The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-05
THE FINISH UNKNOWN
COURT CLAIMS TO BE STILL IN
THE DARK.
GRAVES OF THE MAINE DEAD DECORATED
Gen. Lee and Senator Proctor Attend DeCora-
tion--High Discipline Of Viscaya--Diyers'
Progress is Slow and Without
Incident of Note.

Incident of Note.
Key West. Fla. March 4.-Aftcr two
postponcments of its departure the Court
of Inquiry left for Havana this evening,
on the light house tender AIangrOve. 1t
is believed by the best Informed here
that the court will complete its labors N
the Cuban capital within ten days.
Only three of the six days the court
was here, were devoted to the work of
investigation. The inactivity of ycster-
day and to-day is still unexplained, ex-
cept by Il nemi-Official statement that
Rear Admiral Sicard was awaiting i'll
structions from Washington.
= sessions, it is generally under
stood, developed no evidence by which
the court could definitely determine the
cause of the explosion.
A Naval officer in close touch with
the members of the court said to this
correspondent:
" ith one exception the witnesses who
testified here were Maine survivors. The
evidence though in most eases taking
longer to tell, can be summed up i'll the
words of an enlisted man who, when
Judge Advocate Marix asked him what
he knew about the explosion, replied:
Sir, / was blown up. | was saved and
I'm here That was all he could swear
to-"
One important fact has been learned,
however 1t is this. although the mem
beers OF the court may have their indiyid-
nal t-.eories, they are by no means pre-
pared as Il body to render decisive YER
diet. The officer already quoted said:
If the court has yet heard amy testi
mony which would enable it to decide
inteIigenrly that thc Maine was blown
up from external causes. | am the most
mistaken man in the world. Before the
coming Havana sessions are over it may
secure such evidence and possible find
tie blowing up was intentional. 1t will
learn from the divers the actual condi-
ton of the ship after the explosion, as
it has already learned from the survivors
most of the details of the ships condi-
ton before the explosion. With these
bases thor ughly established the court
will hear more expert theoretical teStl-
mOny and then reach Il verdict"
1 his statement can be taken as more
worthy of reliance than that of the
Maine officer who said the other day he
believed the court was bound on evidence
already heard to find the cause of the
explosion external. Its conservatism is
also at variance with the opinions of
many other Naval officers here, especial
ly those, of the younger set, directly con-
trary to the belief of most of the Maine
survivors that their ship was intention
ally blown up.
Before sailing tonight Captain Samp-
son had Il long consultation with Adj
miral Sicard.
Hulsc, the courts chief stenograpller,
has returned to Washington, lcaying
BSsell. his associate here.
All the Maine survivors received n
months pay yesterday and their claims
for lost personal property have been
filed
Schwants, cook Of the Maine, has put
in claim for 1,22G. which he says
he had i'll his chest, which was blown to
pieces.
Many other enlisted men lost the saw
in2s of years.
There have been no movements of the
hect to-day except in the case of the
Nashville, which tOwed a coal barge out
to the Iowa.
Key West. March THE Mangrove
sailed at S:2J p. m., with all the Of
ficers of the court and the Stenographer
Mr.. BisselI She will touch at the
T0rtugas with mail for the fleet.
CLOSE OF INQUIRY UNKNOWN.
Washington, March At was devcl-
opcd this afternoon through telcgraphic
correspondence between Secretary Long
a Ia, nj .
Inquiry is unable to fix even an approxi-
vestigation into the disaster of the
Maine.
Sharing the general anxiety for some
information on this point, Secretary
Long to-day at the instance of the Cab
met. sent a telegram to Admiral Sicard
asking him when it was expected that
the report of the court would be- made
and late tonight the following reply was
received:
'Key West, March 4.
Secretary of the Navy:
Having talked with the president Of
the Court of Inquiry and agree with him
that If is not yet possible to fix a date
for the finding. as so much depends up
nm the progress of the divers and wreck
ers and the results they obtain. Every
effort e beng made t. advance the in
m,irv The court returns to Havana by
tha Nancrove this evening. having about
finished the examination at Key West
(SigneO SlCAItD.
ADMIRAL Sicard's message is regarded
offciollv as disposing of the reports
that the court has as yet obtained posi-