The Portland daily press., 1898-03-04
POINT IN ONE DIRECTION.

POINT IN ONE DIRECTION.
More Incidents in Favor of Outside
Agency Theory.
Havana, March IA naval officer here
today in reply to a suggestion that it was
pity such an important decision as the
verdict of the court of inquiry should rest
solely on the testimony of divers who
seemed men of only average intelligence,
replied:
"The court of inquiry has not had to
depend on divers testimony alone. "
Then, realizing that he had said more
than he intended, the officer resumed his
habituaI reserve. 1t is believed that the
testimony of Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright was very important, as bear
ing on the question of the existence of
submarine mines.
The government has employed an ex :
pert photographer now in Havana, who
| will send to the naval department in
| Washington photographs of armor plates
and different portions of the wreck i'm
mediate1y on recovery from the water.
If the Spanish court of inquiry under
| Captain Pearl has definite plan of
action, which seems doubtful, it has not
been made public. The Spanish divers
will report the result of their observations
to the Spanish court of inquiry, but when
or how has not been made known. At a
meeting of volunteers yesterday called to
protest against the rumoved proposal to
disarm them q letter was read from Gen.
| Parade, Gen. Blanco's second in oon-
mand, stating: "No government in Spain
will dare propose such a thing" This
has greatly gratitied the volunteers.
| Senator Proctor has seen much in a
short time and there is good authority for
| saying that he will make the results OF
| his observation known in strong speech
| in the Senate on his return to Washing
ton. At Matanzas Miss Barton and Sen.
ator Proctor, under the guidnncs Of
United States Consul Brioe and Mr..
Goyas, the British vice consul, saw the
extremes OF suffering they had never con-
ceived of previously. Seven persons died
in one ward whi o the party were there.
| Senator Proctor was reticent on the sub
ject, but others of the party said that the
whole east of the island was under the
control OF Gen. Maxine Gomez. Senator
Proctor, however: went SO far as to say to
the correspondent of the Associated
Press: Certainly peculiar state Of affairs
Eexist. A resident Of Matanzas told me
| that if I wished to correspond with Gen.
Gomez, he would send my letter to him
and have an answer back within a short
time.
The wreckers, later, began working
with apparsna vigor. The Merritt
anchored on the starboard side aft OF the
Maine, with a big barge opposite her on
the port side. The Right Arm was direct
4 ly astern of the wreck. The work was
| necessarily slow and difficulty for the
wreckers and dangerous for the divers.
| The Spanish divers did not go down
during the early part of the day although
the storm had passed away by 10 a. n.
! One body wassrecoyered today. lt was
| that of a white man, and was not 1dentl-
| fed. The remains were those of man
about thirty years of age
! The correspondent of La Discussion at
Matanzas says: Senator Parker
| (possibIy Senator Proctor or Col Parker
his travelling conpanion) gave check
| for $500 to the fund for the relief of the
sufferers of Mstanzas and vicinity
The steamer Seguranca, which has just
arrived here, brought additional supplies
consigned to Consul General Lee from
New York for the relief of the destitute.
MONITORS READY FOR SERVICE.
| Philadelphia, March 3.-Lieut. VIM. A.
| Gill, q. S. N, in charge of the hydro
graphic office the past two years, received
orders from the navy department. today to
report for active duty on the monitor
| Miantonomah, March 10. The Miantono-
nah is i'll course of hurried preparation
| for sea service and is expected to join the
| Amphitrite, Monadnock, Terror and Others
Of her class at that time.
No successor has been named to Lieut..
gill, but as the photographic Office is
| of greater Importance in time of war than
| in peace, the station will not be long va
| can't. -
uiI,oF o4I,or o4iaone Of tho bt,, rnopitor
| the chief engineer and assistant, arrived
, today. These are Chief Engineer VIM.
Parks, who has lately been inspector Of
| the Colum bian Iron works. in Baltimore,
and Passed Assistant Engineer Matthews.
late of the Brooklyn navy yard. After
submitting their orders to Capt. Casey
they made an examination of the Milan.
tonomah. Both were we'll pleased with
her condition. Three drafts OF seamen
were received at the navy yard today ag-
gregating 80 men. Twelve OF these
came from Boston. They will serve on
| board the Miantonomah.
The commanding officers of the cruisers
Columbia andSMinneapolis have not yet
been announced, but it is said unofficial
ly that Capt Sands, formerly of the Col
umbia will be in command of the Min
neapolis, and Capt. j. j. Reed of Mount
Holly Nj, now on the reserve list, will
have charge of the Columbia.
The announcement from Washington
that Capt. Mortimer johnson has been as
signed to the Miantonomah as command
ing officer, was received with favor on
board the vessel. The work of scraping
the Columbia will start tomorrow. An
examination of her bottom was made to-
day and it was found in some parts
where the paint had been rubbed off
that she was slightly rusted. The two
big turrets on the Miantonomah were
turned today for the first time in year
and worked we'll. The deck of the Ka-
tahdin, within the steel casing, Is now
being caulked. Her maohi merry is report
ed to be in first class shape.
OFF DAY FOR BOARD.
Key West, Fla, March 3.-Judge Adyo-
cate Mark was the only officer of the
court of inquiry on shore today. Captain
Sampson remained on board the Iowa and
Captain Chadwick and Lieutenant Com
mdnder Potter on the New York. Even
the stenogrsphers took holiday. Some
hitch has occurred in the plans of the
| fhnIlCh hnnr, 11n1orEtOO6 that