The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-03-30
WHAT THE sPANIARpS SAY.

Washington, March 2S "A full
synopsis of the report of the Spanish
naval commission which investigated
the destruction of the battleship
Maine is here given by the Asso
ciated Press. It is taken from
copy of the original report, which is
now on it's wey hero from Havana,
the syn psis being cabled in the
meantime and today placed in the
hands OF this government.
The conclusions reached are direct
ly opposite to those in the report Ct
the court Ct inquiry submitted to
Congress t,day. The synopsis is as
follows:
The report contains declarations
made by ocular witnesses and ex-
perts. From these statements it
clearly deduces and proves the alb
sence of oil those attendant circum-
stances which are invariably present
on the occasion Of the explosion of
torpedo.
The evidence of witnesses COM
paratively close to the Maine at the
moment is to the effect that only one
explosion occurred; that no column
of water was thrown into the air;
that no shock to the side of the near
est vessel was felt, nor on land was
any vibration noticed, aud that no
dead fish were found:
"The evidence of the sen Or pill It
of the harbor states that there is
abundance Of fish in the harbor, and
this is corroborated by other wit
nesses. The assistant engineer states
that after explosions mlde during
the execution of works in the Larbor
be has always found dead fish.
The divers were unable to ex-
anime the bottom of the Maine which
was buried in the mud, but careful
examination of the sides of the yes
sci, the rents and breaks in which
all point outward, show without a
doubt that the explosion was from
the inside.
"a minute examination of the bot
tom of the harbor around the vessel
shows absolutely no sign of the
action Of a torpedo and the fsca'
Gudge advocate) Of the commission
can ind no precedent for the explc
sion OF the storage magazines of &
vessel by torpedo.
"The report makes clear that ow
ing to the. special nature OF the pro
caedings allowed and the absolute
respect shown for the extra-terli
to,ial position Of the Maine, the com
mission has been prevented from
making such an examination Of th'
inside of the vessel as would deter
mine even the hypothesis the interna
origin of the accident. This is to b.
attributed to the regretable resusa
to permit of the necessary co opera
tion of the Spanish commission boil
with the com nander and crew Of th
Maine and the different American
officials commissioned to Investigate
the causes of the accident, end late
on with those employed in salvag
work.
The report finishes by stating
that an examination of the inside an'
outside of the Maine, as soon as sucl
examination may be possible, as ais
of the bottom where the vessel rests
will prove that, supposing the re
mains (of tie wreck) not to be totali.
or partially altered in tho process 0
extraction, the explosion was undoubt
edly due to some interior cause"
NEGOTIATIONS WITH SPAIN.
London, March 29.-The Madri(
correspondent CT the Daily Mail give
version Of the negotiations betweel
United States Minister Woodford an(
the Spanish Clbinet last week differ
Jag somewhat from that given yes
terday by the Standards Madrid cor
respondent. He says:
"The note which General Wood
ford presented on Wednesday was o
comminatory nature. 1t demanded
that Spain put an end to the war il
Cuba Immediately, recapitulating tht
damage done to American interests
and further limiting that the war wa'
a danger to the public health Of tb'
United States, the continual snug
Cling between the coasts of Cub:
and Florida being the means of con
veying the yellow fever.
AN ENERGETIC REPLY.