The Indianapolis journal., 1898-02-25
Bodies Recovered from the Wreck S0
MutiIated They Cannot Be
Sent to This Country.
MOVEMENTS OF WAR SHIPS
CRUISER MINNEAPOLIS AND MONITOR
TERROR READY FOR DUTY.
Gossip About Admiral Sicard's Sue
.cessor-BiII for Relief of Sufferers
First Application for Pension.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.-Rumors of
startling disclosures in the wreck of the
! Maine were less frequent, but there were
! enough of them still afioat to-day to war
rant Secretary Long in making this state
| ment to the newspaper men as he left mis-
| office: Summing up the situation, l should
say that the Navy Department knows to-
| day nothing more about the cause of the
| disaster than it did five minutes after the
receipt of the first dispatch from Captain
Sigsbee.'
The secretary's attention was drawn to
| the published statement that Capt. Crown
inshield, chief of the Bureau of Navigation,
has just arrived at Tampa, Fla, on the
| MONTGOMERY from a trip to Cuba, where
he had been inspecting prospective coaling
stations near Matanzas. The secretary's
| comment was simply this: Capt Crown
| inshield has not been to Cuba. lie has been
off with his boy on matters not in any wise
| connected with the business of the navy.
Secretary Long further said that he rather
expected to see Captain Crowninshield to-
morrow.
Until the conclusion of the investigation
of the court of inquiry the principal bus
mess of the Navy Department in connec-
| llOn WlIn the MdlnG Will ICldlC W NhN SoiiF
duct of the wrecking operations. Captain
| Lemly, the judge advocate general, who
has this branch of the work Immediately
in charge, to-day received kilograms from
the Merritt and Chapman Wrecking Com
pany, at New York, stating that the steam
er Merritt and wrecking lighter Sharpe had
sailed for Havana and that the tug Under
writer with the chief, would leave New
York Saturday for the same place. The
| assistant wrecking master was going to
Havana on the Ward line steamer Saturday
and it was suggested to the department
that it's inspector should take the same
steamer. Inasmuch as Lieutenant Com
mander Kimball, who is now at Havana,
has been assigned to the duty of inspect
ing the wrecking operations, it will not be
necessary to observe this suggestion.
CAPT. SIGSBEE'S DISPATCH.
The only exact information received by
the Navy Department from Havana dur
ing the day was conveyed in Capt. Sigs-
bees telegram, as follows:
"The wrecking tug Right Arm arrived
yesterday and began work to-day. Much
encumbering metal must be blasted away
| in detail. The navys divers have been down
in the aft part of the ship seven days, and
forward four days. The bodies of Jenkins
| and Merritt have not been found. Two un-
identified bodies of the crew were found
yesterday The aft compartment is filled
with detached, broken and buoyant furni-
ture, and fittings. mud and confusion. The
! Spanish authorities continue offers of as
! sistance and care for wounded and dead.
| Everything that goes from the wreck to
| the United States should be disinfected
The wrecking company should provide for
4 1T,
| sultng with others, recommended that all
bedding and clothing should be abandoned.
They might go to the acclimated poor. Use
| less fittings and equipments might be towed
to sea. and thrown overheard. Will take all
immediate responsibility. but invite de-
| partment's wishes. Shall old metal of sup
| erstructure and like be saved? Friends of
! dead should understand that we are in the
! tropics Chaplain Chadwick is charged with
| all matters relative to the dead. His con-
/ duct is beyond praise. Don't know what
reports are being printed, but the intense
| ly active representatives of the press here
have been very considerate of me and my
position.
Secretary Long Immediately answered
| Captain Sigsbee approving all his recon-
mendations. He was directed to have Lieut.
| Wainwright, the executive officer of the
| Maine, make arrangements with the wreck
ers for the disinfection of everything sent
| to the United States. The recommendation
that all bedding and clothing be abandoned.
| and if need be. given to the acclimated
poor, was approved without comment. The
| same approval was given to the suggestion
that useless fitting and equipment be towed
| to and thrown overheard il being left
to Captain Sigsbees judgment to determine
I
ried on.
TO the captains inquiry as to the saving
| of old metal and parts of the superstruc-
ture, the answer was given that such ma
terial was of no use to the Bureau Of
Equipment. 1t was left to Captain Sigsbee
TO say what of this scattered material was
worth preserving. His statement that
much blasting will be required to clear
away encumbering material. indicates that
! it is essential further TO destroy the upper
| portions of the wreck in order to get at
what is more valuable beneath.
! Captain Sigsbee's statement that the div
ers have been down aft seven days and for
ward four days, gave the Navy Depart
ment the first information of the time that
the divers had been in the vicinity of the
zone of the explosion" as he termed IT,.
! This zone is confined TO the forward part
of the ship. and while the divers have been
| down aft for the last week their work for
ward in the vicinity of the large magazine
has been in progress only four days, which
presumably began OF Monday and included
to-day.
| BODIES TERRIBLY MUTILATED.
The statement in the sigsbee dispatch that
| friends of the dead should understand we
are in the tropics" is understood at the
! Navy Department to refer TO the urgent
pleas of relatives OF the dead that they be