The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-18
MYSTERY STILL UNSOLvED.
The Cause of Calamity has Not
Yet Been Discovered.

the Maine explosion is still unsolved. A
boar" OF naval officers has been appointed
to learn the ruth. il possible. and il
now seems probable that the public will
he compelled to wait until their report is
received to know the facts. There is no
foundation for the widely published re.
ports that the President and secretary of
the navy have secret dispatches throw
ing light upon the causes that wrecked
the Maine The President yesterday di-
rectnd that all dispatches received at the
navy department should be promptly
made public. and this order has been car.
ried out. What the President and Score.
tary of f Navy know about the loss of
the Maine, the public knows, ard the adj
nlnistration intends this policy Shall be
carried out to the emf
To night the President is sitting i'm his
Office receiving dispatches. comforting
with his official advisers, and giving di
rections for the pursuit CT the inquiry
INTO the causes Of the great tiisast err, max.
ing suggestions for the care of survivors
aud mapping out the work of officials
No obstacle will be placed before Span
ish ships in any American harbor. The
question of ordering another warship to
Havana to take the place of the Maine
has been carefully considered by the Pres
ident ana Secretary Of the Navy, and it
to send another ship just now.
An abortive attempt made today to
spread beliefs that the Spanish ship Wis
caya. now ut he entrance to New York
harbor. will enter at lis peril Tt has
even oeeu said That Spanish officials have
warned her of her danger aud advised
hei tn turn back.
Despite the Presidents pacific view,
ne realizes the necessity of being prepared
for war. Arrangements to bring ali the
forces into fighting trim have been 90
ing on for several months. Increased
activity among officials of the war and
navy departments has been noticabl, dur.
ing the past day or two. If the declara-
ton OF war comes to. morrow the govern
ment will not lie unprepa1cd.
TO BEGIN SATURDAY.
Washington, Feb. 7..--L.ieutenant
Commander Mark will be unable to
reach Key West until tomorrow, hence
the ,oard of inquiry will begin immed-
lately. Thesboard is authorized to en-.
nloy divers and to spare no expense in
learning the truth. Considerable doubt
is expressed OF their ability To get the
iacts on account Of the condition of the
fore part of the Maine. According to
one OF her officers her entire fore pody
has collapsed Late this afternoon Sigs-
were being postponed by rough weather.
LOOKING FOR TROUBLE
Washington, Feb 17-War and ru-
mors OF war were in the air without any
tangible foundation to-day They grew
ont OF fake stories printed in sensational
newspapers. Higher officials are irving
to he ready for any issue likely to arise
as result Of the report of the board of
inquiry. The fact that Secretary Long
WAS requested to come to the White
House by the President this afternoon.
III the present strained public feeling,
was regarded as sgnif cant; but more siu-
niiicant was the visit paid by Acting
Secretary of War Meiklejohn to secretary
Long and his subsequent call on the Pres
ident. The seemingly innocent piece of
information that Meikleiohu would leave
Saturday night for Fort Monroe to see
Secretary Alger invites speculation in
connection with the acting secretary's
calls on the President and secretary of
the navy. The board of ordnance and
fortiiication, which is holding it's monthly
meeting in Washington, has decided TO
prolone Its sessions. and rnmor has it
that this action has been taken in order
that the board may be ready for business
If the board of inquiry reports against
Spain. The board of ordnance would
have charge of allotments of arms and
ammunition in case of war. The couclu-
sion is rapidly forcing itself on the navy
that the Maine is a total loss Admiral
Sicard telegraphed: sin the opinion of
Lieutenant Hood the Maine can never
again he utilized as ship
Key West, Feb. IT, Details of the aw.
full catastrophe which befell the United
states battleship Maine, in Havana har.
Dor, reached here this morning. The
Spanish censorship OF the press prevented
full accounts yesterday.
II Is said that screams and cries were
heard coming from the sinking Ship.
which went down partially zen minutes
after the explosion. Mingling with the
echoes of the walls of the. wounded and
drowning sailors were heard shouts of
viva Espanar' (aurrah for Spainn0
"Manana trendemos bunn pesca en- bn.
hia." eve shall have good fishing in the
bay to-morrow!) Such expressions came
from the Spanish rabbie, which had con-
gIegated in great numbers on the wharf,
and who seemed delighted at the misfor-
tunes which had beiallen the Am orleans.
New York, Feb. H. Dispatches from:
Havana. via Key West, received this
morning, add important facts to those
already known of the destruction of the
Maine.
The preponderance Of the testimony is
that the Maine was destroyed by tor
pedo. which tore q hole i'll her hull and
| exploded The forward magazine It is
alleged tina. there were two distinct en-
plosinns, the first throwing the water
high i'll the air, which would indicate
that 1t was under the vpSsoI The sacond