Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-02-23
"A YANKEE nASSAcRE."
Scenes In Havana After the Awful Disaster
TO the Maine.

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE Evening
World contains n copyrighted cable
from Havana signed by Sylvesta
Scovel, which repeats graphically
the story of the blowing up of the
battleship Maine, and says:
''The quays and docks were
jammed with spectators during the
last proceedings, and / am informed
that some iubilant sayings were
heard among the crowd and that
some of the lower element rejoiced
over the Yankee massacre as they
termed 1t. Personally l saw moth
ing but sympathy. 1t was too
colossal not to drown even interna-
tional jealousy and apprehensive
hate. Only in the palace did i see
signs of content.
Captain Sigsbee bears the calam-
ity like an American officer and gen.
tleman. He was not even outwardly
ruffied by the awful calamity. He
received the Spanish chief of police as
calmly as though his quarterback
was not a wreck and his men
mangled and drowned. Apropos of
this, Is told of Captain Sigsbee that
he was writing a letter to his wife In
his port cabin when the explosion oc-
CURED. All the lights were instantly
extinguished. Sigsbee, running out,
bumped into a perfectly disciplined
m a y-in nrdorlu oh tolr
and groans, flames and horror and
In the dark, saluted and said: Sir,
have to inform you that the ship
has been blown up and is sinking
This GOODNESS was noticeable
everywhere among the men, and
when the boats and their manned
loads had left the deck for the hos
pital there was no iabbering, no ex-
citement. The officers who had
something TO do, did it quietly. The
Others said nothing. All stood in
their positions as coolly as Others
once gave three cheers for the Brit
ish warship Calliope at the Pacific
Samoa hurricane.
"The correspondents of the Mad
rid press have sent home foreboding
messages and on the civil side of the
palace there are grave apprehen-
sions and scant courtesy. When 1
asked Secretary Congosto to aid me
in talking to General. Solano about
securing the reopening of the cable
for the messages of the Names Off
GERS. he coolly said 1T was none of
his business, that General Solano
was in sole charge. Fortunately
that gentleman was courteous and
the messages went. In view of his
present attitude 1 shall now quote
what Secretary Congosto, then the
acting governor general, fulfilling the
functions of that responsible position,
said to me the night before the Maine
arrived. Consul General Lee had
told him that afternoon that a war
ship would come. Congosto bellig-
erently objected. General Lee then
said: Remember, if any trouble
does occur / shall have the whole
fleet here In four hours
shortly after / saw Secretary
Congosto and he was very mad. He
was also indescreet. He said to me:
If you people would only let us
alone it would be all right. Spain
has put up with more than any
any other nation would have done.
/ have warned you that there will
be trouble if the Maine comes here.
Now, bring your ships here. If you
want war you can have 1t. You
will find Spain has not forgotten
how TO fight
II took these words at the time as
the angry utterances of an over
taxed diplomat. Now they seem to
mean something.
1.-TWO days ago a Spanish daily
here claimed Senor de LONE wrote
his famous letter and caused it's cap
ture, because he saw no gain In
further delaying a break between the
two governments