Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-23

fore part of the ship and the others aft.
The task is most laborious, and the men
are naturally extremely careful, as they
have had to work in complete darkness and
several have had bad falls. Electric lights
from the Mangrove are now available. and
much good is expected from them.
Nearly all the possible salvage has now
been made from the cabin aft. The efforts
TO reach the ward and messrooms are frus-
trated by some unknown obstacle. It is
expected to find bodies In those rooms,
Two cases of ten-inch ammunition have
been found the one having exploded, the
other full of powder. These were found
forward.
The work of securing the bodies under
the hatch has been most difficult in the
dark. but IL is hoped that the electric lights
will be of great assistance. The bodies are
much mutilated and some are partially
burned.
Gunner Charles Morgan, of the cruiser
New York, who is in cs;.se of the divers
will devote special attention to examining
the ammunition in the fore part of the
Mainefs hull and to ascertain the condi-
tion of the plates magazines and engines.
lie is a graduate in gunnery and is regard
ed as entirely competent, as, indeed are
all the divers under his direction. He Is
under strict orders not to give out any
thing on the subject of his investigations,
except to the officers of the court OF In
quiry when called upon.
The officers of the court OF inquiry paid
another visit to the wreck to-day. Captain
Sampson. after the visit Of the members OF
the court to the captain general ana Ad-
miral Manterola to-day, sid the reception
extended them had been polite and cor
dial. The captain general and admiral had
expressed deep sympathy and the hope that
s,,@1 To -nr-f a
-ough investigation. They offered to give
any help in their power. Captain Sampson
referred to the visits as tending to pro-
.inote better understanding"
= Among the salvage were the tableware
and the silver service belonging to the
Maine. 80, "' r#F.
La Lucha. in an editorial to-day, COM
rnerts upon the "unfairness of the United
States in making Captain Sigsbee the .ad-
wiser and assistant of the court of in
tauiry,'; The editorial IS evidently based
on incorrect information from the United
States, as naval officers here say it is i'm
possible under the rules constituting naval
courts of inquiry, that the captain COM
manding the ship destroyed should have
anything to do with the findings of the
court being in one sense on trial himself
As made Captain Sigsbees duty TO give
all the testimony as TO the facts in his
possession.
La Lucha claims also that the court OF
inquiry is not constituted as it would be
by any other of the great powers, but in
this particular the paper is evidently labor
ing under further misinformation.
There was nothing picturesque or inn
nressive in the scenes in or about the
lighthouse tender Mangrove, in which the
court of inquiry sat to-day. The weather
was somewhat cloudy. but. on the whole
pleasant enough. a steady breeze blew
out the bunting in which the Fern, the
Bache and the Mangrove were dressed I'm
honor of Washington's birthday. The
Spanish vessels also fioated the, American
co;ors in honor of the occasion.
The ManGrove, which is small and rath.
or ancient looking, lies near the wreck or
the side furthest from Havana, with the
Fern and the Bache respectively north
and south of her All are moored to buoys
and swing with the tide. Boats from varl.
Gus vessels or from the wharves ply tc
and FRO la the harbor, with passenger:
eager TO inspect the mass of steel and iror
which IS all that is left of great battle
ship.
ON the Mancrovc. the sessions of the
court were held in the captains cabin aft
The officers were not in full dress. bu
in the uniform used every day aboar,
ship.
The proceedings were very quiet. no ON
but the witnesses and the shorthand re
porter being admitted The arrangemen
IS that the stenoGrapher shall write on
his notes day by day and the court vii
adjourn from time to time to give hin
the opportunity, as was the case to-day
when the court again visited the wrecl
and spent some time in additional .inspec
tion.
The pomp and circumstance of the tribu
nal are not as much as an ordinary garri
son court-martial would show, but the hig
character of its members and the eviden
earrestness OF their purposes 10 find tn
truth, give dignity TO the court.
This was the last day Of the carnival an
tonight the city is gay as far as the Prad
and principal streets are concerned Blu
the display is not SO great as in forme
wears, for many are IN mourning and other
are poor, or feel so. OF merrymakers. how
ever, in carriage and on foot, there was n
great lack and the city in gala mood wa
we'll worth seeing. Police mounted and o
6Aat went through the crowds. but the