Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-10

NV :. ~ The day in connection with
tha Maine inquiry centered in a state
nd aat nv secretary Long, following the
al [ohnet meeting, that in his personal
de- faioIon any official participation by the
wa! E.arisb government in the blowing up
Wv Tho Maine was now practically
irs Ipmioated from the situation. This
iak. totamept was not of q formal or of
arr Aol character. and vas made by Mr..
neu ono as he walked away from the
k,bjta House. AS usual the various
shinpt officers were besieged with In
cons Eniyles as TO the questions before the
yrp. soetinr. and in response TO these inn
will b%ortupities the secretary rather casual
in0 summed up the situation In n few
tiCp sords stating that most of the time
as Iod beep given to the outrages on col
men rad noStmasters in the South. Nat
lueb rally the Cuban situation had been
cas- pope over. he said, but there We're no
pof 4 cual developments, and he felt that
lyo uhlic excitement over the subject had
b~ateriolly abated. Then he added the
any Etatemcnt. in the same passing way,
Rus hat any participation by the Spanish
less Eoyernment in the blowing up of the
.pn .Alaine was practically eliminated, in
Ian lis Judgment. This last remark was
hing kpeedily given wide circulation apart
ung rom the ~quieting references which
oSe lad accompanied il. Persons occupy
war nc the closest relations with the sec
The +etary said that the opinion expressed
that as such as any one might give with
mi he facts now nj hand. 1t was not in
ky sense, it was explained, a o N
mat lnslon drawn from new evidence. not
- ,,Ili. nftlnp froYa Tho on.trf 30
row. hquiry or any officer now concerned In
he inquiry. Neither ilcts or intima-
onS have come from such sources. 1t
said at the department, which would
terye as The basis Of an opinion. The
ork Official Declaration
I Senior du Bose, the Spanish charge
wv. f~affaires. that no mines or submarine
q f~efenSes exist in the harbor of Ha-
if' ana had come TO the attention of Sec
I'D tetary Long, and this statement from
COD be authorized representative of the
over j panlsh government was felt to have
ss cen given its due weight in the opin-
tioa bn expressed by the secretary. 1t
apt Fas pointed out by persons bearing
'urt lose relations to the secretary that the
bnguage used was official participa-
any E0n' on the PIT of the Spanish gov
frnment This, it was said, had no
taa bearing on the question of SPANS re-
possibility. The official participa-
20 Jon OF Spain was one thing; while
Toe PIE responsibility of Spain In case the
lose lSaster proved to be OF external
Rrigin, was quite another thing. The
ecretary's statement was restricted,
was explained, to e~xculpating Spain
o0n. Fom direct, official knowledge and
one anticipation in the affair. In case ii
kS Jas shown that the act was due TO
Chi Dle fanatic or person not connected
long Ha the government, then the ques-
feet on OF Spain's responsibility would be
ill open.
Is NO dispatches OF any character from
den fey West, where the court Of inquiry
bes sitting, were given out during the
az and as the rule of publicity is still
force, presumably nothing came
Fom that quarter. The vessel move
ain Ethls announced during the day were
!, n eyold of significance.
! i. oraefs went out from the navy de-
mi, Hlment to put the ironclads Man
rMr pnonnah and Katahdin into commits
tai = ny the 10th inst. They are now
Nan te League Island navy yard, where
,at icy have been laid up for n year or
Nav Y past. Ii Is said at the department
rffN. 49,, ~ VI DhtNtt> Nithi INV
pMmiSslon is TO make berths for the
lFVors of the Maine now at Kew
est awaiting on the court OF inquiry
psn' without doubt, will have fin
lg : win them by the 10th inst.
mas havana, March 4.-Without adding
' AueeSsarily to the surmises. coniec-
Gorc ana prophecy concerning the
nen 1ns Vi the court of inquiry, it is fair
~ soy ulat, as a matter of fact, most OF
- naval officers here and at Key
= incline to the opinion that the
- VIII ind that the disaster to the
,eat ! was caused by the explosion of
Of anng submarine mine under the
sue Oh the ship. forward. Opin.
not agree not only as TO the existence
Aes IN the harbor. but that this
w.. iaid purposely near the buoy
~. iorelgn war vessels were direct
az, moor, and was fired from an
ara,' pattery OF shore. 1t is believed
: possiDie that the explosion Of
ks.ae was the result Of the care
fire Ears or ignorance Of Spanish Of
yi~ w. charge of the mine station
sm t,s. "nen testing the circuit, but the
Ns supposition Is not felt to be prob
y Is further regarded as settled
~e evidence before the court that
r. Dn pGrt side of the hull forward was
,eb. by svsy blown to pieces, and the
soln1prosion on the Maine, except
as tla eeu cases of fixed ammunition,
bwds aa. or 1000 pounds of saluting
trso,. stored forward, and of which
rom Il Is,e can be found. These views
nal Ts.nus.red from officers who
ted BID onIn With Great Reserve
" as....y upon the assurance that their
:, r rss viii never be revealed. The
De- emu uains that only the members of
op vV or OF inquiry know all the testi.
A. nal se'cited and no one is authorized
- th baAe public matters In advance
q i goa nnal Judgment.
|ess syVo deal of surprise was ex-
,cr bsnIsh here at learning that the
sed AXE ,a a. Divers were to be permitted to
MAJ ~ examination Of the wreck of
ID thsnse' especially as it was also
|ord nat American naval officers
s. cGftless y such divers all consistent
= N WV ami xr1.Yr