Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-04-01

two or more of the forward magazines
of the Maine.
). At frame l. the outer shell of the
ship, from a point eleven and one.half
feet from the middle line of the ship ana
six feet above the keel when in its nor
NAL position, has been forced up so as to
be now about four feet about the surface
of the water; thei iefore, about thirty
four feet above where it would be had
the ship sunk uniniured. The outside
bottom plating is bent into reversed v
shape, the after wing of which, about
fifteen feet broad and thirty feet in
length (from frame Il to frame 25), is
doubled back upon itself against the con
tinuation of the same plating extending
forward. At frame is the vertical keel
Is broken in two and the flat keel bent
into an angle similar to the angle formed
by the outside bottom plating. This
break is now about six feet below the
surface of the water and about thirty
feet above its normal position. In the
opinion of the court this effect could
have been produced only by the eXplo-
sion of mine situated under the bottom
of the ship at about frame Is and some
what on the port side of the ship.
6. The court finds that the loss of the
Maine on the occasion named was not in
any respect due to fault or negligence on
the part of any of tine officers or MEM
bers of the crew of said vessel
I. In the opinion of the court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
of a submarine mine, which caused the
partial explosion of two or more of her
forward magazines.
s. The court has been unable to obtain
evidence fixing the responsibility for the
son or persons.
w. Z. SAMPSON. Capt. L. :. n, Pres.
A. MARIN. Lieut.. Com. L. :. y. Judge
Advocate.
The court, having finished the inquiry
it was ordered to make, adjourned at II
a. N. to await the action of the conven-
ing authority.
w. r. SAMPSON, Capt. L. :. ". Pres.
A. MARIN. Lieut.. Com. L. :. ~, Judge
Advocate.
L. :. FLAGSHIP NEW YORK. March -,
1898. of Key West, Fla.
The proceedings and findings of the
court of inquiry In the above case are
approved NJ. SICARD. Rear Admiral,
Commander-in Chief of the L. ). Naval
Force on the North Atlantic Station.
spain to Aid Reconcentrados.
WASHINGTON, March 3l-The Spanish
legation here late last night received a
cablegram from the governor general of
Cuba saying that the captain general re-
ported the pacitiCation of the western
provinces so far advanced that it had
been directed to rescind the reconcentra-
do order in these provinces and allow all
subjects of this decree to return to their
homes in the country.
To aid in the re-establishment of the
reconcentradoes upon their farms the
cablegram states the government will
grant them the protection of the Spanish
military forces augmented by local relief
committees to look after their immediate
needs. Economic kitchens, it says, are
to he established to support the recon-
centradoes while waiting for their first
crops to mature and they are to be fur
nished farming implements and seeds by
the government.
TO supply them with ready money
such of them as are able will give en-
plOyment upon public works and it is
asserted by the authorities that these
measures will result in the speedy rehab-
litaton of the rural communities in the
western provinces.
This cablegram was not made public
till 80 this C1hursday) morning and
no official comment upon its significance
could be secured.
MADRID, March Midnight-At
the cabinet council Senor Murct read a
series of important documents relative
to the situation Of the recOncentradOs in
Cuba and the results of the efforts hither-
to made for their relief.
In view of these documents 'Seuor
Moret proposed and the council approved
an open credit OF 100000 pesatas, to be
placed at the disposition of Gen. Blanco
by cable, to be used in succoTing necessi-
tous reconcentrados and to facilitate
means of work for those willing to return
to their holdings, with the supply of need
full advances to enable them to till the
ground.
The documents read by Senor MOret
to show that the healthy recOncentradOs
, who were desirous of working could
|, find sufficient LABOR in the fields, but
that those who had lost their implements
or the small capital necessary to sustain
them for three months while waiting
; for the produce of their husbandry,
needed some kind of administrative or
. ganization more complex than the simple
distribution of food by commission Gre
, ated. This intention appeared also
! from the fact that many heads of fami-
lies had emlgrated, seeking work in the
> towns of Mexico and leaving abandoned
; wives and children, who remained with
: out resources, there being large numbers
, of children especially whose future mu't
! inspire the liveliest sympathy.
Senor Sagasta gave an account of the
conference with United States Minister