New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-23
THE MAINE INQUIRY.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER WArNwRrcrr
AND THE NAMES ORDNANCE
OFFICER TESTIFY
DIVERS HAVE DIFFICULTY IN RECOVERING non.
IEs-ELEcTRrc LIGHTS TO RE usEp-rwo
AMMUNITION CASES FOUND. ONE
INTACT AND THE OTHER
EXPLODED.


Havana. Feb. 22.-Captain- siesbee received Q
dispatch from Secretary Long this evening say
Ing that the wrecking tug Right Arm has been
ordered from Key West TO Havana. with an sd-
ditional diver and further apparatus
Consul-General Lee and the members OF the
United States Court Of Inquiry into the loss ~
the battle-ship Maine called this morning upon
Captain-General Blanco and Admiral Manteroia
When these ceremonies were ended the court re-
turned 70 the United States lighthouse tender
Mangrove and resumed It's sessions
The Court OF Inquiry opened at 1890 o'clock
and took a recess at II 30 Lieutenant G.. F. w.
Holman. navigator and ordnance officer or rho
Maine. was examined at the morning session.
The court met for the afternoon session at 1. 80
and Lieutenant Commander r. Wainwright ex-
ecutive officer OF the Marie, was called to the
witness stand. Lieutenant Commander VAIN
wright has been In Immediate charge of the
wreck since the explosion.
-Four divers are at work. two In the fore part
OF the ship and two others aft. The task 10
most laborious and the Elen naturally ex-
tremely careful they have had TO work in
complete darkness. and several have had bad
falls Electric lights. worked from the Man.
grove. are now available and much good Is ex-
pected from them
made from the cabin aft. The tableware and
silver service have been recovered. The efforts
&c reach the ward and messrooms frustrated
by some unknown obstG ,e. II Is expected TO
find bodies in those rooms.
Two cases OF 1O-inch ammunition have boen
found. the one having exploded. the other being
still full Of powder. These were found forward.
The work Of securing the bodies under the
hatch has been most difficult In the dark. but
1t is hoped that the electric lights vii be OF
great assistance A majority of the bodies
understood n be those # fremen. and
many said have been mutilated I'm the
struggle for life. which the divers say must
have been friShtfuL The bodies ~ twelve fire.
men have been taken out from under the hatch
leading from the superstructure to the fire.
room None was recognized. and all
necessarily dsmembered in course of removal.
SPANISH DISPOSITIONS TAKEN.
Judge Peral. OF the Spanish Admiralty Court.
to-day has been taking the depostions Of the
officers of the Spanish vessels and the harbor
officials the subject OF the disaster
The officers OF the court OF inquiry paic
other visit 10 the wreck to-day. Captain Samp-
son. after the visits Of the members o, the court
to the Captain General and Admiral Manteroa
this morning said that the reception extended
tain General and the Admiral had expressed
deep sympathy. and the hope that nothing would
interfere TO prevent a thorough investigation.
They offered to give any help in their power
Captain Sampson referred to the visits as tend-
ing to promote a better understanding
George Koebeer of Brooklyn, y. Y, died
to-day at the Military Hospital. All the other
injured show some Improvement
Gunner Charles Morgan, of the cruiser New
York, who is in charge Of the divers Will devote
special attention to examining the ammunition
In the fore part of the Names hull, ana 10
ascertanng the condition Of the plates, paga-
zines and engines He is graduate In gunnery
and is regarded as entirely competent, as Indeed
are all the divers under his direction He Is
under strict orders not 10 give out anything on
the subject OF his investigation, except TO the
officers of the Court OF Inquiry when called
upon.
Captain Sgsbee has been under great
strain but is now much better, having been
relieved of some Of the responsibility by the
presence here of the Court Of Inquiry
LA Lucha." In an editorial to-day, comments
upon the "unfairness OF the United states In
making Captain Sigsbee the adviser and as.
sistant of the Court Of Inquiry The editorial
Is evidently based on incorrect fnroi nation
from the United States, as naval ofilcers mere
saw il Is impossible under the rules constitute
ing naval Courts Of Inquiry that the captain
commanding the ship destroyed should nave
ANYTHING to do with the findings or the court
beine in one sense on trial himself. IL is maze
Cantain Sigsbee's duty 10 give all the testimony
as 70 the facts in his possession. La Lucha
holds also that the Court Of Inquiry Is not con-
eti,utad as il would be by any other or the
ereat Powers but in this particular the paper
is evidently laboring under further misinform@-
ton.