The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-17
LIMOGES QUIET.


concluded from First PaEe0
men who are now on board the Ward line
steamer, In the city hospital and at the
Mascotte hotel. making 50 saved so far as
known. All the others went down on board
or near the Maine. The total less or miss
ing is 25S- With several exceptions no off,
Ger or man has more than part of suit of
clothing, and that is wet with harbor
water The Ward line steamer leaves for
Mexico Vera CRUZ at O'Clock this after
noon. The officers saved are uniniured. The
damage was in compartments of the crew.
Am preparing to telegraph list of saved
and wounded. The Olivette leaves for Key
west at l y. m. Will send by her to Key
West officers saved except myself. VAIN
wright, Holman, Heneberger, Ray and HoI-
den Will turn over three uninjured boats
TO the captain Of the port, with a request
Tor safe keeping. VIII send all wounded
men to the hospital in Havana
among the matters discussed by the Pres
ldent and members of the Cabinet was the
question Of the expediency Of Immediately
sending one or two more war ships to Ha-
Vaha to take the place of the Maine. and
tue conclusion was reached that at present
such course was not desirable.
BESIDES the dispatches from Captain Sigs-
uee consul General Lee wired that all was
quiet at Havana, and that great sorrow was
expressed by the authorities there At 11.20
CLOCK Secretary Long received the follow
ing unsigned telegram from Havana: "Onlv
TWO officers unaccounted for. The explosion
was forward. To all indications the maya
zine exploded, but cannot tell until an in
vestlgation is had. The sentry on the poop
deck reports that there were no boats in
the vicinity when the explosion occurred"
Another fQla +oc Co, +
George Bronson Rea, said to be a newspaper
correspondent, said mo excitement All
quiet. Only feelings of sympathy and sor-
row for the accident
Secretary Long, for the President, sent
this telegram to Captain Sigsbee: "grhe
President desires me to express for himself
and the people Of the United States his pro-
found sympathy with the officers and crew
Of the Maine, and desires that no expense
be spared in providing for the survivors and
the care of the dead
Both Secretary Long and Assistant Secre-
tary Roosevelt called consultation in the
forenoon of all of the chiefs of the Navy
Department, and several of the officers of
high rank not directly attached. like Com
modore Schley, president of the lighthouse
board who has a brilliant reputation as a
gallant officer and is possessed of great dis
erection. The purpose of these consultations
was to secure the best expert testimony as
to the probable cause of the disaster, while
at the same time ascertaining to what ex-
tent the naval situation has been affected by
the loss of the Maine. A good deal of dis
quiet was exhibited when it was shown that
the loss of this fine battle ship had done
good deal to destroy the balance of power,
theoretically, between the navies of Spain
i
us only six serviceable ironclads as against
seven in the Spanish fleet.
Every confidence is felt at the department
in the commander of the Maine. Captain
Sigsbee. and until it is really established
otherwise there is every disposition to
charge the accident, if accident it was. that
destroyed the Maine, to some cause beyond
the usual range of human discretion.
The coast survey steamer Bache is now
lying at Key West. The superintendent of
the survey lost no time this morning in in
viting Secretary Long to make any use of
the vessel in this emergency that he might
desire The invitation was gratefully ac-
cepted, and the Bache has been ordered to
proceed at once to Havana with wrecking
paraphernalia.
The Navy Department tonight received
the following from Captain Sigsbee: Every
one except nine officers, one private, one
gunner's mate and twenty-five seriously
wounded, removed to Key West by the
steamer Olivette."
President II. B. Booth, of the Ward line,
sent kilograms to President Mckinley and
Secretary Long, from New York, to-day,
placing at their disposal the steamship City
of Washington, now in the harbor of Ha-
vana, and the Vigilance now EN- route to
Havana, for any purposes and for as long