The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-18

Washington, February 1.-THE govern
ment has settled back into a waiting au1l-
tude in respect to the terrible marine as
aster in Havana harbor The great shock
caused by the news has given way 10 a
calmer and more judicial state OF mlno'
and realizing from the events OF the Gay
that the court of INJURY is the sole oe-
nendence in the search for the cause OF
the Maine's loss the naval o1nclals are
now resigned to await the results OF that
inouirv hy a court named today by the
Navy Department..
There was little new to add to the sum
of information as to the disaster curing
the forenoon. No kilograms came ana all
that could be CLEANED was denial OF
some absurd story or other that had crept
into print or become current gossip All
tbe news of the day came in the late after.
noon in the shape of Captain Sigsbee's
report Of the authorization OF the funeral
of his dead sailors and Gen. Lees brief
story of tho terrible struggle for life IN
the dark hull of the Maine.
The officials at the Navy Department
devoted the day to che effort to correct
tho lists of the living and dead to answer
frantic appeals from relatives OF men on
the battleship Maine, and last but not
least, in meeting with unwaverlng
courtesy and patience the ezacting de-
mands upon their time of the press repre-
sentatives The disposition OF. the sur
yivors, Captain Dickens. acting chief OF
the navigation bureau, has arranged for
as well as could be from this distance.
The wounded sailors in the Havana
hospitals, on the Spanish flagship and
elsewhere when not in condition to be
brought back to Key West, will be care
fully looked after by Miss Clara Barton,
who has been given carte blanche to buy
any and everything necessary, food,
clothing, delicacies and hire nurses, and
physicians The wounded able to get
across to Key West, will be taken care of
in the marine hospital there. The sound
survivors will be quartered in the spare
army barracks there.
AS for the Maine herself. notwithstand-
ing discouraging reports from Lieut..
Hood as to her condition, the Navy De-
'partment will make the effort to raise
her. While this is required BY every
creditable sentiment, they say that they
are bou nd to remove the hull from the
small harbor in any ca/ and it may be
as easy, or easier to raj Mere as it would
be to destroy the hull and machinery by
the use of divers and dynamite. 1t is be-
lieyed that this work can best be done by
private wrecking corporations, and nego-
tiations are already afoot for placing the
contract based on work by the day, at an
estimated cost of $500, ,00C.
At thu Navy Department specific denial
was given of the report emanating from
Madrid that torpedo flotilla was about
TO leave Key West for Cuba. 1t was stated
that only two torpedo boats, thu Gushing
and the Ericsson are at Key West and
these have not been ordered and will not
be ordered, according to present plans, to
Cuba. 1t was strongly asserted that no
present purpose existed of sending any
warship there.
Senor du Bose, the Spanish charge. had
ceived no instructions up to p. M, as
to going to New York and stopping the
Spanish ship Vizcaya from entering the
mort. and reports to this effect were dis
credited.
The air of suppressed excitement which
characterized the movement of the en-
ployes and visitors at the White House
Yesterday was not noticeable today. There
were comparatively few visitors during
the morning hours and for considerable
time In the middle of the day the White
house bore an almost deserted appear
ancc. Only limited number Of members
of Congress called during the morning
and the interviews were brief. Postmaster
General Gary was the only member of the
Cabinet who called and his business re-
lated entirely to departmental matters.
Assistant Secretary Day saw the Presi-
dent for few minutes, but he had
nothing of Importance to communicate
until after four O'Clock, when he carried
to the White House, official information
of the closing of the de LONE letter Incl
dent. So far as could be learned the only
information from Havana that reached
the President direct came through the
Associated Press. On the streets there
wasss noticeably less excitement than yes
terday when the people were 10th to be-
lieve that under tie circumstances the
loss of the Maine could be traced to other
than Spanish sources Flags are flying at
half mast on all public buildings.