Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-02-19

THE MAINE AFFAIR.
Startling Story of an Internal
Machine.
STORY LACKS CONFIRMATION.
Congress Appropriates S200,000
to Raise the Vessel.
STORY LACKS CONFIRMATION.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The featur
Of the day, at the navy department
was the large number of rumors o
war-like tendency that came TO tn
attention of the officials, as requlrinI
attention, and in every case, contrad
iction.
So formidable has grown the lis
that at the close of office hours, Sec
retary Long was Induced to make thu
following statement, as an easy man
ner Of dispOsing, at one time of al
those stories.
"Really no information has been
received, since Captain Sigsbee's first
dispatch, adding anything to our
knowledge of the disaster. All we
know is that the Maine blew up.
There is abundant room for spec
ulatiOn Of all sorts, but no conclusion
can be arrived at until an examina-
tion has been made by divers and
more facts obtained. 1t is a simple
fact to say that such a thing might
happen by design or IL might have
happened by accident. AS yet there
is no indication of such design.
Therefore, my impression has been
all along. aud l rather think the
general opinion preponderates in the
same direction, that IL must have
been accidental
The bodies Of the victims of the
disaster are being taken out as fast
as possible, and now there are nearly
200 recovered.
The New York Herald has printed
the following from its Key West cor-
respondent:
81 learn on undoubted authority
that one of the Names sailors, who
was taken to the marine hospital, out
OF gratitude for the kind treatment
and careful nursing received from
surgeons and attendants, has broken
the seal Of silence enjoined,by his su-
perior officers before leaYing Havana,
and makes a statement, the truth Of
which cannot be doubted, and which
points to the deliberate destruction Of
the vessel.
"The sailor, whose name for ob.
vi us reasons Is withheld for the
present, says he was on watch on the
forward deck shortly before the ex
ploslon occurred. While looking over
the Names bow into the waters of
the bay he saw black object slowly
coming toward the vessel, The ob.
lect, whatever it was, was apparently
and emitted smoke. He
suspected something wrong and
started to communicate the fact to
the officer Of the day, when the explo-
sion took place. The Maine was
reared In the air and he was thrswn
10 the deck stunned and bleeding.
"Ile also says that simultaneously
with the raising of the Maine he saw
Jhe steam launch which was moored
Of the Maine also thrown
)ut OF the water This was before
5he second explosion in the Names
was felt, and which sent
1er TO the bottom"
LAS PALAs, Canary Islands, Feb.
9,-The Spanish armored cruiser
Oquendo left for Havana.
The Italian third-class cruiser Glov-
Inni Bausani is expected here Satur-
lay next. She is on her way TO Cuba.
Late dispatches from Washington
announce that the administration has
Iecided that another man.of-war
hould be sent at once to Hayana TO !
eplace the Maine. The Montgomery |
will probably be the vessel selected, |
nd that vessel will be In LA
arbor probably Monday noon,
President Mckinley has consented
o make the following statement re-
arding the Maine, which was given
ut by the secretary;
BIASED on information now in his
ossession, the president believes that
he Maine was blown up as the result
an accident. III IL is found that
he disaster was not an accident.
rompt and decisive steps will be
aken in the premises. The finding
{ the naval court will deyelop the
ause and until that is submitted
othing will be done,
The Madrid correspondent CT the
'orlc sends the following authorized
latement by Prime Minister Segasta:
1--WE are grieyed and painfully sur
rlsed by the disaster 10 the Maine,
We fee, IL doubly because the sad oc
arrenoe took place in our waters.
We cannot forget the sympathy that
'ns shOWn In us hv A marian nh. -. |