Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-21

| Havana, March 20.-Little work was
done on the wreck of the Maine to-day
| by the divers or contractors. The
| city has been quiet after the festivities
| Of last night, lasting until early this
| morning at the Tacon Theatre, where
! a dramatic representation was given
in aid of the fund for the Spanish
navy. There was plenty of enthusiasm
! in the crowded theatre Every pa
| triotic sentiment was cheered to the
| echo, but there were no sensational
| features. The proceeds are not all in
! yet, but it is believed that they will
! amount to between $50, 600 and 100000
! in gold. Former estimates were too
| large. Even with the enormous prices
| paid for boxes and seats, it was i'm
| possible that any such figures as $780,
| 600 or 100000 should be realized, as
| was hoped by some.
! The Austrian cruiser Donau, which
| left for New York last evening, is not
| expected to reach her destination
| FOR A WEEK OR TWO,
as she is slow, even with auxiliary sail
power.
| The Red Cross Society of America,
| having decided to devote itself hence
forth in Cuba to hospital, asylum and
| kindred work, Dr.. Egan prefers not to
| serve on the general committee The
| distribution relief committee now con-
| cic ~ I
! Guzman, representing the Cuban COM
mittee, and Mr.. j. l.. Vanderwater,
secretary of the Southern railway of
! Cuba, representing the American con-
| tributors. Gen. Lee will act as arpi-
| traitor in the event of difference of
| opinion between the two other mem
| bers.
| The food on hand will afford relief to
all the needy on the island for a week
| or more, and additional supplies are
afloat
| RELIEF HAS BEEN SENT
| to one hundred and thirty-four central
/ points, from which four hundred and
| sixty-two towns and villages have been
supplied Cornmeal is the principal
| ration, as being good for the really
Hungry, but not likely to tempt beggars
or the unworthy. Besides, there is no
! difficulty in getting it through the Gus
| toms quickly.
Special Commissioner Klopsch has
| appointed three men to travel con-
stantly through the island to verify the
count of the needy and to see that the
| supplies are properly received and han
| died, to prevent fraud and to generally
assist in the work of distribution. The
latest total reported to Mr.. Klopsch is
205 900 necessity cases.
| If the government will sanction the
arrangement, a large building in the
suburb of Guanabacoa, where the AL
| fonso XIII. regiment is now quartered,
will be rented by the relief committee.
| Several hundred reconcentrados have
| Just been set to work cultivating ten
acres of ground surrounding the
building, in this contributing to their
own support. The plan is experiment.
al, and if successful is capable of ex-
| tensive development elsewhere.
BACK FROM HAVANA.
Washington, March pa special to
the Post from Newport News says:
1.-The Merritt wrecking tug Underwrit-
er arrived in port at midnight last
night from Havana, where she went
with the derrick Chief, which is as
sisting in the work on the Maine. Cap
tain Wiley will again start for Havana,
probably tomorrow night, with the
barge Lone Star, which is very much
needed by the wreckers Captain
Wiley believes that the Maine was de-
stroyed through the agency of of an
ternal explosion. In an interview
aboard the Underwater, Captain Wiley
said: You ask me what l know about
the cause of the disaster. | reply that
know nothing, and when you get
down to actual facts, | do not believe
there is anybody who knows just how
the unfortunate affair happened
when | reached Havana | con-
versed with Captain Sharp, Merritt's
expert in charge of the work. but could
learn nothing from him about the re-
suit of his personal investigation.
While at Havana | heard no opinions
AZ to the cause, and it seemed to me
as il the affair was
A NINE DAYS WONDER
blown over. The arrival of the Chief
will facilitate the work of clearing
away the wreck as she lifts forty
tons The guns, shells, powder cases
and scraps are being placed aboard
lighters. The Lone Star will return
with this material to Norfolk, if she
does not carry it beyond Moro Castle
and dump it into the sea. 1t is all
worthless.
Without having had opportunity
to examine the wreck below water |
would say that the Maine was blown
III by an internal explosion. 1t is the
most confused pile of distorted metal
Imaginable. There is one deck above
water which is turned completely over
bv the explosion. The deck is bottom
side M. with the deck frame on top.
That looks TO me as if the destructive
force came from within If a mine did
the work and played so much havoc
with the upper deck, where must the
hoItom be? Can she have any? ct
they say they have found some OF the
bottom intact. My opinion is that II
tile affair had occurred In an Enghsh
harbor. say Kingston, Jamaica, there
would not be one man III hundred
who would say external cause after
looking at that wreck as it is to-day.
] heard that the Spanish divers found
niece of the forward turret i do not
believe a mine in the harbor would
have broken the turret, while an in
ternal explosion would. ! saw a great
many exploded copper powder cases,