Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-03-31
WAR IT MUST Be.

With each succeeding hour the COZ
viction grows in Washington that there
will be war between the United States
and Spain. Peace is receding and all
eyes turn toward war; The paramount
question in the national capital now
Is. Who will strike the first blow?"
Legislators are in conference, and.
sweeping steadily forward with no
hlndrance, the work of PREPARATION for
9 conflict goes on. In certain quarters,
not altogether unofficial, the act of
Spain in ordering her torpedo fiotilla
to Porto Rico from the Canaries is re-
garded somewhat in the nature of a
defiance, Or rather as another incident
in the series which have brought about
the present critical situation.
Rumor and war speculation run riot
in Washington. These have kept the
public at high tension, and, though
great good is hoped for from the
breathing spell given by the Senate,
appre hension that peace is more re
mote than ever are steadily growing.
However, the President remains firm
in his expressed belief that peace is not
improbable.
All Europe expects that war between
the United States and Spain is certain.
1t is believed the revelations now Off
cially made by the report of the court
of inquiry will SO combine the other
factors of the situation as to make hos
tiilties Inevitable. Some regard it as
possible that Spain, at the last mo-
ment, will see the hopelessness of
maintaining her position and yield
without. as British Admiralty official
says, "having the lesson numerically
hammered into her."
Sagasta's organ, Ell Liberal, in an ar
ticle evidently inspired, says: "Spain
will tolerate neither armed nor peace
full Intervention of the United States.
People like the Spanish. who respect
themselves, and who have been some
thing in the world, neither traffic with
honor nor speculate with shame. We
all wish and invoke peace If the
Americans disturb it, with motives no
fault of ours, we accept the conse-
quences without arrogance or appre
hension.n
An abstract of the report on the des
truction of the Maine is as follows:
First-The court finds that at the
time of the explosion the Maine was
lying in from five and one half to six
fathoms OF water.
Second-The discipline aboard the
ship was excellent; everything was
slowed away, according TO orders-am
munition, guns, stores, SC. The tenn
perature of the magazines at P. NJ
was normal except in the after 10 inch
magazine, and that did not explode.
Third-The explosion occurred at
8. 40 o'clock on the evening of Februa-
ra 10. There were two explosions,
with very short interval between
them. The ship lifted on the first
explosion.
Fourth-The court can form no def
mite opinion of the condition of the
wreck from the divers evidence.
Fifth-This part of the report con
tains technical details of the wreckage,
from which the court deduces that a
mine was exploded under thu ship on
the port side.
Sixth-The explosion was due to no
fault of those on board.
Seventh-This section contains the
opinion of the court stating that the
explosion of the mine caused the ex-
plosion OF the ships two magazines.
Elghth-The court declares that it
IGSDO1
sibility.
The report is unanimous and is
signed by all the HE in bers of the court.
1t does not refer to the existence or
non existence of mines IN the harbar
of Havana except in the specific find
ing that q mine was exploded under
the ship and the opinion that the ex-
plosion of the two magazines was
caused by the explosion of mine.
The report, as whole, is a formal,
dispassionate recital of facts and bears
TIE stamp of that strict officialism
which marks naval procedure. 1t is
brief. not exceeding 1900 words, and
among the eight parts goes to the
greatest length under the second head
ing. which deals with the discipline
and order of the ship. This the court
specifies with extreme minuteness, tie /
least deuas ~ ccndftf6n OF every |
thing on boot thssefng given.
The normal temperature of the large |
forward magazines at s o'clock-only |
an hour and forty minutes before the /
said to dispose of the
question of accidental combustion |
within these magazines. The court |
holds that these magazines did not ex.
plode from internal causes, but that |
the explosion of the mine under the
port side of the ship caused them to
explode. This will explain the re-
destruction wrought, the |
explosion thus being shown to have
combined the force of mine without I
and two magazines within.
The firding that the ship was lifted |
on the first explosion indicates an ex-
ternai source and one of tremendous |
power to be able to lift battleship
thousands of tons.
The character of the wreckage, tech
nically described in the fifth part of !
the report. from which the court de /
duces that mine was exploded under
the ship on the port side, sustains the
view taken by some experts soon after
the disaster that the force of the eY-
Dlosion was exerted from port to star
board.
The feature Of the report of deepest
interest to the navy is the complete
exoneration of Capt. Sigsbee and all
who were on board the Maine.
The inability CT the court to find |
evidenee to fix responsibility makes
the report extremely guarded in ex-
preston. Neither Spain nor the Span
sh are mentioned in the document.
port the President says:
Upon the evidence of a concurrent
external cause, the finding of the court
is as follows:
At frame II the outer she'll of the
ship, from point eleven and one half
feet from the middle of the ship and
Xix feet above the keel when in its nor
nal position, has been forced up so as
10 be now about 4 feet above the sur
ACE of the water; therefore about "a
.eet above where it would be had the
ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bentl
nto reversed V shape, the afterwingl
If which, about 10 feet broad and 80
eet in length, from frame II to frame
'5) is doubled back upon itself against
he continuation of the same plating
forward.
At frame 10 the vertical keel is
broken in two and the fiat keel bent
nto an angle similar to the angle form
N ay },n fc;1 10 |