag as the symbol OF
good will and of our ships In the fulallment
of the mission of protection to American
interests, even though no immediate need
therefor might exist.
Accordingly on the Gath of January last,
after conference with the Spanish minister
in which the renewal of visits of 'ur war
We ssels to Spanish waters was discussed
and accepted, the penlnsular authorities
at Madrid and Havana were advised of the
purpose of this government to resume
friendly naval visits at Cuban ports and
that in that view the Maine would forth
with call at the port of Havana
SPAIN SHOWED APPRECIATION.
'This announcement was received by the
Spanish government with appreciation 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 2oth day of January, her
arrival being marked with no special Incl
dent besides tle exchange of customary
salutes and ceremonial visits.
''The Maine continued in the harbor of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival No appreciate excitement
attended her stay. Upon the contrary, a
feeling of relief and confidence followed the
resumption of the long interrupted friendly
intercourse. So noticeable was this imme-
diate effect of her visit that the consul
general strongly urged that the presence
of our ships in Cuban waters should be
kept up by retaining them at Havana, or
in the event of her recall, by sending there
vessel to take her place.
THE EXPLOSION OF THE SHIP.
AT forty minutes past in the evening
on the 18th of February the Maine was de-
stroyed by an explosion, by which the en-
tire forward part of the ship was utterly
wrecked. In this catastrophe two Oficers
and 260 of her crew persisted, those who
were not killed outright by her explosion
being penned between decks by the tangle
of wreckags and drowned by theimmediate
sinking of the hull Prompt assistance
was rendered by the neighboring vessels an
chored in the harbor, aid being especially
given by the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Alph XII and the Ward line steamer
City of Washington, whichlay not far dis
tanL The wounded were generously cared
for by the authorities of Havana the hos
pitfalls being freely opened to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies of the dead
were inferred by The municipality in pub
lie cemetery in the city. The tributes of
grief and sympathy were offered from all
official quarters OF the island.
THE NATION HELD ITSELF IN CHECK.
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-controlled 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 re-
solve to investigate the fac Is and await the
material proof before forming a judgment
as to the cause, the responsibility and if
the facts warranted, the remedy due.
This course necessarily recommended
itself from the outset to the executive, for
only in the light of dispaSslonately ascer-
tanned certainty could 1t determine the ma
ture and measure of its fnll duty in the
matter
FAIR INVESTIGATION MADE.
"This mode of proccdnrS is proceede with
in all cases of casualtJ or disaster to ma
tional vessels of any maratime state. A
naval court of inquiry was at once organ
lied, composed of officers we'll qualified BY
the Onerous duty i'm posed upon them. Aid ID
by strong force OF wr ckers and divers,
the court procee led to make a thorough
investigation on the spot, employing every
available means for the impartial and ex-
act determination of the causes of the ex-
plosion. It's operations have been conducted |
with the utmost delberalion and Judgment |
and, while independently pursued. no
source of information was neglected and |
the fullest opportunity was allowed for a
simultaneous investigation by the Spanish |
authorities.
PLACED BEFORE CONGRESS-
"The finding OF the court of inquiry was |
re ached after twenty three days of contin- |
uous labor. on the 21st of March instant, |
and having been approved on the 22d by |
the commander-in- chief of the United |
States naval force on the North Atlantic |
station, was transmitted to the executive. |
1t is herewith laid before Congress to-day, |
and herewith the volumiEous testimony |
taken before the court
HOW THE MAINE WAS DESTROYED.
Its purportis in brief as follows: when
the Maine arrived at Havana she was con-
Quoted by the regular government pilot to
buoy No. 4, to which she was moored in
from five and ne.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 indi-
cation of any cause for an internal explo-
sion 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 9 o'clock the ves-
sci was suddenly destroyed
There were two distinct explosions. with
a brief interval between them The first
lifted the forward part of the ship very
perceptlbly. the second. which was more
prolonged. is attributed by the court to the
partial explosion of two or more of the Tor
ward magazines
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was practi-
caly Intact and sank In that condition a
very few minutes after the explosion. The
forward part was completely demolished
Upon the evidence of concurrs Mt exter-
mai cause. the hncing of the court is as fol-
lows:
SOME CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
THAT frame H. the outer shell of the
ship, from point eleven and one-half feet
from the middle line of ne ship and six
aaf a hfrra he aaI L IA