The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-25
NATA1 coURr OF INQUIRY.
Chaplain Chadwick and Several Other
 Persons Examined.

Havana Feb. 24.-The court of in- quiry held it's usual sessions to-day. Captain Sampson reports that~~C Chap lain Chadwick was examined as to his personal experiences at the time of the disaster to the Maine and that the tes- timony was taken of the captain of British bark in the harbor and the su- perintendent of the West Indian Oil works, across the bay at Regla, both of whom witnessed the explosion. MT. Rolf, the engineer of the floating dock in the harbor, wrote a letter to the court, but it is said that it did not add anything material to what was already known.
 At the afternoon session the divers were examined more fully than before Their testimony is taken from day to day. The court expects now to finish here to-day and to sail on the Man grove for Key West, where the other officers and men will be examined. The wrecking tug Right Arm did not go north, as was expected, yesterday. She is moored by the side of the poop of the wreck and will save the smaller portions as far as possible in advance of the arrival of other tugs with better facilities for heavy work. The hoist ing apparatus must be capable of rais- ing scores of tons in the effective work to be accomplished.
 Chaplan Chadwick reports that all the wounded here are doing well except Frederick c. Holzer of New York, who may die at any moment. Additional newspaper men arrive with every steamer. The papers of all the large cities in the United States are all rep resented and the principal hotels are well filled. Neither the officers of the court of inquiry nor the witnesses will give the slightest indication of the tes- timony or the conclusions deductible from it, and all say that the men em- ployed on the wreck have been warned to observe an equally strict reticence. This course is regarded as eminently wise by the American and all intelli- gent Spanish officials, as there is no telling what persons might be aroused or what evil results might be brought about by talking freely on official mat ters in the present state of public feel ing in Havana. Thus far Americans are treated with the utmost courtesy and kindness, and it seems the special care of the residents of Havana to show friendliness. Such state of things certainly is desirable, but it might easily be changed if officers, only partially informed of the truth, talked for publication.
 Consul General Lee says that there is no truth in the report that he had asked Captain General Blanco to dis miss from Cuba certain newspaper men. General Lee has never interfered with the American newspaper men in any way whatever. To-day the princi- pal streets and buildings are gaily dec- orated with flags and bunting in honor of the Spanish soldiers, 2,029 infantry men under the command of Jose Anna dor who arrived this morning by the steamer Montevideo from Barcelona. General Solano, the second chief of staff, to-day returned on board the Mangrove the visit ofthe court of i'm quiry, acting as the representative of the governor general. Admiral Mante- rola personally returned the visit paid to him by the court. The Thursday receptions of General Blanco were re- stunned this evening. The insurgents have raided the Smith and Fischer plantation on the Canamabo, in the Trinidad district, and killed one and wounded five of the defenders, who number only seven. They burned all the buildings but the dwelling of MT. Smith, and according to the Spanish account of the affair, they took away or destroyed $2O0,OOO worth of provis- ions and merchandise and got s4,OOO in cash