The Globe-republican., 1898-03-31
WAS A MISSION OF PEACE.
Cement the Friendship Of Spain and
America-The President trusts
That tho Queen Regents
Justice will Cause
Proper Action.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The Pres
ident to-day sent the following mes


ITO the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit of the
Maine 10 Havana harbor onr consular rep
res entatives IOiI ted out the advantages to
now from the visit of national ships to the
Cuban waters in accuStoming the people to
th> presence OF our flag as the symbol of
good will and of our sh ps in the fulfllment
of the mission of protection to American
interest, even though no immediate need
there for m! ght exist.
'AccOrdin sly on the oath of January last,
after conference with the Spanish minister
m which the renewal of visit, Of our war
We ssels to Spanish waters was discussed
and accepted, the peninsular authorities
at NJ idtid and Havana we're advised of the
purpose of this government to resume
friendly naval visits 1t Cuban ports and
that in that view the Maine would forth
with call 4: 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 pr ncipal ports of the United States
Meanwhile the Maine entered the port
OF Havana on the 9th day of January, her
arrival being marked with no special Incl
dent besides the exchange of customary
salutes and Cere monial visits
The NJ line continued in the harbOr of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival No appreciable excite ment
attended her stay. Upon the contrary, a
feeling of relief and confidence followed the
resumpti N of the long intern pted friendly
intercourse. Sc noticeable was this imme-
dtate effect of her visit that the consul
general strongly urg.d that the presence
of our ships in Cuban waiers should he
kept up by retaining them at Havana. or.
in the event of her recall by sending there
avessei To take her placc.
THE EXPLOSION OF THE SHIP.
'.At forty minutes past 8 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 officers
and 260 of her crew perlShed, thoS, who
were not Killed outright by her explosion
being pe1ned between decks by the tangle
of wreckac. and drowned by the imme date
sinking of the hull Prompt assistance
was rendered by the neighboring " sselS an
Chored in the harbor. aid being especially
given b. the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Alphonso XII and the Ward line steamer
City of Wash in gton. lay not far dis
tant. TIE wounded were generously cared
for by the authorities OF Havana. the hos
pitfalls being freely opened to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies Oh the dead
were inferred by he mum cipality 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 car country with crushing force,
and for a brief time an intense excitement
prevailed. which. in community less just
and Self-Controlled than ours. might have
led to h asty acts of blind reese tment 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 judgment
as to the cause the responsibility and, If
the facts warranted. the re medy due.
This coursc necessarily recommend ID
itself from the outset to the executive for
only In The light of dispaSsiOlately ascer-
tanned certainty could il determine the ma
ture and measure of its fnll dat! in the
matter.
FAIR INVESTIGATION MADE.
This mode of procedure is proc. eded with
ir all cases of casualty or disaster to ma
tfOnal vessels of any maratime state.
naval court of inquiry was at once organ
lied. comp ,sed of officers we'll qualified by
Tau& and practical experience to discharge
the OnerouS duty i'm posed upon I hem. Aid ID
BY a strong force of VIZ ckerS and divers.
the court procee led to make a thorough
inveStigat on on the spot. employing every
available means for the impartial and ex-
act determination of the causes of the ex-
ploSiOn. Its operations have been conducted
with the utmost del .bera;ion and judgment
and while independently pursued no
source of information was neglected and
the fullest opportunity was allowed for
simultaneous Investigation by the Spanish
authorities.
PLACED BEFORE CONGRESS-
The finding of the court of inquiry was
nj
nous labor on the 2lst of March instant
and hav. ng been approved on the 22d by
the com n ander-ia- chief of the United
States naval force on the North Atlantic
station. was transmitted to the executive.
1t is here with laii before Congress to-day,
and herewith the vo;umiEouS testimony
taken before the court.
HOW THE MAINE WAS DESTROYED.
Its purport is in brief as follows: When
the Maine ar rived at Havana she was con-
Quoted by the regular government pilot to
buoy No L. TO which she was moored in
from five AMI one half to six fathoms of
water.
1.-The ,te of scipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers coal
passed in review. with tEc conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no indi-
cation of any cause for an internal explo-
sion exisced in any quarter
AT O'Clock in the evening of February
10 everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet
AT forty minutes past o'clock the ves-
eel was sud- .nly destroyed
There were two distinct explosions with
brief interval between them The first
lifted the forward part of the ship very
perceptibly 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-
cally intact and sank in that condition a
very few minutes after the explosion The
forward part was completely demolished.
Upon the evidence of concurre mt exter-
nal cause. the dnIing of the court Is a. fol.
lows:
SOME CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
s~Fhaf frame IT the outer shell of the