Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-07
CONVICTION DEEPENING
That the Court Will Report Maine
Blown Up from Outside.

Blown Up from Outside.
| American Naval Officers and Owl
lians Discussing the Probable
Campaign Against Havana-Ex-
traordlnary Wig lance on Spanish
| War ships IN havana HarDOr.
The Spanish Court of Inquiry a
| Mystery Strange Conduct of
Spanish Divers Senator Proc
| tors Impressions as to What He
Saw-The Work Of Relief.
Havana, March 6, via Key West, Fla.
AS the conviction becomes settled
that the court oil inquiry will decide
| That there was a mine explosion under
the Maine, discussion among AmeYl-
can naval officers and civilians here
is prevalent as to the war-like meas
ures which it is believed the United
States government will adopt IN case
the question of the payment of in
demnity by spain is overruled. A
majority believe that American tgoops
Will be landed at some point east OF
Havana ana the insurgents conlmu-
| nicated with, that the Spanish soldiery
viii be defeated or captured in detail,
and that III the meantime a feet OF
united States vessels VIII blockade if
not lombard, Havana. No one seems
to doubt that the reduction of this
city would be comparatively easy:
+ our tWeiVe-lnch guns-Jwo west and
two east OF the city-are the Only ones
that are considered dangerous These
are not likely to be well served, while
the emplacements are not modern.
That some Spaniards are of the
opinion that an
ATTACK ON HAVANA
will be made is believed to be shown
by the abnormal activity displayed on
board the Vizcaya. The Associated
Press correspondent has the best naval
authority for the statement that the
| NiZcaya is in a constant state of readi-
ness for emergencies and that picket
boats are on the alert day and night
inside the harbor and outside the har-
Dor at night.
1t is pointed out that the men-of-war
Vizcaya and Almirante Oquindo, when
| the latter arrives, might be caught in
a blockade and fall an easy prey to
United States feet The cruiser AL
| fonso XIII. is without boilers, and
would be
OF NO ACCOUNT.
! All this discussion Of the probability
| OF war among Americans and Span
iarGs proves nothing, and only shows
the state Of feeling here.
The conduct u the Spanish divers
| WIG are investigating the wreck Of the
Maine is a mystery. Thus far they
have not been down five hours in the
| aggregate, and they show no DISPOSE
| ton to make thorough inquiry.
1t is impossible to learn the truth
| fully regarding the purpose of the
! Spanish court of inquiry, but it is
generally believed that the divers were
sent down for forms sake only and
| that a report will be made in accord
ance with Instructions from Madrid
1t may be that the Spanish divers Lave
| discovered that the whole port side
| forward Of the Maine is gone and. hay
| ing so reported, further examination
| is deemed unnecessary The work Of
our own divers hencefOrward is
BOUND TO BE SLOW,
owing to the ponderous weights to be
moved, and the safety clamps, nuts
and rivets that must be cut.
Senator Proctor is likely to make a
speech in the Senate on his return that
will have great weight in determining
| the future policy of the United States.
| He is much affected by the suffering
which he found in Matanzas, and high
| ~ indignant at what he calls the I'm
humanity of the course pursued :"
During his visit to Artimisa, this pro-
vince, he saw thousands of reconcen-
trados who refused to beg, though
| starving. They were evidently of a
| class accustomed to make their living
! and unwilling to become paupers. He
saw thousands Of acres of the best to-
bacco and banana lands in the world
| reduced to waste, with trochas and
| garrisons at every village and cross
! road. His driver, pointing to the
| mountain fifteen miles away, said:
.sThere are plenty of insurgent camps
there that the Spaniards have never
| discovered"
| The work Of distribution of
AMERICAN RELIEF
under Miss Clara Barton, Mr. Elweil
| and their assistants. is, in Senator
Proctor's Judgment, carefully and eff
fectually carried on. The demand is
| far in excess of the supply. The sup
plies expected at Matanzas and Sagua
| Ia Grande. to be brought by american
cruisers, will afford unspeakable re-
lief.
Now that the Almirante Oquendo
and the Vizcava are lying in the har-
Dor. the Spaniards exultantly declare
that the city is safe; and it is given
! ont officially in the newspapers that
the new arrival is Of the same size,
armament and complement as the
| Vizcaya.
A GRAVE QUESTION.
| Of the very keenest interest TO
Havana is the question of disbanding
ana disarming the volunteers. These
| soldiers. whom no one trusts, are in
a state Of great unrest. The colonies
| of three battalions have tried to see
| Gen. Blanco on the subject, but he
made excuses which they refused to
accept or believe. Finally Gen. Par
| RADIO sent a letter saying that no
| government would dare disarm the
| volunteers. which was REINFORCED by
1 y cable message to the same effect from
| Senior Moret, minister of the colonies
i L.