The Holly chieftain., 1898-04-01
M'KINLEY's MESSAGE.
Statement on the Maine
Report TRANSMITTED to Congress.
So Recon- m mendationn Made and No Action
Asked For-Nnine Seat to Havana OF
Gen. Lees R~que.E Her Mis-
sion One of rcacs-

Asked For Maine Seat to Havana OF
Gen Lees R-que.r Her Mis-
sion One of rcace-
WAsHISGroS, Marc gg.-The presi-
lent yesterday sent the following mes
sage to congress:
70 the Congress of the o. ,ai States:
/ For some time prior % .re visit Of the Maine
to Havana harbor our cor .rIar representatives
pointed out the adyan, .a, 20 flow from the
visit OF national ships toth. cuban waters in nc
,ustomInR the peoplefo trr presence OF our Gag
/ - the s. mbol of goodwill OF our shios IN the
'ul1llmeu. OF the mis- on Of protection to
American intere-ts even rII1ugn no Immediate
need therefor mightexist Accordingly OF toe
.ith Of January last. aftss r1aferriug with the
Spanish minister. In whiH .Ee rene wal OF visits
u our war vessels to Spa -I waters vas dis
euSsed and accepted, the usGlar authorities
it Madrid and Havana We lIyised OF the pur
pose Of this foyernmeuf resume friendly
naval visits at Cuban plr lud that, Ia that
view, the Maine would with call Mt the
port Of Havana This AZ. lccment vas re-
eelved by the spanish goE ueut with apprc-
ciatIon OF The friendly cha. 'sr OF the visit of
the Maine and with potif pn Of Intention to
return The courtesy by .I- Spanish ships
10 the principal ports .4e United States
Meanwhile, the Maine e. .ai the port o; Hs
vana on the s5th OF Janua her arrival being
marked with no specin ltident besides the
exchange OF customarys tes and ceremonial
visits
The Maine continued the harbor Of Ha-
vanG during the three we following her ar
rival No appreciable e. .Husnt attended her
stay: on the contrary a cling OF relief and
confidence followed the r. pHon of the long
interrupted friendly intef.nurse Sonoticcab!o
was this Immediate e neot OBJ. Icr visit that The
consul general strongly ura.I that the presence
of our ships in Cuban wnlr-- should be KEEP: VI
by retaining them at HaYaaa or, In the event
OF her recall, by sending mother vessel there
To take her place.
At9;4) In the evening O. me 18th Of February
the Maine was DESTROYED hs an explosion by
which the entire forward plrt Of the ship was
utterly wrecked In this Jatastrophe two ON.
GERS and 20 OF her crew pariShed- those who
were not killed outright hy her explosion being
pcnned between deiss 10y be tnngle OF wreck
age and drowned BY tho Immediate sinking Of
the hull Prompt assistaurc was rendered by
the netRhboring vessels anchored in the har'
Dor. aid being especially given by the boats OF
the Spanish cruiser Alrh0H>o Kill and the
Ward line steamer City a; Washington which
lay not far distant The wounded were rener.
ously cared for by the authorities OF Havana.
the hospitals being freely opened 10 them,
while the earliest recovered bodies OF the dead
were Inferred by the Municipality in public
cemetery In the city. Trlbuiss pf grief and SYM
pathy were offered from ali Uficial quarters o,
the island.
The appalling calarnity fel. upon the people
OF our country with crushing force and for
brief time an intense excitement prevailed.
which In community less Just and self-con-
trolied than ours, might have led TO hasty acts
OF blind resentment This spirit, however
soon gave way to the calnleT processes OF reason
and to the resolve 10 Investigate the facts and
await The material proof before forming
Judgment us TO the cause. the responsibility,
and II the facts warranted. the remedy due.
sf.sA ffzaI
from the outset TO the executive, for only in the
light nj a dispassionstely aSeertainei certainty
could 1t determine the nature and measure OF
Its full duty In the matter,
The usual procedure was followed as In all
cases of casualty or disaster to national ves-
sci, Of any maritime state 4 naval court o.
inquiry was at once organ nZcd. composed of Of
hcers well qualified by rank and practical ex-
perience to discharge the Oncrous duty imposed
upon them Aided by . strong force OF wreck
crs and divers the court proceeded to make q
thorough investigation on the spot employing
every available means for the impartial and
exact determination of the causes of the explo-
sion, ~
The finding OF the court OF inquiry was
reached after % days Of continuous labor. on
the 2ist of March. instant and having been ap-
proved on the I'D by the commander-in-chtei
of the United States naval force on the north
Atlantic station, was transmitted to the exec
uiive 1t Is herewith laid before the congress
to-day with the voluminous Testimony taker
before the court It's purport Is in brief, q.
follows:
When the Maine arrived At Havana she was
conducted by the regular government pilot to
buoy No. 4, to which she was moored In from
'ti TO six fathoms OF water. The state OF dis
ciplne on board and the condition OF her maga-
zines, boilers, coal bunkers and storage COM
partments are passed In review. with the con-
clusion that excellent order prevailed and that
70 Indication Of any cause for an internal ex-
plosion existed In any quarter.
AT eight o'clock In the evening OF February
Is every thing had been reported secure and all
was quiet At 40 minutes past nine o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed
There were two distinct explosions. with n
brief interval between them The first lifted
the forward part OF the ship very pcrceptlbly
the second. which was more prolonged. Is at
tributed by the court to the partial explosion
of two or more Of the forward magazines. The
evidence of the divers establishes that the
after part OF the ship was practically intact and
| sank in that condition very few minutes after
the explosion. The forward part was COM
| plctely demolished
Upon the evidence Of concurrent external
cause the finding of the court is as follows:
AT frame IL the outer skell OF the ship from
point ii1s feet from the middle line OF the
ship and six feet above the keel when in its
| normal position, has been forced up to be
I
water; therefore, about 81 feet above where ii
would be had the ship sunk uniniured.
AT frame Is the vertical keel is broken in two
and the keel bent into an angle similar TO the
angle formed for the outside plates Thi,
break Is about six feet below the surface OF the
water and about 30 feet above Its normal posi-
ton In the opinion OF the court this effect
/ could have been produced only by the exploscE
/ OF a mine situated under the bottom Of the shiI
at about frame Is and somewhat on the por
| side of the ship
| The conclusions Of the court are: That tn,
loss OF the Maine was not 10 any respect due t,
fault or negligence on the part Of any OF th,
| officers members OF her crew: that the shiI
was destroyed by the explosion Of q submarine
mine, which caused the partial explosion O
two or more OF her forward magazines. an
| that no evidence has been obtainable hxini
the responsibility for tho destruction Of tn,
| Maine upon any person OF persons
| Ihave directed that the finding OF the cour
| of inquiry and the views Of this governmen
| thereon be communicated to the government o
| her majesty, the queen. and I do not permi
| myself to doubt that the sense OF justice of tn
| Spanish nation will dictate q course of Actiol
suggested by honor and tho friendly relations o
| the two governments
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Chicago Ministers for Intervention.
CHICAGO, March o9.-The Methods