The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-22
THEIR PERSONAL
TEAMS TO EXTERNAL CAUSE.
NEGOTIATING FOR MORE WAR SHIPS
Chances Said to Be Very Hot" of Getting
the San Marine and Gen. O'HlggIns--
Good Watch Kept on Spanish
Torpedo flotilla.

! Name ana tilelf cAleHutu
with President Mckinley and Secretary
Long. furnished the most interesting 1ea-
turc in. to-day's developments on the
Sranish situation. These officers of the
Maine, Lieutenant c.. +. w. Holman,
lieutenant George L. Blow and Lieu
tenant \. w. Catlin, of the Mann
Corps. accompanied by boat-swain Lal~
kjns. came on unexpected from NeS
West. 1t is said their visit was purel,
yolutary on their part. as they are now
on waiting orders and are free to so
where they please. Their long conferences
al the Navy department ana later III inc
White House led to much conjecture, II
being asserted that Lieutenant BLOW
brought with him the report of the
Court of Inquiry, or at least the gene
raj conclusions reached by that court. 1t
can be stated positively, however, from,
an authoritative source that the officers
did not bring with them the report.
either az Il whole or its general conciu-
sions. 1t is stated with equal positive
ness. and authoritatively, that they do
not know what the action of the Court
of Inquiry is, and. therefore,. are not
in a position to convey any
to the President or Secretary of the
Navy on that point. Their talks were
confined entirely to graphic narratives
of their experiences on the night of the
explosion. In the course Of this MARIA
tive, however. individual opinion as to
The cause of the explosion found eX-
preston. These opinions, as already
stated, were purely personal and not
founded on the proceedings of the COur,
Of Inquiry. These personal opinions.
however, it was learned reliably. were
strongly favorable to the theory of an
external cause leading to the destruction
of the Maine. The officers themselves
maintain the stricteSt reserve. After
the conferences with the President and
the Secretary of the Navy. the Maine
officers did not return to the Navy De
partment and considerable care was OK
: rrciscd in having their whereabouts kept
{ from public attention. Another inter
esting arrival Of the day was Construc-
/. tor Hoover. the technical expert sent to
Havana to identify the twisted plates
t in the Maine wrcckagc. with a view to
learning whether the explosion was Of
internal or external origin. Mr.. Hoover
also maintained silence concerning the
+ wreck. He made no report to The Sec
rotary of the Navy. rs he was sent to
Havana to learn facts and then on
: body them in testimony before the Naval
Court Of Inquiry.
Late in the day the prospects became
much brighter for the acquisition by the
tnitcd States of two exceptionally tine
foreign war ships. namely. the armore0
cruiser San Martina. belonging to tho
Argentine Republic, and the battle ship
General O'HigginS. belonging to Chill.
The hope Of getting these ships had
been almost given up, but cablegrams
rnanI y-nl ala "np , 49,, -,
: Browneon. now in Europe, made the
outlook more encouraging. Up to til.
Q close of office hours an actual purchase
| had not been concluded, but Il hiyh
official summed up the situation by say
ing the negotiations were getting very
f hot The San MARITIME was originally
built for the Italian government and
G Was then known as the Narez. but
since her purchase by Argentila she
has been renamed. Her dimensions arc,
Length, 32S; beam, 80: draft, %; dis
placement. 6.S40 tons; horse power, 13,.
600: speed. 1898 knots. Her armament
is two eight inch rapi! fire guns. :Icnnt.
ed in barbett"s and protected 10y hoods
ten six inch quick FIRE guns il 4 centre
redoubt: six IL nh quick ire guns q
| the upper deck and twenty-five smaller
: quick fire guns onh the upper deck
Il All the guns on the upper deck are pro.
Il tected by steel shields.
5 The General O'Higgins is a brittle
y ship of 500 tons. built at Elswick. Her
dimensions are:
; Length 400 feet; beam 81: draft >.
! feet: her contract speed 21A knots. He
' armament is four S-inch, ten 6-inch, foul
: IL Armstrong guns. eight II FOUNDERS
ten q Founders and four submergee
torpedo tubes. Her protective deck is ;
belt of harveyized steel seven inche.
thick. Her gun horses for the eigh-
niche guns and the Of In,
SIX inch guns are protected by six inch
cS of nickel-steel.
Both the Navy and War Department,
continue their active preparation 70,
emergency and contracts in all branchn
OF armament are being made daily h,
! the various bureaus. The Naval Pr
reau of Ordnance has contracted for i
100000 pounds Of brown powder wbicI
i Is probably the largest single order evo
given. This was divided between III.
Ndlllorhla IoWder Company and the On
pont Powder Company.
me ORDER Is sufficient in the agrre
Sn'e ~ give ~ rounds for every III,
afioat IN the American \avy ona ="
i az alst supply III hand the Navy 70,
: Tue nfst Tune III years will be moro tha,
amply supplied with powder. n"i
An unusually large number &c So
upls LOOK advantage of the fact tha.
/, "o n.hate was not in session +olIa.
upon cabinet officers with 49,
Il - u securing definite i~nformat;on :,
al ouoah situation. They s,oooaI
~ only IN learning that tho ranost y,
ene Name Court of INQUIRY hn5 Q,
alrlVed but that it was exneo+nd no
+ LEN week and that it would y esrls
t"ruFd to Congress immediate,u ior
- ARRIVAL unless of an nnaxna urnl
! stratflns character. Unexpectedly
~ Some of them found a.