Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-03-31

| self-controlled than ours might have led
| to heavy acts of blind resentment.
| Ih1s spirit, however, soon gave way to
| the calmer processes of reason and to re-
| solve to investigate the facts and await ma
| terial proof before forming a 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 a dispassionately ascertained certainty
| could it determine the nature and measure
| Of its full duty in the matter"
The President referred to the appointment
| Of the board of inquiry, gave a synopsis Of
the boards report, and concluded his mes
! sage as follows:
II have directed that the finding of the
court of inquiry and the views Of this Gov
ernme1t thereon be communicated to the
| Government of her Majesty, the Queen Re-
| gent, and l do not permit myself to doubt
| that the sense of justice of the Spanish ma
| ton will dictate a course OF action suggested
| by honor and the friendly relations Of the
| two governments.
at will be the duty of the Executive to
advise the Congress of the result and in the
meantime consideration is invoked.
''The finding of the board is, in substance,
| as follows:
| "1D That the United States battleship
Cuba, Jan. %, 1898. and was taken to buoy
| No 4, in from five and One-half to six faith
| oms of water by the regular government
| pilot
| '(0 The state of discipline on board the
| Maine was excellent; and all orders and reg
| ulations in regard to the and safety of
| the ship were strictly carried out The
magazines and shell rooms were always
| locked after having been opened. Every
| thing was reported secure ON the evening or
| the disaster at s p. m. The only magazine
which had an undue amount of heat was the
| aft ten-inch magazine and that did not eX-
| piode at the time the Maine was destroyed
| The torpedo warheads were all slowed in the
after part of the ship under the wardroom
| and neither caused nor participated III the
destruction of the Maine.
"The dry gun cotton primers and detona-
| tors were stored in the cabin aft, and remote
from the scene of the explosion. In, Inc coal
| bunkers were inspected daily. The fire
| alarms in the coal bunkers were in working
order, and there had never been case of
spontaneous combustion of coal on board the
| Maine On the night of the destruction OF
the Maine everything had been reported Sc
! cure for the night at p. m. by reliable per-
sons, through the proper authorities, to the
| commanding officer. AT the time the Maine
! was DESTROYED the ship was quiet, and there
| fore, least liable to accident, caused by
movements from those on board.
1.-The destruction of the Maine occurred at
| $40 H. m. Feb. 10, she being at the time
| moored to the same buoy to which she had
| been taken upon her arrival. There were
two explosions Of a distinctly different char
acter with a very short but dst1,, t inter-
val between them, and the forward part OF
! the ship was lifted to a marked degree at
the time of the first explosion. The first ex-
plosion more in the nature of report,
! like that of a gun, while the second eXplo-
| sion was more open, prolonged and of greater
volume This second explosion was, in the
opinion of the court, caused by the partial
| explosion of two or more of the forward
| magazines of the Maine.
| ..TThe evidence bearing upon this. being
| principally obtained from divers did not en-
| able the court to form definite conclusion
as to the condition of the wreck. although
! II was established that the after part Of the
shin was partially intact, and sank in that
| onndition in a very few minutes after the
| destruction of the forward part.
| When the reading of the document was
oomnleted the Senate agreed to the print
| ing of the message. report and testimony
and tbe reference of the documents to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs. Both
! houses then adjourned.