Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-16
Negotiations Completed for the Trans
fer Of Brazilian Cruisers.
SPAIN WAS A BIDDER FOR THEM
Court Of Inquiry Reaches Key
West on the Mangrove.
f. H. MORRIS SAYS NO WAR

| providing for the sale of the warShipS ANA
| zonas and Almirante Abrouall to the Unit
| ed States has been signed. The price is
sometalng over f5OO,OO1 (s2, 500 COD for both
| ships. An American crew is expected here
from Lisbon tonight, to take possession of
| the AmaZonaS on Friday.
Her Brazilian crew will go to New Castle
to man the Aquidaban. which the Brazilian
| government, according to dispatches re-
oeived today, will not sell. 1t is added that
Brazil viii not sell any more warships for
! the present, except the two coast defense
ships, the Marshal DeodoTe and Marshal
Floriano, which are being built in France.
The Abrouall cannot be completed for six
| weeks.
| 1t has transpired that there was spirited
Spain for the Amazonas and Abrouail Dip
| to the last, and the outcome was actual 3
| doubtful until the contracts were signed
The action in Brazil in this matter is
said to have been influenced by desire to
| repay the good offices of the United States
| government during the Mello revolution.
| Moreover, it is said Brazil strongly SYM
pathiZes with the Cubans.
A private telegram has been received here
| from New York, asking whether it is true
| that Spain is trying to raise a lean of $5o-
| eOo,O00 in London, and it is reported that
| the Rothschilds replied denying the report
money in London.
Court at Key West.
| KEY WEST, Fla, March 16.-The United
States light house tender Mangrove arriv-
| ed here this morning from Havana, hav-
| ing ON board the members of the United
States naval court Of inquiry appointed to
inquire into the loss of the battle ship
| Maine
Go
Iowa and Captain Chadwick and Lieuten-
ant Commanders Potter and Mark went
| aboard the New York
Nothing definite is known regarding the
program or the members of the naval
court.
Lieut.. Commander Mark came ashore
iater and had consultation with Rear Ad-
miral Sicard
1t is said that the court has not decided
whether it will hold sessions here TODAY.
Thinks There VIII he No War.
CLEVELAND. Ohio, March 1G.-Mr.
Frank H. Norris, fourth auditor of the
| treasury. and a personal friend of Pres
ident Mckinley, who is at present In Cleve-
| lor.d. speaking Of the Cuban question. said:
There will be no war find that the
| reports have been greatly exaggerated all
over the country
1.-The war preparations are lust what the
country needed, and has needed for twen-
ty years Many Of our ports have been al
most entirely defenseless, but this is being
rcmedied in a rapid manner now. In a
short time we will be comfortably fortified
against any invasion from a foreign coun-
try; y;,,
at washington are positive that the Span
lsh officials had nothing to do with the
pioWlng up of the Maine. The President,
When the time arrives will demand an in
oemnlty. and 1t will be paid. There will ba
no war;
Mr.. Norris department has charge OF
the work of settling the claims of the
heirs of those lost by the Maine disaster
we have found on investigation that out
of S1S men who were on the boat sixty-
three were foreigners" said Mr.. Morris.
"and had given, when they enlisted, for
eigners as their nearest Of kin. Thirty
nine of those on the ship gave no next Of
kin when they answered the questions put
to them on enlistment,
"Of the heirs of the 253 who were killed
we have succeeded in getting into cor:e-
spondence with 127 Claimants. II will sur-
prise you to know that less than 10 per
| cent Of this number had families depending
on them and many have no direct heirs"
How Cuba Could he Sold.
MADRID, March 16.-A semi-offlcial
agency today publishes the following an
| nouncement:
ut Is useless to talk Of the sale of Cuba,
The question could not be arranged except
by parliament, and 1t is impossiLie that any
Spanish chamber would agree to sell the
island at any price,"
ANXIOUS TO COME NORTH.
Surviving Officers Of the Maine Arc
Tired OF Havana.
HAVANA, March 16.-The officers of the
Maine who remain here are disappointed
at not being ordered NORTH and Heve they
will not be sent back to the United States
until it Is certain the court of inquiry will
| not return to Havana.
With the arrival of the big derrick,
Chief, and other machinery the wrecking
work already shows signs of progress.
The naval divers are still working about
| the wreck. under the direction of Capt
Sigsbee and Lieut.. Commander wainwright.
with Easign Powelson to make any changes
IN the drawings which may be called for
| by new discoveries.
Consul General Lee, Capt. S.gsbee and
the newspaper correspondents viii, be pho
tographed In group today on board the
United States cruiser Montgomery. by cour-
tesy of Capt. Converse, the commander of
| that vessel, who will also be in the picture
According to Spanish report q column
or government troops. under Col. Palanca,
| was engaged en- Friday and Saturday last
with the tnsurgent forces under Gen. Max
imo Gomez and Brig. Gen. Jose Maria
Gt mez, at the Majagua farm, in the dis
trict or Sarctt SpirituS, province of Santa
Clara. The insurgents are reported to have
| lest considerably. while the Spanish force
| is alleged to have lost only three men kill
| ed and a captain, a lieutenant and thirteen
soldiers wounded.
Japan Buys a War Vessel.
LONDON. March 16.-A special dispatch
from Kiel says Japan has purchased q
| torpedo-corvette which was being built
there by the Krupps for Brazil.
There are three torpedo-corvet.es build
| ing at Kiel for Brazil, the Caramuru, the
| Timbira and the Tupy all Of the same size,
speed and armament. They are Of 1000
| tens displacement. are 259 feet inches
| loEg and have 80 feet 8 inches BEAM with
q maximum draught Of 10 feet 2 inches.
| All thlee vessels are driven by two pro-
pellers, have 8000 indicated horsepower
| and are estimated to steam twenty-five
| kEots. Their armament consists of TWO
finch quick-firing guns six 22-inch guns
and four 14-inch guns. with three torpedo
trbes.
Our Moderation Extrolled.
LONDON. March 16.-Sidney Low, for
merly editor of the St James Gazette. has
| written long letter from New York ex-
| tolling the moderation of the Americans on