The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-22

Key West, Fla, March 21-Judge
Advocate Mark Of the court OF inquiry
came ashore at o'clock this afternoon,
accompanied by an armed orderly from
the Iowa. who carried a bulky package
of official documents, which was hand
ed to Rear Admiral Sicard. It is be-
lieved the documents are the full find
ings of the court of inquiry. Lieuten-
ant Commander Mark. when ques-
toned on the subject. refused either to
deny or confirm, but an officer from
the Iowa said the documents were the
long eXpected report or the Maine dis
aSter. The papers were Immediately
examined by the rear admiral and
Commander West. 1t is presumed that
if these documents are the anXiOusly-
expected report they will be taken to
Washington tomorrow by Lieutenant
Commander Mark.
IT IS THE REPORT.
Key West, Fla, March 22-The re-
port of the Maine court of inquiry was
delivered to Rear Admiral Sicard by
Judge Advocate Mark at the Key West
hotel yesterday afternoon. The ad-
miral pointed out some alterations,
which he considered necessary, and the
revised report will probably be taken
~ ~ eAoAllllE lbn ~ 1ItUlEHduL AOut-
mander Mark today.
After a consultation with the admir-
al, Lieutenant Commander Mark took
the papers on board the Nashville,
then returned to shore and spent the
night st the hotel. The board and
Admiral Sicard viii hold a conference
today on board the Iowa or on shore.
when the report will be finally con-
sidered.
ITS PROCEDURE.
Washington, March 21.-The proceed
ure in connection with the submission
of the report of the Maine court of in
quiry by the president to congress is
now clearly outlined, and a cabinet OF
ficer today explained the general line
of action 1T present intended to be pur-
sued upon receipt of the report, which
is expected to reach Washington next
Thursday.
A cory of it will be laid before the
Spanish government very early. and as
soon as can be consistently done, the
report viii be sent to congress and be
made public at the same time. The re-
port to congress viii be accompanied
by message from the president, stat
ing that after receiving the report the
conclusions were laid before the Span
ish government and appropriate action
from that quarter asked.
CURRENT OF OPINION.
1t is stated positively that no part Of
the report and no intimatiOn of the
findings has reached the executive au-
thorities in Washington yet. at the
same time, il is a noticeable fact that
the current of official opinion is begin
ming to follow that of the unofficial
opinion expressed so positively and
persistently at Havana and Key West.
that the cause of the explosion was eX-
ternal to the battleship. Officials nigh
in the administration state today that
while they were wholly without exact
information as to the findings of the
court of inquiry, they found themselves
sharing in the apparent intangible con-
viction that the cause Of the explosion
was not accidental. Opinion expressed
by the Maine survivors who reached
here last Saturday has contributed
largely 10 this view in official circles
In this connection. it is understood
that one of the officers who arrived on
Saturday stated, not as his opinion. but
as his personal observation. that on the
night of the disaster there were two
distinct explosions. The tendency of
this is to support the theory of ex-
ternal cause, as it is based on the idea
that the first external explosion was
by a. second internal explosion .
Intense interest in the report was
manifested today at the White House
and at the state, war and navy depart
ments.
REEDS VISIT IMPORTANT
The president received a number of .
congressional leaders. among them be- |
ing Speaker Reed and Chairman Hit, +
Of the house committee on foreign af- /
fairs. The visit of Mr.. Reed naturally /
much attention. as he seldom
leaves the congressional sphere to make [
calls on the executive branch, and il
IS naturally inferred that the purpose