Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-30
A SPECIAL MESSAGE.
President Reviews Work OF
Board of Inquiry.
Has Communicated the findings t
Spanish Government.

Washington, d. c., March 2S.-The
President today sent the following mes
sage to Congress:
To the Congress of the United States:
| For some time prior to the visit of the
Maine TO Havana harbor our consular
| representatives pointed out the advantages
! to flow from the visit of our ma
| tiOnal ships to the Cuban waters in ac
customing the people to the presence of
our flag as the symbol of good will and
| III the futillment Of the mission of pro-
tectiCn to American interests, even though
! no immediate need therefor might exist.
Accordingly, on the Oath of January
| last. after conference with the Spanish
! minister, in which the renewal of visits
of our war vessels TO Spanish waters
! was discussed and accepted, the PENN
suIar authorities at Madrid and Havana
! were advised of the purpose of this gov
! eminent to resume friendly naval visits
| ut Cuban ports, and in that view the
Maine would forthwith call at the port
! Of Havana
This announcement was received by
| the Spanish government with apprecia-
| ton OF the friendly chara cter of the visit
! OF the Maine and with notification of in
! tentiOn 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 18th
Of January, her arrival being marked
with no special incident besides the eX-
change of customary saiutes and ceremO-
nlal visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor of
| Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival. No appreciate excitement
attended her stay. On the contrary a
feeling of relief and confidence followed
the resumption of the long-interrupted
friendly intercourse.
SO noticeable was this Immediate effect
oh vic III h.,
ly urged that the presence of our ships in
Cuban waters should be kept up by re-
tanning the men at Havana, or, in the
| event of her recall, by sending a vessel to
take her place.
At forty minutes past 9 on the even
ing Of the 10Th Of February the Maine
was destroyed by an explosion, by which
the entire forward part Of the ship was
utterly wrecked. In this catastrophe two
officers and 260 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
III the harbor, aid being especially
cruiser Alfonso XIII. 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 hospitals being freely opened
to them, while the earliest recovered
municipality in a public cemetery in the
city. Tributes of grief and sympathy
were offered from all official quarters of
the island.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing force,
and for a brief time an intense excite
ment prevailed, which in a community
less just and self-cortrolled than ours
might have lee to hasty acts of blind re-
sentiment. This spirit however, soon
gave way to the calmer processes of rea-
son, and to the resolve to investigate
the facts and await the material proof be-
fore forming Judgment as to the cause,
the responsibility, and Gf the findings
warranted IT. the remedy due. This
course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive. for
only in the light of dispassionately as
certained certainty could it determine
the nature and measure of it's full duty
in the matter.
The usual procedure was followed, as
in all cases of casualty or disaster to ma
tional vessels of any maritime state. A
naval court OF inquiry was at once organ
lied, composed of officers well qualified
by rank and practical experience to dis
charge the onerous duty imposed upon
them. Aided by a strong force of wreck
ers and divers the court proceeded to
spot, employing every available means
for the impartial and exact determna-
ton of the causes Of the explosion.
It's operations have been conducted with
the utmost deliperation and Judgment
and while independently pursued no source
of information Was neglected, and the
fullest opportunity was allowed for a
simultaneous investigation by the Spanish
authorities
The finding of the court of inquiry was
reached after tWentythree days Of con-
tinuOus labor. on the Dist of March in
slant, and having been approved on the
22d by the cOmmander-in-chie of the
United States naval force on the North
Atlantic station, was transmitted to the
executive.
1t is herewith laid before the Con-
gress, together with the voluminous testi-
mony taken before the court. it's purport
is in brief as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular govern
ment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which she
was moOred III from so to S fathoms of
water.
The state of discipline on board and the
condition Of her magazines, boilers, coal
bunkerS and storage compartments are
passed IN review with the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and no indication
of any cause for an internal explosion ex-
listed in any quarter. At s o'clock on the
evening of February Is, everything had
been reported secure and all was quiet.
At 40 minutes past 9 o'clock the vessel
was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions,
with brief interval between them. The
first lifted the forward part Of the ship
more prolonged, is attributed by the court