The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-18
WATCHING AND WAITING
CaImHr Feeling In Official
Circles.
DIVERS MUST END DOUBT.
Court of InQuiru'S Report
Now Awaited.
MAY RAISE The MAINE.
Government Willing 70 Spend
$500, 600 in the Attempt.

Washington, Feb 1.-THE government
has settled back into a waiting attitude re-
specting the terrible marine diaster In Ha-
vana harbor.
The great shock caused by the news has
given way to a calmer and more judicial
state of mind and realizing from the
events of the day that the court of inquiry
is the sole dependence in the search for
the cause Of the Names loss. the naval
officers are now resigned to wait the re-
suits OF that inquiry by court named to-
dayby the navy department.
There was little new to add to the sum OF
information as 10 the disaster during the
forenoon. No kilograms came and all that
could be CLEANED was a denial OF some
absurd story on another that had crept
into print, or become current gossip.
All the cables IN the late afternoon were
in the shape OF Capt Sigsbee's report of
the authorization Of the funeral of hia
dead sailors and Gen. Lees graphic story
of the terrible struggle for life In the dark
huh of the Maine.
The officials of the naval department
devoted the day to the effort to correct the
lists of living and dead; to answering fran
tic telegraphic appeals from relatives OF
men on the battieship and last, but not
least, in meeting with unwavering cour-
tesy and patience the exacting demands
upon their time Of the press representa-
tyes.
The disposition of the survivors. Capt.
Dickens, acting chief of the navigation
bureau. has arranged for as well as could
be from this distance. Wounded sailors
in the Havana hospitals, on the Spanish
flagship and elsewhere, when not in con-
dlton to be brought back to Key West,
will be carefully looked after by Miss
Clara Barton, who has been given carte
blanche to buy any and everything neces-
sary, food clothing, delicacies, and hire OF
nurses and physicians. The wounded
able to get across to Key West will be taxi
en- care OF in the marine hospital there.
The sound survivors will be quartered in
the spare army barracks there.
As for the Maine, herself, notwithstand-
ing discouraging reports from Lieut.. Hood
as to her condition. the navy department.
this Is required by every creditable sentl-
ment they say that they are bound to re-
move the hull from the small harbor In
any case, and IL may be as easy or easier
to raise her as Il would be to destroy the
hull and machinery by the use of divers
and dynamite. 1t is believed this work can
best be done by private wrecking corpora
tions and negotiations are already afoot
for placing the contract based on the work
by the day at an estimated cost of $2000O0.
AT the navy department specific denlals
were given of the report, emanating from
Madrid, that a torpedo fiotilla was about
10 leave Key West for Cuba. II was stat
ed that only two torpedo boats, the Cush-
ing and Ericsson, are at Key West and
these have not been ordered, and will rot
be ordered, according to present plans, TO
Cuba. IL was strongly asserted that at
present no purpose existed of sending any
warships there
Senior Dubosc, the Spanish charge, had
received no instructions up TO o'clock es
to going to New York and stopping the
Spanish ship Nizcaya from entering the
port. and reports to this effect were dis
credited.
The air Of suppressed excitement which
characterized the movement of the en-
ployes and visitors at the White House
yesterday was not noticeable to-day. There
were comparatively few visitors during
tne morning nOJfS, ana IOr a cOnSldSra-
BILE time In the middle Of the day the
White House bore an almost deserted ap-
pearance.
Assistant Secretary Day saw the Presi-
dent for few minutes, but he had notn-
ing of Importance to communicate until
after o'clock, when he carried to the
White House official Information of the
closing of the De Lone letter Incident
So far as could be learned, the only in
formation as to the situation In Havana
that reached the President direct came
through the Associated Press.
on the streets there was noticeably less
excitement than yesterday, when the peo-
pie were 10th to believe that under the cir
cumstances the loss Of the Maine could be
traced to other than Spanish sources.
All the flags throughout the city, includ-
ing those on the capitol and the public
buildings are flying at half mast to-day,
and among the others is conspicuous that
Of ''Cuba Libre." which flies from the
staff on the Hotel Raleigh, the headquar-
ters of the Cuban junta.
This evening In Washington was abso-
lutely devoid Of interest, so far as official
circles were concerned. At the White
House there was hot a single visitor aside
from the correspondents in search OF news.
which did not arrive
The navy department received but one
dispatch, a message from Capt Slgshee.
announcing the funeral Of the victims in