Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-04-01
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
THE MAINE CASE LAID BE-
FORE CONGRESS.
Maine Sent to Havana on General Lees
Request-Her Mission Purely One
OF Peace - spain Informed of
Maine Inquiry Findings
Full Text of the
Document.

Mckinley sent to both houses OF con-
grcss yesterday his expected message
on the Maine inquiry report The
Senate received also the complete re-
port, findings and testimony, which
forms "a document of about 100, 900
words, The message was read in both
houses and promptly referred, without
debate, to the foreign affairs commit
tees. The findings of the court of in
quiry were also read in the Senate,
and were then, together with the tes-
timony, referred to the foreign affairs
committee. Two thousand copies of
the report and findings were ordered
printed for the use of senators and
yeprese T. tatives.
The report is very brief, and con-
tains nothing that was not covered in
the abstract which was printed yes
ierday.
President McKinley's message was
ns follows:
''To the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit of the
Maine TO Havana harbor onr consular rep
res entatives poll ted out the advantages to
flow from the visit of national ships to the
Cuban waters in accustoming the people to
tn. presence OF our flag as the symbol of
good will and of our ships In the fulfllment
of the mission of protection to American
interests, even though no immediate need
therefor might exist
'Accordlngly on the oath of January last,
after conference with the Spanish minister
in which the renewal of visits of our war
We ssels to Spanish waters was discussed
and accepted, the penlnsular authorities
at M drid and Havana were advised of the
purpose OF this government to resume
friendly naval visits At Cuban ports and
that in that view the Maine would forth
with call a. the port of Havana.
This announcement was received by the
Spanish government with appreciation of
the friendly character of the visit of the
Maine and with notification IF intention 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 day of January her
arrival being marked with no special Incl
dent besides tae exchange of customary
salutes and cerem onial visits
The Maine continued in tn. harbor of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival No appreciable excitement
attended her stay. Upon the contrary
feeling Of relief and confidence followed the
resumption of the long Interrupted friendly
diate effect of her visit that the consul
general strongly urg ID that the presence
OF our ships in Cuban waters should be
kept up by retaining them at Havana, or
In the event of her recall, by sending there
a vessel TO take her place
''At forty minutes past 8 in the evening
on the 18th of February the Maine was de-
stroyed by an explosion by which the en-
tire forward part of the ship was utterly
wrecked IN this catastrophe two officers
and 26U q her crew persisted, those who
were not killed outright by her explosion
being penued between decks by the tangle
OF wreckage and drowned by the imme diate
sinking of the hull Prompt assistance
was rendered by the ighboring v. ssels an
chored in the harbor, aid being especially
given by the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Alph onso XII and the Ward line steamer
City OF Washington, whichlay not far dis
tant The wounded were geuer ously cared
for by the authorities of Havana the hos
pitfalls being freely p.ned to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies OF the dead
were inferred by The municipality in pub
lie cemetery in the city. The tributes of
grief and sympathy were offered from all
officiaI quarters Ct the island.
'"rhe appalling calamity fell upon the
people OF our country with crushing force,
and for brief time an intense excitement
prevailed which, il community less just
led to asty acts of blind reese tment This
spirit however soon gave way to the
calmer processes of reason and to the re-
solve to investigate the fac Is and await the
mater,a al proof before forming Judgment
as to the cause, the responsibility and. If
the facts warranted. the re- edy due.
This course necessarily recomme nded
itself from the outset to the executive, for
only In the light of dispassonately ascer-
tanned certainty could it dete mine the ma
ture and measure of its fnll dat; in the
matter.
This mode of procedure is proce eded with
In ali cases of casualty or disaster to na-
tIonal vessels of any maratimc state. A
naval court of inquiry was at once organ
tied. comp lsed of officers well qualified by
rani and practical experience to discharge
the oncrous duty i'm .oScd upon them. Aid ID
by 4 Stro.g force of VIZ ckcrs and divers,
the court procee led to make a thorough
inves;igat on on the spot. employing every
available means for the impartial and ex-
act dctcrm nation of the causes of the cx-
plosion It's operations have been conducted
with the Utmost del bcration and judgment
and while independently pursued. no
source O. information was neglected and
the fullest oppor tunity was allowed for a
simu ltan.aus Investigation by the Spanish
authorities.
''rhe finding OF the court of inquiry was
lCNeu twenty IETcc Jays Oh COHtln-
uous labor on the DIST of March instant
and having been approved on the 22d by
the comm andcr-in- chief of the United
States naval force on the North Atlantic
station. was ransmitted TO the executive
1t is here with laii before Congress to-day,
and herewith the volumicous testimony
taken before the court
Its purpcrt is in brief as follows: When
the Maine arrived at Havana she was con-
Quoted by the regular government pilot to
buoy No. 4, 20 which She was moored in
from five and one half to six fathoms of
water.
The ttte of d scpline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers. coal
bunSers and storage compartments are
passed in review. wltn the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no indi-
cation of any cause for an internal explo-
sion existed in any quarter.
AT o'clock in the evening of February
is everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet.
"At forty minutes past o'clock the ves-
sci was suddenly destr Dyed.
There we're two distinct explosions with
a brief interval between them The first
lifted the forward part of the ship very
perccptihly the second. which was more
prolonged. is attributed by the court to the
partial explosion of two or more OF the Ior-
ward MAGAZINES
the evidence of the divers establishes