The evening times., 1898-03-01
THE SITUATION CR|T|GAL
The Entire Spanish Navy Is in
Sympathy With Weyler.
USELESS OFFICIAL DENIALS
The Anti-Autonomy Demonst ration
i'm Havana Postponed BECAUSE OF
the Non-ArrivaI of Spanish War
shipS-TEe Danger to Americans
Equally as Great as Before.

Havana. via Key West. March 1.-The
papers here are continually publishing
denials of the submarine mine stories.
They give official statements to the effect
that no mines are now or ever have been
placed in the bay by the Spanish govern
ment
The Spanish authorities do not expect
that this denial will be believed IN Ameri-
ca or other parts Of the world, where
people read or think. There are official
reports on the subject of the protection
of Havana Bay by torpedoes and mines
! there has within the last ten days been
an exchange Of cablegrams between Cuba
ard Spain as to the condition of these de-
, fenses.
Reserve torpedoes are stored in three
: different arsenals on the shores OF HaNa-
ma Bay at the present moment. and a
torpedo transport was moored to the
same buoy as held the Maine to her
death iust before the American battle
shin came there The difference between
n mine and a stationary torpedo is mere
.ly "a matter of size.
The testimony Of all Of the passengers
F
anchored less than a hundred yards from
the Maine. mentioned shot that pre-
,,edea the great explosion. and rain of
debris. 10y several seconds. The interval
was long enough to enable the passen-
] gers TO gain the deck before the Maine
blew up Working on this point the Sc
crot service agents from Washington
have satisfied themselves that this shot
r..n for N4a OK
TO touch the button that would explode
the mine.
The wind was from the northeast that
! night. and the Maine must have been di-
p recIlv over the mine at the moment "i
the explosion. and it was. according 10
rhi~ theory at that moment that
somebody on the shore fired the shot
that WAS the signal.
II IN, court reports that the Maine Was
blown up by mine or torpedo Spain
uil be likely 10 demand an ihternaIl"lal
uaral inquiry.
This is much talked Of here in official
- .i,.cl,s II the International court
sf,a,fld he unable 10 decide just what
.,rlsaa The explosion. Spain viii demand
p "a ral,rip3lld of me American naval ONT
! -,fe who charged the disaster I" Out
Z { side. cavSeS. Americans here. however.
S ( cannot believe that their Governments
4 will allow amy other nation oi nations
|
s ,f the question.
l.. There Is the germ of-a possible Span
be- isb revolution in the recent order OF the
u minister Of marine affairs. removing
Il / engineers of warshipS from the line oi
I ! promotion above the rank OF ensign 'tii'
!, 4 nuIlifying the former admiralty rules
% I nader which engineers were 10 ne sep
n 4 ar4fa CORPS. the same as the American
%at,- All engineers in Cuba employed
Z on Warships here have sent private "ls
l. matches. via Key Nest. 70 their fellow
Il engineers aboard ships in Spain inoorS
"a ing their protests against the new or
Il dcrS.
"a If the minister Of marine persists in hi
/ new ruling all engineers and all sub
a I ordiuates conGeGted -HiIh The handhhs "I
= the machinery of ships are likely 10 re
Z 4 sign in a beay. THE Spanish navy does
r. I not care two pins Tor the boy King. Al
q rlouSo XIII The naval officers are near
. ll all CarliSts in their hearts. and Dor
carlos counted on the navy 70 suppor
c his cause when the standard Of revoi
T. 4 went un Now. the navy Is strong fo
So Wez-ler and a Spanish republic.
"a Meanwhile the Cuban cause has beel
s- M. king great progress. The insUrCent
n are battling daily on the outskirts Of Ha
T. yana and ia the eastern interior the,
l. have things absolutely their own way.
~ The American Deouie can hardly con
tI caive OF men equal 10 the yillainy of mur
a- not know the worst elements in Havana
20 The graves Of the Maine sailors VIII
died that night have already been plum
dered of the wreaths and flower piece
that token the sorrow OF nation at tn
loss of her defenders.
4 hundred wards To- the west lies tn
u ground where for years Spanish tail birds
de-erters who were garroted or shot Il
the back 10y order Of the Spanish govern
ment. and tumbled into unmarked an'
7S diShonored graves. Today there Is not
.c sign except the freshly-turned earth Z
,- distinguish between the two plots O
~ ground.
. 4 wear ago a Cuban woman was sen
- fenced TO ten wears Imprisonment fo
ii breaking and carrying away from Span
-e i~h grave in the same cemetery a slnSl
a- rose.
l. For removing the flowers from tn
n grave of a Spaniard during the ten years
- war eight boys. students Of class q
: ( forty were publicly executed by tn
"a 4 .olunteers. and the government ha
n ( lard work to get the rest Of the cias
f. of with imprisonment in chains.
There were several hundred dollar:
n worth Of artificial flowers on the grave
y of the Names heroes. The cemetery au
I thorities disclaim any and all knowledg
"a of the whereabouts of the artificii
m Nreaths and crosses. They are eN
l., dcntly determined to hush the matter VI
ne If possible.
m, Notwithstanding the official protests
- tions Of sympathy and regret. the feelin
4. of the Spanish mob toward these Amer
- lean graves is the feeling that actuate
The men who attempted the destructio
Of the Andre monument at Tarrytown.
IT is because of their knowledge of tn
feeling that. Americans here expect
q have TO fight for their lives with mo
49, ~i+'ration changes.
'--- Snanis