The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-05
I[GO BACK TO HAVANA.
Continued from First Page.)

tive or conclusive information bearing
upon the object of the investigations Ill
is taken to mean that upon the testimony
or discoveries of the divers will depend
supply. The other two ships building
for Brazil in France which are also rr-
ported to be about to pass i'tto Spanish
possession, are presumed to be the
Deadoro and the Floriona, which are
building at La Seinne, Toulon. These
are small but powerful battleshipS
Their tonnage is only 3,1G2, but they
carry four 10 inch rifles in turrets. in
addition to two six inch and four Al
inch guns and gOOd secondary bat
terry. Their coal endurance, however
is small and their forte would seem 10
be coast defense operations, or cruising
near Il base of supplies.
The London reports also caused com
ment at the State Department. In some
quarters the feeling was expressed that
pending the finding of q Court of Inoui
~ OH II case having the international
phases of the Maine explosion the obi
CATIONS of neutrality were as strongly
imposed on Great Britain and Brazil as
in time of war;
But. as a general rule, foreign govern
ments are free to sell war ships, either
directly or through their citizens, ND to
the actual date Of hOstilities.
QUIET IN NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
Matters were very quiet, at least ex-
ternally. in the War Department to-day.
SO it was unknown at the department
that the troops at Salt Lake were being
reviewed and it was said that if this
was so. it could be nothing more than
the usual inspections required by the reg
ulationS. AS for the reported orders to
inspection officers at Bethlehem to be
ready for a quick start. it was said that
Captain McNutt and Lieutenant Bcnet
who have been on inspection duty for sew
eral years past. are not to be disturbed
and have had no orders such us are re-
ported from Bethlehem.
Admiral Sicard's precept converting the
Court of Inquiry now investigating the
disaster to the battleship Maine has been
received by THE navy Department and
was made public to-day. 1t Us important
mainly in showing the exact scope of the
inquiry and the extent to which the
report will go. Aside from the usual or,
ders directing the court to report both
findings of fact and it's opinions on these
findings. Admiral Sicard directs the
court 10 record any information as to
person or persons, mot connected with
the Navy of the United States. who are
III its opinion, responsible, i'll part or
wholly, directly or indirectly, for the
explosion and loss of the Maine" with
names. and the degree of reSponS sOiity
i'll each case. The court is to make its
report to Admiral Sicard.
LEE PROVIDES FOR ORPHANS.
The State Department received the
following telegram from Consul General
Lee last night:
Havana, March 3.
Have established asylum for destitute
small orphans, regardless of nationality
The money sent by you will be applied
to the purchase of food for said or
phans."
The War Department. it is under
stood. will cndeavor to induce the Treas,
ury officials to return the Tortugas Is,
lands to its jurisdiction. but at the
Treasury Department. it is said that no
request has yet been made, upon the
Secretary of the Treasury for the re-
transfer Should the request be made
it is stated that It would be complied
with at once. Some years ago this is
land, under the control of the War De
partment was turned over to the Treas
ury Department for use as a quaran-
tine station with the Stipula tion That it
would be retransferred ut any time
upon request. Since then the govern
ment has established on Tortugas one
of the most complete quarantine stations
in the country. This fact however
would not even be considered should the
War Department need it for its own
purposes. Possession. it is said, would
be given within forty-eight hours.
NO PROGRESS AT WRECK.
Havana. March 4.-The American div
els, having examined more or less
thoroughly the ward room to-day trying
TO effect an entrance into the petty of
ficers' compartment, in the hope of find
ing some BODIES there. However, each
day the belief grows stronger that few,
if any more. bodies will be recovered.
Not one was recovered to-day
Captain Sharp, who is in charge of the
Merritt and Chapman wrecking outfit,
appreciates the difficulties of the situa
ton better than others. He will not
specify any time when the big guns will
be released. 1t lis necessary to first re-
move the tops of the turrets. These are
held in place by steel bolts. which must
be cut loose. Inc best INFORMED people
here think a month will elapse before
In the meantime, work on the minor
details of the wreck will proceed with all
possible speed.
DISCIPLINE OF NIZCAYA.
The discipline on board the Spanish
cruiser Vizcaya is very high, which ma
turally gratifies the Spanards
Senator Proctor, General Fitzhugh
Lee. Captain Sigsbee, and many other
prominent Americans attended the cere-
mony of decorating the graves of the
Names dead to-day
HURRICANE DOES DAMAGE.
A hurricane, which has swept over the
port of Batabano, on the south coast
Of Cuba, opposite Havana, has done
great damage. 1t destroyed a hut in
which were quartered number of sol
diers belonging to the Castalian battalion
killing two of the men and wounding 20
others Thousands of trees were swept
away and the ships in the harbor were
obliged to put hurriedly to sea i'll order
to avoid being wrecked.
The cable dispatches deny the re