The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-22

Washington, February 18.-The fea-
ture of the day at the navy depart
ment was the large number of rumOrs
of a warlike tendency that came to the
attention of the officials. SO formida-
BILE had grown the list that at the
close of Office-hours Secretary Long
was induced to make the following
statement as the easiest manner of
disposing at one time of all these
stories:
Really, no information has been re-
ceived since Captain Sigsbee's first
dispatch, adding anything to our
knowledge of the disaster. All we
know is that the Maine blew up. There
is abundant room for speculation of
all sorts, but no conclusion can be ar
rived at until an examination has been
made by the divers, and more facts
obtained. 1t is a simple fact to say
that such thing might happen by de-
sign or it might happen by accident.
AS yet, there is no Indication of de-
sign. Therefore, my impression has
been all along, and L rather think the
general opinion proponderates in the
same direction, that it must have been
accidental.
"At the cabinet meeting today the
matter was not discussed, except as
any body of men talk about an event
of that kind, and most of that talk re-
ldleu 10 the terrible loss OIL Ille anu 10
expressions of sympathy for the suf
ferers.
1T certainly was very kind thought
in the president to send flowers to the
families of Captain Sigsbee, of Execu-
tive Officer Wainwright and Of the
lost seamen whose residences are in
Washington.
You may say absolutely that there
has been no secret cabinet meeting;
that nothing has taken place in the
cabinet that the public have not been
Informed about; that the whole policy
of this department has been to give the
public all the dispatches; that the de-
partment has no more knowledge on
the subject of the cause of the disas,
ter, or even of the circumstances at
tending it, than have the public, and
that the report which was to the
effect that Captain Sigsbeen had warn
ed the department that the Maine was
in danger from submarine mines or
torpedoes is utterly without founda-
ton, no such report ever having been
received from him or from any body
else"
The secretary also denied briefly and
comprehensively wild rumors that he
had requested the chief of police of
New York to guard the Vizcaya, and
that he had selected Constructor
Bowles to go to Havana and raise the
Maine. The last work of the day for
him was to consult the representatives
of the wrecking companies who prob
ably will have charge Of this work,
and endeavor to arrange for both of
them to work together SO as to secure
the use of each peculiar plant and to
save time.
COMPLIMENTS TO CAPTAIN STGS-
BEE.
The secretary when asked what was
the departments estimate of the con-
duct of Captain Sigsbee in the terrible
situation in which he had been placed,
replied:
Il thing 1 express the feeling of the
president, as we'll as my own, when
say that Captain Sigebee has conducted
himself as an officer of our navy
should. He was the last to leave his
ship when she went down. His dis
patch to me that night was so COM
plete that since then I have thought
of no question of factto ask him which
is essential to the situation and which
he could answer, which is not covered
'by that dispatch. Its tone, too, is that
of a discreet and levelheaded man
who realized the impression any word
from him at that time would have on
the public mind. Nothing is harder
than for a naval officer to lose his ship,
so that I have great sympathy for
him. I await with confidence further
reports
During the day the department was
in receipt of number of kilograms
from different parts of the country
asking in behalf of relatives Of the
dead sailors that their remains be
drought back to the United States for
interment. Among them were quer-
les from friends Of the two officers,
Merritt and Jenkins. The department
forwarded these to Captain Sigsbee,
whose reply was that the officers
bodies have not been found; that as
to many others identification is not
possible, and throwing great doubt
upon the practicability of taking any
of the remains away from Havana.
While no decision has yet been reach
ed formally upon the application of
the Spanish government for authoriza-
tion to examine the wreck of the Maine
10 ascertain the cause of the explosion,
the officials seem inclined to regard her
request as one that could not properly
fbe refused, and it is likely that each
government will make an investigation
of this character concurrently.
The miniature United States flag on
the model of the battleship Maine, in
the main corridor OF the navy depart
ment, was lowered to half-mast during
the day by direction OF the secretary
of the navy. The handsome model has
ibeen a. centre of interest for the
throngs at the department within re-
cent days and the small flags have
continued to fly at the mastheads in