The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-22
the EXCITEMENT SUBDUED
Pending the Report of the Board
of Inquiry.

Washington, Feb. 21.--Sunday's rest
has had the effect Of calming the nerves
OF official Washington. and with every
thing dependent on the findings of the
board OF inquiry there is nothing to do
except await the momentous report from
the four naval officers, whose decision
may bring peace or war.
Outwardly there was little to-day in
the big State, War and Navy Depart
ment building to indicate any serious
state of affairs, but behind the official
curtain things were going on known only
to few persons whose faces wore eX-
rressions solemn enough to excite suspi-
zion. The situation is admitted to be
very grave indeed Those in authority
do not deny that fact, but they are not
letting the public know how critical is
the condition which confronts the coun-
Try. Their Official actions, how ever, show
that every PREPARATION is being made
There was nothing in the kilograms to. dsy
from Lee and Sigshec to throw any light
on the cause of the terrible disaster.
Lee felegraphed that more divers we're
necessary. Sigsbee's dispatches relate al
most wholly to the condition of the
wounded. The only piece of information
sent by him was that no investigation
had been made of the zcne of the explo
SION. ms was interpreted TO mean that
none of the divers have been into that
part of the ship to which the havoc was
confined. The Investigation is now prac-
tically out of Captain Sigsbee's hands MS
the board OF inquiry arrived today and
Will begin their duties Immediately.
w hile matters are In n state o! susren-
sion in Havana, the Washington enn of
at Is actively engaged in preparations of a
momentous character. The most sigui-
licant action has been the order nh
ed to Captain Chester, Of the cruiser Gin
cinnati, senior officer on the South At
lantic Naval Station, to proceed with his
ship and punOoat Castne fium Para Bra
iii TO Barbadoes
Quite as Significant Is the order to the
coinmandant of the Norfolk navy yard
to have monitor Terror read for sea with
in two days.
AS the concentration of the fleet near
Havana left the northern coast entirely
unprotected, the Terror will probably be
assigned to New York. 1t has been de-
termined to distribute armored ships all
along the South Atlantic const as fast as
they become available The monitor
Puritan, now at Norfolk undergoing hur-
RED preparations for sea service will an
Choir in Hampton Roads to protect Nor
folk. Fort Monroe, and approaches to
Washington. Within the past three
weeks seven hundred additional men have
been added to the working force at the
various navy yards, the majority being
assigned to Mare Island New York and
Norfolk, where all ship construction and
repairs are now generally conducted. At
present 2,GOO men are employed at New
York on various Kinds of " ork At Nor.
fox :, 200 are employed, increase of four
hundred rpppntlV and "a Mara Tel Il
! 200. The Washington gun factory has
! added 200 II an to its force, bringing the
nun Der 10 700, while the work Of over
hauling ships in reserveat League Island
called for..an Increase of go The grand
total of men now engaged in getting
ships ready and making guns number :
800