The news & observer., 1898-03-01
TO RETURN TO HAVANA.
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Continued from First Page.l
! Havana about Saturday. With this der
/ rick the investigation of the Court OF
| nouirv undoubtedly can be greatly IA
cilitated. for. although the Chief will be
| unable to lift the big turrets, her DER
ricks vouId remove the smaller guns and
| tbe greater part of the debris which Is
tbn sonrce of so much complaint ON the
| part of CAPTAIN Sigsbee as interfering
with the search for bodies and with the
| examination into the cause of the dlsas-
| ter.
SPAIN TO LIVESTIGAnE.
Havana. Feb. 2S.-Little work
was done to-day by the divers
from the Right Arm. Cap
tain McGce. who is in charge, seems to
Lack authority from the wrecking peo-
pie or others. and is indisposed to work
on his own Judgment, except In smaller
details.
Captain Sigsbee was on hoard the Unl-
ted States lighthouse tender Fern untll
? o'clock this afternOn. He waited for.
the Spanish divers but they did not ap-
pear. Captain SigSbee thinks Spain has
a moral and international right to make
an independent examination and he will
give the Spanish divers such facilities
as are possible.
DIVERS DIFFICULTIES.
The difficulty experienced in recover
ing bodies is not understood by any hut
the divers. The latter yesterday worked
for three hours trying to bring out one
body intact, and one of the divers had n
bad fall and several got their air tubes
tangled. Even then they could not eN-
tr;cate the remains.
The principal efforts of the divers are
now directed toward clearing the upper
wreckage, smokestacks. decks, guns,
matches. bridge cranes and gratings.I
Then. if not before, all the dead can be-
removed.
One of the saddest letters received by
Ctaptain Sigsbce was from the brother
of a dead man who wrote that when
death was claiming the victim his friends
at home were celebrating his birthday
and wishing him many happy returns of
the day.
THE ENQUIRY PROCEEDS.
Key West, Feb. 2S.-The United
State Court of Inquiry into the loss of
Havana on February 10, began its ses-
sions here this morning.
Lieutenant Blandin was the first wit
ness called.
Testimony will be taken according to
its relative Importance and not according
to the rank of the witness.
Lieutenant Blandin was before the
court for about an hour.
rFha N,araJ aeffifsprS in Nudge.
Locke's private chambers, off the main
court room. No marines were on guard
but all the doors were closed.
Those who were called as witnesses be-
fore the luncheon recess at / O'Clock
were Lieutenants Blandin, Hood, Jun
gen and Blow and Cadets Bronson and
Boyd.
Lieutenant Commander Mark, who
received the list of witnesses, said the
inquiry was progressing well.
The Detroit sailed to the Tortugas
to-day with provisions for the fleet.
NOTHING NEW DEVELOPED.
Key West, Fla, Feb. 2S.-The Court
of Inquiry reconvened at 2 o'clock this
23ternoon. Lieutenant Holman, who
testified at Havana was again called.
Lieutenant of Marines Catlin gave his
evidence quickly, and was followed 10y
boatswain Larkin. Gunner Hill and Car
penter Holmes. The two latter were OH
shore at the time of the explosion and
could tell little of value.
At ten minutes past three the court ad-
journed until morning at ten. Judge
Advocate Mark said:
ssTne stenogr- -phe's have all they can
transcribe in record form, and there is
no use of our working longer to-day"
Captain Sampson seemed satisfied
with the days work but said nothing
could be given out.
After the court room was cleared for
the day Captain Sampson held Il short
interview with Rear Admiral Sicard and
then returned to the Iowa. Captain
Chadwick and Lieutenant Commander
Potter were taken on board the New
York.
Few know more than was known this
morning. An officer of the Maine, how
ever, who had been examined by the
court during the day, talked at length
with the correspondent of the Associated
Press.
Il can't tell YOU" he said, "what line
of questioning was adopted: but the court
will find, / believe, that the Maine was
DlJh By tilou%ih dOll tliliA
it will be able to ascertain exactly how
The courts finding will be based on neg
ativc father than positive evidence.
by this | mean that all the testimony
heard so far has, bit by bit, upset the
theories of those who think the explosion
was of internal origin. This negative
evidence is so strong and so general
that / see no possibility of the court de-
Gliding that the explosion was internal.
A WITNESSES OPINION.
"1'he only alternative then left for the
court is to fall back on evidence which
points to the intentional blowing up of
he Maine. This, | think, will be done,
unless the court formulates a theory of
it's own or declares that it does not
know how the disaster occurred, both of
which cOnjectures | think improbable"
As bearing on the value of the opin-