New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
MAINE OFFICERS HEARD.
THEY TALK WITH THE PRESIDENT AND
SECRETARY LONG.
NO REPORT FROM THE COURT OF lN0uhei
BROUGHT BY THEM-GOoD PROSPECTS OF
SECURING THE SAN MARTINo AND THE
o'HIGGrNs-DEFENcE PREPARA-
TroNs CONTINUE ACTIVELY.
fnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. !

TIONS CONTINUE ACTIVELY.
fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBrNEI
Washington. March 19.-The arrival this
morning in Washington Of three OF the commis-
stoned officers on duty on the battle-ship Maine
/ at the time of the fatal explosion in Havana
Harbor and their presentation TO Secretary Long
and later to the President gave rise to passing
/ runors that the head Of the party. Lieutenant
/ Blow, had brought with him from Key West a
/ partial report from the Sampson Board Of In
! Cuiry. now in session there. These runlors. al
though circulated with some persistency, were
! promptly dsCredted by official denals. the fact
/ being that both Lieutenant Blow and his com
| panions Lieutenants Holman and Catlin, had
simply come North on leave Of absence, and only
called on the Secretary TO tell him of their per-
| sonal experiences on board the Inflated Maine.
Another important arrival from Havana and
! Key West was Naval Constructor Hoover. who
was sent by Secretary Long to Cuba two
! weeks ago to make a technical inspection Of the
wrecked batte-ship. Mr.. Hoover had charge OF
! much Of the work on the Maine. and his intimate
! knowledge OF her structure and designs eminent
/ ly fitted him 20 aid in preparing drawings OF the
Z present state Of the wreck Constructor Hoover
may have given the Secretary his own views
about the causes which led TO the Names de-
struction. but these views were purely personal
and were not intended 10 reflect or anticipate the
/ findings of the Sampson Court
The Sampson report as was said In these dis
patches yesterday. is not likely to be received
here before the middle OF the week. and the date
Of IT'S transmission to Congress is uncertain
MAY SECURE TWO MORE WARSHIPS.
Late In the day the prospects became much
brighter for the acquisition by the Unlted
States OF two exceptionally fine foreign war
ships, the armored cruisers San Martlno belong
ing TO the Argentine Republic. and the O'Hig-
gins. belonging to Chill. The hope OF getting
these ships had been almost given up, but cable
dispatches received to-day from Commander
Brownson. in London made the outlook more
encouraging Up to the close OF office hours the
actual purchase had not been concluded but Il
high official summed up the situation by saying
that the negotiations were getting very hot
The San Martino originally built for the
Italian Government and was then known as the
Varese. but since her purchase by Argentina
she has been renamed. Her dimensions are;
Length 32S feet; BEAM 80 feet draught, "a
feet; displacement. OSLO tons; horse power,
1900: speed, 1905 knots. Her armament is
two S-inch rapid d-nre guns mounted in bar
bettes and protected by hoods; ten 6-inch quick
fire guns in a central redoubt six 4.l-nch quick
fire guns on the upper deck. and twenty-five
smaller quick-hre guns on the upper deck All
the guns on the upper deck are protected by
shell shields
The O'Higgins is an armored cruiser of $500
tons built at Elswick. Her dimensions are:
Length 400 feet: beam. 62 feet: draught. % feet:
contract speed. 21h knots Her armament con-
sists Of four S-inch. ten 6-inch. and four A.
inch Armstrong guns; eight 12-pounders, ten g.
FOUNDERS and four submerged torpedo tubes.
Her protective deck is a belt OF Harveyized steel
seven inches thick. Her gunhouses for the s.
inch guns and the classmates Of the 6-nch guns
are protected by six inches Of nickel steel.
PUSHING EMERGENCY PREPARATIONS.
Both the Navy and War Departments continue
their active preparations for an emergency. and
contracts in all branches of armament are being
made daily by the various bureaus. The Naval
Bureau Of Ordnance has contracted for 100000
pounds Of brown powder, which Is probably the
largest single order given. This was divided
between the California Powder Company and
the Dupont Powder Company. These concerns
together are furnishing about 10000 pounds
daily and within week or so, 1t is expected,
the capcaity OF their works will be brought up
to 10000 rounds OF powder daily. The order
is sufficient in the aggregate to give 200 rounds
for every gun afoat In the American Navy.
for the first time in years will be amply sup
piled with powder
SENATORS EAGER FOR NEWS.
An unusually large number of Senators took
advantage Of the fact that the Senate was not in
session to-day 10 call on the Cabinet officers.
with the hope Of securing definite Information as
to the Cuban situation. They succeeded only
in learning that the report OF the Maine Court
tbatI
pected early next week.
Some Of them found the high officials OF the
State Department celebrating on the line Of
policy 10 he pursued in case the report Of the
Naval Court should have the effect OF entirely
eliminating the Maine incident from the situa-
ton So strongly was this contingency dwelt
unon that tie inference was drawn by OF
the Senatorial visitors that the Department had
been led TO believe. or had even been informed
that the report would FIJI to connect the Span
ish authorities tho Spaniards with the trag-
edy Still the State Department officials did not
make positive declaration that such information
was in their possession, rather advancing 1t as
a tentative suggestion. and when pressed for
information on this point replied that they only
krew that the report was 70 come next week
and that they had advance information OF
its contents. They seemed inclined 10 seek sug
gestions rather than to give opinions to
plans, apparently indicating that definite
course has been decided pending the receipt
OF the report.
The House OF Representatives passed without
a division this afternoon the bin drawn by Mr.
Dingley and reported from the Ways and Means
Committee. providing for the free entry into this
country OF all naval and military supplies pur-
chased abroad by the Government up 10 January
I. 1899 The same bill Is pending in the Senate
Committee on Finance. and will be reported
favoraby and passed next week
WORK ON THE NAVAL BILL.
So much time was required by the sub-commit-
tee on naval affairs TO arrange the various de-
tails Of the Naval Appropriation bill to-day
that meeting OF the full committee could not
be held 10 consider that measure. At n late
hour this afternoon Chairman Boutelle said that
L. l.rnLt. ..A f.,II.