The Portland daily press., 1898-03-01
WILL RETURN TO HAVANA.
Court Of Inquiry To Take More
Evidence There.
EXPECT TO LEARN MORE FROM
THE DIVERS.

Departments Busy Denying Rumors-Let-
ter From Captain Sampson to Secretary
Long - Testimony of Civilians a:
/ Havana Was Not Important.
Washington, February 2S.-At the close
of office hours today the following tele
gram came to the Navy Department. from
Admiral Sicard at Key West in the follow
ing terms:
"Court of inquiry will commence SEES
sion at Key West today. They must
resume session at Havana to obtain evil
dence of divers after further work upon
the wreck. :"
This communication sets at rest rumors
current for some days that the court was
not to return to Havana for the reason
that 1T had discovered the cause of the
disaster was not an accident. An i'm
portant deduction to be drawn from the
message Is that the report of the court of
inquiry can scarcely be expected for sew
eral weeks to come. The court will be
occupied at Key West some Gays in taking
the survivors there. Then upon the re-
turn to Havana 1t is expected that good
| deal of time must elapse before the divers
can get through the mud which now
encompasses the lower part OF the Maine
and examine the bottom. After this is
done the court must deliberate In order
to secure an agreement upon its findings.
The prevalent belief at the Navy Depart
ment Is that up to this moment the court
has only undertaken to compare
notes and endeayor to reach such an
agreement
| "A Cuban mail was received during the
day and Secretary Long caused 1t to be
| given to the reporters. 1t was made up
| OF one letter from Captain Sampson,
dated at Havana, February %, and al
though it is simply statement of events
already reported by telegraph, one of the
facts is significant, viz: The statement
| that the testimony OF certain civilian wit
nesses before the court would be OF no
| Importance. The letter Is as follows:
| ESir:-The court has taken the testi
mony of all the Ulcers of the Maine still
here. Tomorrow will take such testi-
mony as the divers have accumulated.
| The Right Arm arrived here this morn
| ing and she reported to Captain Sigsbee
| ing company will be given the entire job
as no other plan will be feasible. There
| are two citizens in the harbor who have
signified their willingness to testify, al
| though they have nothing important.
| After taking this evidence and that of the
divers. propose to return to Key West
and take the evidence of the officers and
men there. 1t may be necessary to return
here after further progress has been made
| with the divers. =
The despatch that came from Key
West about great activity and the observ-
ance of unusual precautions among the
few soldiers quartered there was received
with amusement at military headquarters
here. 1t was said that no orders had
gone from this oity to explain the hustle,
but there was the best reason to suspect
that the commandaut was simply brush
ing up the post and putting his best foot
forward against the expected appearance
there on his tour of inspection of General
Merritt. The gunboat Wilmington sailed
today from Laguayra for Barbados, trav-
elling over the ground covered a.few days
before by the Cincinnati and Castine. All
of the boats are slowly cruising around
in the Carribean and win be employed
until April, when they will go south
again.
orders had gone out to send another war
ship to Havana.
At the White House the utmost quiet
prevailed. Many offers have come from
organizations and individuals of their
services in case OF conflict Some OF. the
Congressional callers also have stated to
the President that their states were ready
to furnish full quotas of men.
Secretaries Long and Alger and Repre-
sentative Dingley were among the Presi-
DENTS visitors today, but it was said that
they had nothing of Importance on the
Maine affair to discuss with him. Mr.
Dingley spoke afterward in strong terms
against reports that financial circles in
New York were being sounded as to the
readiness with which funds could be
raised in an emergency. Secretary Gage
said that the published statement that
he was making preparations for bond
issue and that the bureau of engraving
and printing was preparing the plate,
was unQualifiedly false. No such action
has been considered, he said.
Secretary Long went to the White
House early tonight and remained in con-
ference with the President for some
time. He returned to the hotel at 10
D. m. and Immediately returned leaving
word that there was no news. Lieut..
Whirlsley of the bureau Of navigation
who has charge of all kilograms received
at the department closing hours. stated
at a late hour tonight that nothing had
been received from Capt. Sigsbee at Iia-
yana or the court of inquiry at Key West