Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-28
TO-DAY'S TELEGRApHIC NEWS
Presidents nfessage to CONGRESS.

Presidents Message to Congress.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 28.-The Presi-
dent o-day sent the following message
to Congress:
To the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit of
the Maine to Havana hsrbor our con-
sular representatives pointed out the
advantages to flow from the visit of ma
tional ships to the Cuban waters, in &C
customing the people to the presence
of our flag as the symbol of good will
and OF our ships in the fulfillment of
the mission of protection to American
interests, even though no immediate
need therefor might exist.
Accordingly, on the Oath of January
last, after a conference with the Span
ish minister in which the renewal OF
visits of our war vessels to Spanish
waters was discussed and accepted, the
peninsula authorities at Madrid and
Havana were advised of the purpose OF
this government to resume friendly
naval visits at Cuban ports and that in
that view the Maine would forthwith
call at the port of Havana. This an
nouncement wns received by the
Spanish government with appre-
citation 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 principal ports of the United States.
Meanwhile the Maine entered the port
of Havana on the 25th of January, her
arrival being marked with no special
incident besides the exchange OF Gus
tomary salutes and ceremonial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor
of Havana during the three weeks fol-
lowing her arrival. No appreciate ex-
element attended her stay; on The con-
trary feeling of relief and confidence
followed the resumption of the long in
terrupted friendly intercourse. So no.
ticeable was this immediate effect of
her visit that the Consul General strong
ly urged that the presence of our ships
in Cuban waters should be kept up by
retaining the Maine at Havana, or, in
the event of her recall, by sending an
other vessel there to take her place.
At $40 in the evening Of February
Is the Maine was destroyed by an eX-
plosion, by which the entire forward
part of the ship was utterly wrecked.
In this catastrophe two officers and 264
of her crew persisted, those who were
not killed outright by her explosion
being penned between decks by the
tangle of wreckage and drowned by
the immediate sinking OF the hull.
Prompt assistance was rendered by the
neighboring vessels anchored in the
harbor, aid being especially given by
the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Alphonso XII and the Ward
Line steamer City of Washington,
which lay not far distant. The
wounded were generously cared for by
the authorities Of Havana, the hospit-
ais being freely opened to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies Of the
dead were inferred by the municipality
10 public cemetery in the city. Trib-
utes of grief and sympathy were OF.
fered from all official quarters of the
island.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force aud for brieftime an intense ex-
element prevailed, which in q com
munity less just and self controlled than
ours might have led to hasty acts of
blind resentment. This spirit, however,
soon gave way to the calmer processes
of reason and to the resolve to investi-
gate the fact and await material proof
before forming judgment as to the
cause, the responsibility and, if the facts
warranted, the remedy due. This
course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the Executive for
only in the light of dispassionately
ascertained certainty could it determine
the nature and measure of its full duty
in the matter.
The usual procedure was followed, as
in all cases of casualty or disaster to
national vessels of any maritime State.
A naval court of inquiry was at once
organized composed of officers well
qualified by rank and practical expert
ence to discharge the onerous duty i'm
posed upon them. Aided by strong
force of wreckers and divers the court
proceeded TO make thorough investi-
CATION on the spot, employing every
available means for the impartial and
exact determination OF the causes of the
explosion. Its operations have been
conducted with the utmost delberation
and judgment and while independently
pursued no source of information was
neglected and the fullest opportunity
was allowed for simultaneous invesli-
CATION by the Spanish authorities.
The finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after twenty three days of
continuous labor, on the 2lst of March
instant, and having been approved on
the 22nd by the Commander ia Chief of
the U. S. naval force on the North At
lantic station was transmitted to the
executive.
1t is herewith laid before the Con-
gress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court.
Its purport is, in brief as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
eminent pilot to buoy No, 4 to which
she was moored in from five and one
half to six fathoms of water.
The State of discipline on board aud
the condition of her magazines, boilers,
coal buukers and storage compartments
are passed in review, with the conclu-
sion that excellent order prevailed and
that no indication of any cause for an
internal explosion existed in any quart
or.
80 o,a1;,0 IF Eah.