The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-26

inquiry appointed to investigate the
cause of the Maine disaster has re-
ported that the loss of the battleship
was due to an outside explosion The
state department by direction of the
president has cabled United States
Minister Woodford at Madrid to notify
the Spanish government of this con-
clusion. The president and his cabinet
advisers held two extended sessions to-
day, one at 1880 a. m. and another at
$3.50 p. m., at which the report was con-
sidered in detail. Members of the cabi-
net stated after the meetings that the
discussion was of a grave character.
and that never since the ~wrecking of
the Maine has the situation seemed so
critical. The Spanish government has
cabled officially to Washington that the
Spanish naval commission holds the
disaster to the Maine to be of internal
origin.
The government of Spain, ii can be
stated positively. is not disposed to turn
back the torpedo fleet now proceeding
from the Canaries. and would be dis
inclined to consider a suggestion from
this government to interfere with the
disposition by Spain of her own naval
forces. War preparations on an un-
precedented scale are being hurried to
completion by the war and navy de-
partments. and the country practically
is on a war footing.
The foregoing gives the record of one
of the most eventful days the national
capital has seen since the close of the
civil war 1t was a day of profoundly
anxiety, coupled with naval and mill
tary activity, one step following an
other i'm rapid succession. Representa-
tive men of the administration public
men in all branches of official and con-
gressional life, no less than the public
in general, shared in the tension to
which the situation has been wrought
There was no effort among the high
est officials, nor. indeed, was IL possible
from what was clearly apparent in the
developments of the day, to minimize
the situation.
The Most Vital Factor.
Viewed i'm detail. the finding of the
court of inquiry was the most vital
factor. Commander Mark, judge advo-
cate of the court of inquiry, delivered
the report to Secretary Long early this
morning, and shortly afterwards il
was carried to the white house and
placed in the hands of the president.
At 1880 the cabinet assembled half an
hour earlier than usual, and began the
consideration of the momentous docu-
ment. Even the rigid rules of secrecy
which prevail at cabinet meetings were
made doubly strict i'm this case. and no
intimation OF the results reached by the
court were known until 2 o'clock when
an associated press bulletin gave the
information to the country as well as
to the eagerly waiting officials through
out Washington. These results briefly
stated that the loss of the Maine was
due to an explosion from the outside,
the court being unable to fix the re-
sponsibility for the explosion. The
court does not express an opinion as to
the character of the explosion. but the
testimony goes to show that IL was a
powerful submarine mine. the exact
character of which was not determined.
though the belief was expressed that
ii was a floating submarine mine.
There were two explosions. the court
finds. The first was from the outside,
and that set off one of the smaller mag
azines. 1t was this result, expressed in
detail. and with the precision of a court
deeply conscious of its responsibility.
with the evidence upon which
IL was based, that occupied the atten-
tion of the cabinet throughout its ex-
tthtcu sCcciohS VI tUt anu
afternoon. All other subjects gave way
to this foremost question. There was
no change in the plan of making the
report public and transmitting IL TO
congress early next week, accompanied
by brief message from the president.
While interest was thus centered at
the white house. the navy and war
departments were hurrying forward
their work of preparations The ad-
vance Of the Spanish torpedo fiotilla
to receive the closest atten-
ton Of naval officials and while so far
as could be ascertained no definite line
OF action was determined upon, the
need of intercepting this fleet was
urged by the highest naval authorities
From the standpoint of the Spanish
government this movement is not a
having been decided upon
many weeks ago. On the contrary. the
Spanish government holds that the ex-
armament of the Dry Tortugas
Is a more direct hostile act against