Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-02-24
A COURT OF INQUIRY.
1t Will Inves igate the Tragedy
Under Morros Guns.
80 More American Warships Will be Sent
to Havana at Present-Many Sensa-
tionaI Rumors Denied by the
Navy Department.

Washington, Feb. 1S.-The govern
ment has settled back into "a waiting
attitude in respect to the terrible ma
rine disaster in Havana harbor. The
great shock caused by the news has
given way to calmer state of mind,
realizing that the court of inquiry is
the sole dependence in the search for
the cause of the Names loss. Naval
officials now await the results of that
inquiry by a court named yesterday by
the navy department.
All the news of the day came in the
late afternoon in the shape of Capt.
Sigsbee's report of the authorization
of the funeral of his dead sailors, and
Consul General Lees story of the terri
BILE struggle for life in the hull of the
Maine.
The officials at the navy department
devoted the day to an effort to correct
the list of living and dead; to answer
ing frantic telegraphic appeals from
relatives of men on the battleship and
in meeting the demands of the press
representatives.
The disposition of the survivors,
Capt Dickens, acting chief of the navi-
CATION bureau, has arranged for. The
wounded sailors in the Havana hos
pitfalls and elsewhere, when not in con
dition to be brought back to Key West,
will be carefully looked after by Miss
Clara Barton, who has been given carte
blanche to buy everything necessary.
The wounded able to get across to Key
West will be taken care of in the ma
rine hospital there. The sound sur
vivors will be quartered in the spare
army barracks there.
AS for the Maine herself, notwith-
standing discouraging reports from
Lieut. Hood as to her condition, the
navy department will make an effort
to raise her. They say they are bound
to remove the hull from the small har
Dor in any case, and it may be as easy
to raise her as it would be to destroy
the hull and machinery by the use OF
divers and dynamite. 1t is believed
that this work can best be done by
private wrecking corporations and me-
gotiations are already afoot for plac-
ing the contract at an estimated cost
of 100000.
At the navy department denial was
given of a report from Madrid that a
torpedo flotilla was about to leave Key
West for Cuba. 1t was stated that
only two torpedo boats, the Cushing
and Ericsson, are at Key West, and
these will not be ordered to Cuba. II
was strongly asserted that no present
purpose existed of sending any war
ship there. Senor Dubosc, the Spanish
charge, had received no instructions
up to 6 p. IN. as to going to New York
and stopping the Spanish ship Vizcaya
from entering the port, and reports tc
this effect were diScredited.
Capt. Sigsbee suggested to the navy
department that it would be well tC
detail some small craft to watch over
the wreck of the Maine. As the upper
works are above water and much valu.
able property is thus exposed, the de-
partment has authorized one of the
vessels now at Havana, the Mangrove
probably, to be used for the purpose.
1t is said at the department that the
naval court of inquiry which is to in
vestigate the disaster can scarcely as.
semble for the work at Havana before
next Monday.
The navy department authorizes
denial of the statement attributed tC
Capt. Sigsbee that he recommended tc
the department before he sailed for
Havana that another ship than the
Maine be sent to Havana, because tn
harbor was too dangerous, owing tC
the number of torpedoes planted in the
bottom. AS matter of fact Sigsbee
had not the slightest hint given him
that his ship was to be selected for the
visit II hours before his departure.
As to the number of torpedoes plant
ed in Havana harbor it is said at the
navy department that nobody aside
from the Spanish officers in Havana
knows what has been done to protect
the harbor in that manner. 1t is not
usual to keep the torpedoes in their
berths in the water in times of peace:
they are placed in the position assigned
to them only as war measure. There
are some exceptions to this rule. for in
stance at Hong Kong. where the tor
pedoes are at all times kept in position
and it may be presumed that the same
precaution has been taken at Havana.