Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-02-28
WHAT DIVERS FIND In THE
WRECK OF THE MAINE.
EVIDENTLY WORK OF ENEMY
Sensational Rumors in Washington
Fall Off Somewhat-Secratary
Long Issues a Statement Saying
He Has Little More Information
Than He Had Last Week.

| starving discoveries Ill Cu0 WTGCh vi
the Maine were less frequent Thurs
day but there were enough of them
to warrant Secretary Long in making
this statement: I'm summing up the
situation, I should say that the navy
department knows today nothing more
about the cause of the disaster than il
did five minutes after the receipt OF
the first despatch from Sigsbee. >
Until the conclusion of the investiga-
ton of the court of inquiry at Ha-
vana, the principal business of the
navy department in connection with
the Maine will relate to the conduct
of the wrecking operations. The only
exact information received at the navy
department from Havana during the
day was the Sigsbee telegram as fol-
lows:
! Long, secretary of the navy
The wrecking tug Right Arm be-
gan work today. Much Of the
encumbering metal must be blasted
away in detail. The navy divers are
down aft seven days, the forward four
days. The bodies of Jenkins and Mer-
rift have not been found. Two unident-
flied bodies of the crew were found
Wednesday. The after compartment
is filled with detached broken buoyant
furniture and fittings, mud and con-
fusion The Spanish authorities con-
! tinue to offer assistance and care for
the wounded and dead. The surgeon
of the Maine after consulting with
others recommended that all bedding
and clothing be abandoned. 1t might
go to the acclimated poor. The use
less fittings and equipments might be
tOWed to sea and thrown overheard
| will take all the immediate respon-
sibility, but invite the department. s
wishes. Shall the old metal or super
structure and like be saved? Friends
of the dead should understand that
we are in the tropics. Chaplain Child
wick is charged with all matters rela-
tive to the dead. His conduct is be-
yond praise. I don't know what re-
ports are being printed, but the in
tensely active representatives of the
press here have been very considerate
of me and my position. y
Long Immediately answered Sigs-
bee, approving all of his recommends
tiCns. To the captains inquiry as
to the saving of the old metal and
parts of the superstructure it was left
to Sigsbee to say what material was
worth preserving. Sigsbee'S state
ment that the divers have been aft
seven days gave the navy department
the first information of the time that
the divers have been in the vicinity
of the zone OF the explosion" as he
termed it. This zone is confined tC
the forward part of the ship and while
the divers have been down aft for a
week their work forward in the vicin-
| ity of the large magazine has been in
progress only four days. The state
ment in the Sigsbee dispatch that
friends of the dead should under
stand that we are in tropics" is un-
derstood by the navy department to
refer to the urgent pleas of relatives
Of the dead that they be brought to
the United States. These appeals
continue to be received here and
while they excite the deepest sympa-
thy of the officials, no hope can be
held out that the dead can be brought
back. One of the appeals makes a pit
iful plea against burying the dead by
''alien hands in am alien country" 1t
must also be understood that the men
were sleeping on the berth deck
with metal floors and ceilings, which
by the force of the explosion were
ground together in confused mass
Knowing this, there is little hope that
many of the bodies still missing will
be found.
The navy department yesterday gave
out figures showing the strength OF
the naval militia UP to date. These
show a gratifying increase from 3,7O3
shown by the last report. The num-
her of officers and men by states is as
follows: California, 1856; Connect
cut, 1865; Florida, 1856; Georgia, 225;
Illinois, 523; Louisiana, 1852; Mary
land, 246; Massachusetts, AL; Mich
igan, 1893; New Jersey, 1854; New
York 472; North Carolina, 23O; Ohio
ZIG; Pennsylvania, ZIG; Rhode Island
1870; South Carolina, 142; Virginia, A.
Aside from these forces lists of new
brigades are in process of formation,
which promise to swell the total much
larger at an early day In his last
report Roosevelt said that state
naval militia, in event of an emergen-
cy, could be Utilized at once for
manning the smaller national cruisers
It could be depended upon mainly, he
said. as a second line of defense and
also be used in placing
mines and the establishment
of signal stations for coast de-
Tense. The appropriation OF $4,000
made by congress to aid the work OF
the naval militia will be apportionec
among the states in a few days
Thanks to the promptness and eff
SoF 0f nT1C inn r