Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-19
AWAITING THE INQUIRY.
That Ia Now the Situation of Admiral ST.
card and the Other Navel Qcaciais.

SAhN 49, 49, OhoNi Nhth>lf'-A>AsAh"'
Washington, Feb. le.-.The excite
ment of the past few days has mostly
disappeared at the navy department
and the over-worked officials, partic-
ularly the officers OF the navigation
bureau, who have been working night
and day since the Maine disaster to
meet the inquiries of anxious relatives
OF the victims. while keeping up the
current work OF the office, were able
to turn attention to less pressing mat
tcrs.
The first dispatch that came to hand
relative to the disaster was one from
Admiral Sicard, dated at Key West
last night. 1t was as follows:
Secretary of Navy; Bache sailed
from Key West for Havana with the
divers and stores for the Maine. The
Iowa comes to Key West on the 18th,
and the Sampson court of inquiry on
the Maine assemblies on the arrival
here Of .darix. The Massachusetts and
Indiana are at Tortugas. Fifteen Off
GERS and AZ men from the Maine have
been distributed at Key West marine
hospital and the army barracks. More
are due here on the 18th by the Man.
grove. l shall hold all at Key West
pending the court of inquiry.
mo one of the q apprentices that
the Texas took from New York for the
Maine was on board the Maine Mt the
time of the explosion, as no onportuni-
ty had offered to transfer them from
the Texas. whore they stiil remain"
Mark, referred TO by Admiral Sicard,
is Lieut. Commander Mark. now on his
way from Washington 70 Key West,
who, with Captain Sampson, Captain
Chadwick and Lieut.. Commander Pot
ter will constitute court OF inquiry.
Lieut.. Commander Mark will be the
Judge advocate of the court and lay
down the line of procedure, being some
what OF an expert in that matter. II
IL believed at the navy department that
he cannot reach Key West early today
from Tampa owing to the lack of
regular boat, but 1t is thought that he
will be there in time to conduct the
investigation when IT opens next Mon
day. While the court is entirely
master OF its own proceedings. the de-
partment does not doubt that after n
few preliminary sessions in Key West,
which will lay the foundation for fur
Their Investigation through the taking
OF the testimony of the survivors now
at Key West, the board Will proceed
to Havana.
At that place the work can be con-
Quoted rapidly to a finish with the as
sistance OF Captain Sigsbee and the in
formation gathered by the divers from
the wreck. Touching this question of
the examination of the wreck by divers.
Captain Sigsbee has telegraphed that
he had made arrangements with the
Spanish officials for the prosecution of
the inquiry and that thcre is no fric-
ton. so that the officials believe that
there is no reason now to interfere
with the naval office in the discharge
of his duty.
As the navy department Is still he
sieged with applications for the return
OF the bodies of the Maine victims to
the United States for burial and as the
matter has figured In Congress. II may
he well to note that Captain Sigsbee.
for Mt least n third time. In answer to
questions. has expressed the opinion
that the bodies cannot he removed
from Havana He has pointed out that
the condition is not such as to permit
removals; that embalmlng Is only i'm
perfectly done in Havana, and that
Identification of many bodies Is not
possible, This morning he telegraphed
that the bodies of the two officers, Mer-
rift and Jenkins. could not be found
and repeated that 1t would be impracti-
cable to remove bodies. Some of the
surgical officers here say that they
know by experience that Captain Sigs-
bees conclusion If sound and they say
that successful embalming Is not pos
sible where the ciroulatory system of
the body has been destroyed as in the
case of the mangled victims OF the
Maine.
Captain sigsbee forwarded another
revised list of the injured and dead so
far identified this morning as follows:
One hundred and twenty collins con-
tanning 125 dead now buried; nine ready.
for burial tomorrow.