The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-22

here to-day and carnival week ~ appar-
emily cl1siug IN perfect quietude, there
being much less excitement man usual.
(,unner Charles organ. of the crui-
ser New York. arrived on the Mangrove
and IL in immediate Charge OF the dl-
vers. The latter havc been at work all
day. lmt M 10 the time of Sending this
,Hxpatch no discoveries of importnncc
have hcn made. II il believed that the
salvage hy The wrerkig company Will
he considerable and valuable.
To-day niucty-iivc officers ana eight
hundred and fifty sick soldiers started
on their return to Spain.
Several s,rgar estates in the Guanta-
namo district have commenced grinding
cane.
QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY.
Chicago H.. Feb. 21.-The question
of responsibility which might attach
to the government of Spain in case the
| Main explosion was due TO II nine -
the harbor of Havana and was the
work of fanatic, or an accident, mas Dc
come Il subject of discussion among law
yers. International laws is matter
largely of precedent, and nine expo
! sion i'm n fortified harbOr i'll time Of
! peace has no precedent. All unite IN
saving that if such an event was by
/ design il would he the cause for wa"
| No less an authority than Robert T..
| lincoln. Secretary of War under Presi-
| dents Garfield and Arthur, and former
Minister to England, is positive that
| in case of accident, or if the mine was
exploded by a Spanish fanatic, Spain
would not be burdened with any legal
responsibility.
| Mr. Lincoln said:
I'm neither case would the slightest
| liability attach to Spain. Assuming Il
mine exploded by Il fanatic or by acct
! dent, that would be the end of the
| affair Giving international law the
widest latitude and stretching prece-
| dents to their limit, there would be no
! liability against the government Of
| Spain. 1t is an elementary principle of
! international law that a government is
| in no way responsible for the acts of
private citizens.
1T is another primary principle that
no nation is responsible for accidents.
| As to the right of nation to fortify
| it's harbor as it sees fit. there can be the
slightest doubt Whenever a vessel.
| therefore, enters the harb0r Of a foreign
power, it is with notice of such defenccs
and with an assumption of the chances
they involve"
INQUIRY COURT VISIT WRECK.
Havana, Feb. 21-Consul General
Lee says the Spanish officials are not
interfering with the investigation into
the causes of the disaster He has mott
fed the captain of the port that the
wrecking tug Right Arm will be here to-
Y
Derrick and Wrecking Company. No
objection vii be made to the presence.
OF the tug or her prospective work. She
will probably make an early attempt to
save the big guns and il possible the
more valuable parts of the Names ma
chtnery.
| To-day the divers found Il copper cyl
inder used in conveying charges to the
six inch guns The fact that it had ex
| pl0ded seems to show that there was an
| explosion IN the magazine for fixed
ammunition on the port side forward.
| This afternoon the Court of Inquiry
personally inspected the wreck of the
Maine. by their invitation Captain
Peral, appointed by the Spanish govern
ment as a special judge to investigate
the disaster and ms secretary viewed
fine divers at work. Captain Peral ex-
pressed the appreciation of the courte-
sizes shown to him by the Court of In
Quiry.
| A number of bodies were discovered
to-day in the forward hatch. 1t was not
| possible ITO remove them, hut they will
probably be removed tomorrow.
LIEUT.. SOBRAL'S STATEMENT.
| New York, Feb. 21.-A representative
of the Associated Press today called on
| Lieutenant Commander l.. G. SDbral,
| Naval Attache to the Spanish Legation
1 at Washington. now in this city and
during an interview had in the Spanish
/ language. asked if the reported infer
! view with him had been accurately
stated.
/ Lieutenant Commander Sobral. who
understands a little English when it is
| spoken very slowly, said THAT he had
| been misunderstood, hence misquOted.
| He said that the construction placed
upon his remarks had led to an erro-
ne0us deduction-that he had not made
any unkind or harsh remarks about the
officers of the Maine.
/ He also said that he was not aware
that he was being interviewed. He had
no unkind feeling toward the American
4 Navy and he had many friends among
/ the personnel and among the govern
ment officials in Washington. He great
/ ly regretted the whole circumstances.
1 When asked if his official connection
4 with the Spanish Legation had ceased
he said that it had not, and that he was,
/ as formerly, the Naval Attache of that
/ Legation at Washington
! PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENSE.
] Madrid, Feb. 21.-An official agency
/ says:
/ THE impractical publishes dlspaloii
for which it must assume full respolisl-
bility as 1T does not accord with plle nc.
lations actually known to exist pet"eet'
the Spanish and American governments
1t is dated from New York ana Te'us
Great miIltary preparation no
4 being made. The forts are pelns -
i enforced Three hundred adiilel ~ -, =
have been sent to Sandy HOOK , an'u "a ~.
4 Naval Reserves have been ofn IN ,,,n
1 hold themselves in readiness laat. 80
4 cotton and smokeless powder 81 = i
are working night and day "'N