The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-04-02
PRESIDENT WILLIAM MKINLEY.

PRESIDENT WILLIAM M'KINLEY.
Of Havana. This announcement was received
BY the Spanish government by appreciation Of
the friendly character OF the visit OF the Maine
and with notification Of intention to return the
courtesy by sending Spanish ships to the prin-
cipal ports of the United States. Meanwhile
the Maine entered the mort of Havana on the
18th OF January. her arrival being marked with
no special incident besides the exchange Of
customary salutes and ceremonial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor Of Ha-
vana d uring the three weeks following her ar
rival. No appreclable excitement attended
her stay: on the contrary. a feeling Of relief
and confidence followed the resumption OF the
loug-interrupted friendly intercourse. So no.
Siceable was this immediate effect Of her visit
chat the consul general strongly urged that the
presence OF our ship in Cuban waters should be
kept up by retaining it at Havana or. in the
event OF her recall. by sending another vessel
there to take her place. At forty minutes past
nine in the evening of the 18th OF February, the
Maine was destroyed by an explosion. by which
the entire forward part Of the ship was
utterly wrecked. In this catastrophe two
officers and 260 of her crew persisted. those who
were not killed outright by her explosion being
peuned between de ks by the tangle Of wreck
age and drowned by the immediate sinking Of
the hull Prompt assistance was rendered by
the neighboring vessels anchored in the harbor,
aid being especially given by the boats of the
Spanish cruiser AlphonSe XII. and the Ward
aine 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 were in
TERED by the municipality in a public cemetery
In the city. Tributes OF grief and sympathy
were offered from all official quarters of the is
land.
The appalling calamity fell on our people
with crushing force. and for a brief time an In
tense excitement prevailed which, in a COM
munity less just and self-controlled than ours,
might have led to haSty acts of blind resent
ment- This spirit, however. soon gave way to
calmer processes OF reason and the resolve to in
veStigate the facts and await the material proof
before forming a judgment as to the cause,
she responsibility and. il the facts warranted,
the remedy due. This course necessarily recon-
mended itself from the outset to the executive.
for only in the light of a diSpassionately ascer-
taIned certainty could 1t determine the nature
and measure of its full duty in the matter. The
usual procedure was followed, as in all cases OF
casualty or disaster to national vessels OF any
maritime state. A naval court Of inquiry was
ct once organized, composed OF officers well
qualified by rank and practical eI-
perience to discharge the onerous
duty imposed upon them. Aided
by q strong force OF wreckerS and divers, the
court proceeded to make a thorough investiga-
zion on the spot. employing every available
means for the impartial and exact determine
tion OF the cause OF the explosion. Its opera
lions have been conducted with the utmost de-
liberation and judgment. and. while indepen-
IDENTIFY pursued. no source OF was
neglected and the fullest opportunity was al
lowed for a simultaneous investigation by the
Spanish authorities
The finding of the court OF inquiry was
reached, after twenty three days Of continuous
labor. on the 2lst OF March. instant. and having
been approved on the 22d by the commander-ln-
chief of the United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station, was smi to the
executive.
It is herewith laid before the congress to-day
with the voluminous testimony taken before
che court Its purport is. in brief, q sfollows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana she was
conducted by the regular government pilot to
buoy No. 4. to which she was moored in from
five and one-half to six fathoms Of water. The
state OF discipline on board and the condition
of her magazines, boilers, coal bunkerS and
storage compartments are passed in review,
With the conclusion that excellent order pre-
vailed, and that no indication Of any cause for
an internal explosion existed in any quarter.
At eight O'Clock in the evening of February
IS everything had been reported secure and all
vas quiet
At forty minutes past nine O'Clock the vessel
was suddenly destroyed
"CtO WV OAPAcSAoASt "ANA -
brief interval between them The first lifted
the forward part Of the ship very perceptibly;
the second, which was more prolonged, is ut
tributed by the court to the partial explosion OF
two or more OF the forward magazines.
The evidence OF the divers establishes that
the after part of the ship was practically intact
end sank in that condition a Every few minutes
after the explosion. The forward part was
completely demolished.
Upon evidence OF concurrent external cause
che finding Of the court is as follows:
At frame Il the outer shell Of the ship from
Q point eleven and one-half feet from the mid
die line OF the ship and six feet above the keel.
when in its normal position, has been forced up
so as to be now about four feet above the sur
face of the water; therefore, about thirty-four
feet above where it would be had the ship sunk
uninIured.
The outside bottom plating is bent into a
reversed "" shape, the after wing OF which,
about fifteen feet broad and thirty-two feet In