The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-29
M'KINLEY'S MESSAGE.
Bare Recital of the Facts, With No
Recommendation.


Washington, March 2S.-The presi-
dent today sent the following message
to congress:
To the Congress of the United States.
For some tine prior to the visit of the
Maine to Havana harbor our consular
representatives, pointed out the adyant-
ages to follow a visit of naval ships to the
Cuban waters in accustoming the people
TO the presence of our flag as the symbol
of good will and of our ships in the full
hilmant of the mission. of protection to
American interests, even though no i'm
mediate need therefor might exist.
Accordingly on thu 18th day of January
last. after conference with the Spanish
minister. in which the renewal of visits
of our war vessels to Spanish waters was
discussed andsaccepted. the peninsular au-
thOrities at Madrid and Havana were ad-
vised of the purpose of this Government
TO RESUME friendly naval visits at cuban
ports and with that view the Maine would
forthwith call at the port of Havana. Thls
announcement was received by the Span
ish government with appreciation of the
friendly character Sf the visit of the
Maine and with the notification of the in
tentiOn to return the courtesy by send
ing Spanish ships to the principal ports
Of the United States. Meanwhile the
Maine entered the port of Havana on the
25th OF January. her arrival being marked
with no special incident. besides the eX-
change of customary salutes and cere-
monial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival. No appreciate excitement
attended her stay; on the contrary, q
feeling Of relief and confidence followed
thu resumption of the long interrupted
friendly intercourse. So noticeable was
this immediate effect of her visit that the
consul general strongly urged that the
presence of orr ships in Cuban waters
should be kept up b. retaining the Maine
at Havana. or. in the event of her recall.
by sending another vessel there to take
her place.
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE.
At 40 minutes past Q in the evening of
the 18th of February. the Maine was de-
stroyed by an explosion. by which the
entire forward part of the ship was ut
terry wrecked.
In this catastrophe two officers and $50
of her crew persisted. those who were not
killed outright by her explosion being
penned between decks by the tangle of
wreckage. and drowned by the immediate
sinking of the hun.
Prompt assistance was rendered by the
neighboring vessels anchored in the
harbor, aid being especially given by the
boats of the Spanish cruiser AlDhonso
XIII. and the Ward line steamer City of
Washington. which lay not far distant.
The wounded were generously cared for
by the authorities of Havana. the hos
pitfalls being freely opened to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies of the dead
We're inferred by the municipality in the
public cemetery in the cfty Tributes of
grief and sympathy were offered from
all official quarters of the island.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people OF our country with crushing force
and FOR q brief time an intense excite
ment prevailed. which, in community
(Continued IN Pape 81