The record-union., 1898-02-17
AT SPANISH LEGATION.
News Of the Maine Disaster Creates
Profound Regret.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-The news
of the Maine disaster was learned al
the Spanish Legation with horror ana
occasiored many expressions of pro-
found regret and coincidence. Early III
the day Senior Dubosie, the Spanish
Charge dAffaires, received message
from Captain General Blanco which
had been filed at Havana at o'clock
this morning 1t read as follows:
with profound regret I have to in
form you that the American ship Maine
| in this harbor blew up, an undoubted-
| ly chance accident believed TO result
| from an explosion of the boiler dynamo.
| Immedia tely following the accident all
| the disposable elements of the capital
| FASTENED to the spot to extend every
| aid possible. These included the force
of the marine fire brigade and all the
Generals in Havana, among them my
| chief OF staff. There have been deaths
! and many wounded. / have sent an
aide-de- camp to offer every assistance
| to the American Consul that he may
wish. 1 will forward further details as
| they become available
| Senior Duboise expressed the most
profound regret at the occurrence
Asked If the disaster possibly could
| have any adverse effect upon the rela-
! tons between Spain and the United
| States, he responded with decided
negative and the statement that the
affair was wholly an accident.
! Senior Dubosie FASTENED to the State
Department soon after receiving the
| Blanco cablegram, for the purpose Of
expressing his deep coincidence to the
| horifipc of N oat i.,cy ha
Captain Generals dispatch to Secretary
| Secretary To both of them he ex-
most profound regret.
| The members of the Spanish Lega-
ton called at the Navy Department
in the afternoon and left their indi-
vidual cards as an expression of their
personal coincidence.
| Up to 80 p. m. the Legation had
| not heard from Madrid. 1t is stated
that the delay doubtless was due TO
the fact that in a matter of this grav-
ity the Queen Regent herself would
send n. essage of sympathy and regret
and that this message would come
/ later
| The Spanish naval attache Senior So
bral, who is in New York, sent a tele-
gram to the Secretary of the Navy ex-
pressing his profound regret at the
news of the loss of so many naval COM
| panions.
| special official of long residence al
! Havana stated that the hour of the ac-
cident was the hour at which the ex-
citement at Havana was its hight Up
to midnight the theaters, cafes and
clubs are crowded and strangers take
the greatest interest in seeing the city
| at that time For this reason. he said
naval officers usually secured their
shore leave running from 8 to u
O'Clock. AT the same time the leave OF
the sailors was usually curtailed, as
| it was desired the seaman should not
participate in the excitement.
| The French ambassador NJ Cambon
TOOK early occasion to call at the State
| Department and express his deep regret
at the occurrence and loss of life.
AT the foreign establishments the &C.
currence was the one absorbing sub
Jeet of comment, and the expression
was general that, aside from it's mel
ancholy feature of death and destruc-
ton, 1t was profoundly unfortunate to
| the Spanish cause. owing to the natural
suspicious which uld arise
AT the Army and Navy Club and the
Metropolitan Club, two centers for the
army. navy and diplomatic circles. th..
same interest was manifested At these
| puDllc quarters there was an undercur-
rent or doubt and questioning as to the
coincidence as to this particular yes
sci at this particular time
REGRET AT MADRID.
MADRID, Feb. 16.-The following
semi official note has been issued:
The news of the disaster of the Maine
has caused painful Impression in Mad
RID. 1t was at first feared that there had
| been some act of imprudence to which
the catastrophe was attributable. After
| Continued on Eighth Pase.)