The San Francisco call., 1898-03-04

| night, ana Will De Tetdl1leO HeIe c1'o d V serve force.
 Great activity is observed in all the | military store houses in the city ID the magazines supplying Morro Castle 1 a double force of men is working night and day loading shells and getting pro- 1 jectiles into shape for rapid handling. Work is also being hurried on the new | Notifications along shore to the east of Morro Castle.
 General Lee is asked daily by Ameri- cans if it is advisable for them to re- main in Havana. He replies that he sees no indication that American lives are threatened by the populace, but that, knowing the facts of the case and the weight of their own interests here, Americans should judge for themselves whether the situation is grave enough to necessitate their departure. He adds that he comes and goes alone from the consulate to his hotel without hearing even an insulting word. His intimate friends know that he is always pre- pared for any emergency. One of his pistols was stolen a week ago, but was replaced by Virginian friend.
 The fact that the thief left valuable jewelry behind made it appear like an attempt to disarm Lee.
 While Lee has not been insulted in streets and has been treated with cour- tesy, efforts to intimidate him have not been wanting. I know the following Is true in detail, and it is regarded as an exchange of threats or jokes, accord ing to ones view of the situation of an American On the day before the Maine came to Havana word was sent to Lee that when the ship arrived five Spaniards had decided to go to his room in the Ingleterra Hotel and tell him they had come to escort him to the Maine.
 The Consul replied: Tell them they had better send more. I'll kill the first five"
 He laughed as he said it. He was one of the best shots at West Point in his day.
 Stories of this kind showing the feel ings of some of Havana's population toward Americans are heard frequent ly. On the Stock Exchange yesterday broker asked a group if they had heard the latest concerning the Viz caya They asked what it was and he replied that the cruisers officers and men were to have no shore leave for fishing, as there was nothing in the bay to catch but dead Yankees.
 It is but fair to say that such re- marks are exceptional and that open and hostile remarks are confined to the volunteers and the lower classes. These form admiring groups on the piers nearest the Vizcaya, and compare her with the Maine, using no choice lan- guage concerning the ill-fated battle ship.
 A prominent American, whose knowl- edge of military affairs Is great and who enjoys the confidence of the United States Government, discussed the out lok with me last night. He said the Spanish officers seemed utterly incap- able of understanding the position in which Havana would be placed in case of hostilities. In his own opinion the city was utterly at the mercy of a for eign fleet from a lack of strong squad ron of defense, and sufficiently strong shore batteries, and certainly the cut ting off of the food supply from the United States would mean famine in case of blockade. He said Spain must lose Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip pines, and have the coast cities of the peninsula itself laid waste in case of war, yet there was but one available warship at hand, a crippled army and the insurgents active near Havana.
 The Spanish officers express confi- dence in their ability to defeat the United States. Spaniards prominent in civil life and volunteers are not so con- fident. A colonel of volunteers said re- gently it was sad to think that Blanco, with his past high record as soldier, was foredoomed to have the word failure" written on his closing career.
 The work Is beginning to tell on the American divers. Several are affected with nose bleeding and ear trouble from remaining too continuously under water Olsen of the Iowa some days has been down four hours in the morn ing and four in the afternoon. He is regarded as wonderful submarine workman. He tolls among the wreck age for hours, carrying immense weights which would soon exhaust the ordinary man above water. He is a giant in strength.
 A naval officer here to-day, in reply 10 d suggestion that II was pity such an important decision as the verdict of the court of inquiry into the Maine explosion should rest solely upon the testimony of the divers, who seemed men of only average intelligence, re- | piled:
 ''The court of inquiry has not had to | depend upon divers testimony alone. '' l then, realizing that he had said more l than he intended, the officer resumed | his habitual reserve. It is believed l that the testimony of Com mander Wainwright was highly inn portant, as bearing on the question of the existence of submarine mines. The Government has employed an expert | photographer, now in Havana, who will send to the Navy Department in Wash ington photographs of armor plates and different portions of the wreck imme- diately upon recovery from the water THE SPANISH DIVERS
 TO MAKE REPORT,