The age-herald., 1898-02-21
Already in Havana Under Secretary
 Longs Instructions.
THE MAINE WILL BE RAISED
Contracts For This Work Will Be Let Today Sobral Has Ceased to Be Officially
 Connected With Spain.

Washington. Feb. 2o.-The naval court of inquiry appointed to investigate the Maine disaster will begin it's work at Havana tomorrow. This news came to the navy department today from Admiral Sicard at Key West. He simply telegraphed as fol- lows:
 "The court of inquiry sail for Havana 20th by lighthouse steamer Mangrove. Mark arrived today"
 This prompt action is undoubtedly due to the express direction from Secretary Long yesterday to have the investigation begun at the earliest possible moment The telegram was dated yesterday, so the board should have arrived there before nightfall and be e>ready to begin its work tomorrow morning. By an error incident to the haste with which the orders were gotten out the first accounts placed Lieutenant Commander Seaton Schoeder on the board as the third member, while as matter Of fact Lieutenant-Commande Potter, the executive officer of the flagship New York holds that place.
 ONLY EXPERIENCED DIVERS.
 Capt. Sigsbee was heard from late last night but the telegram was not delivered at the navy department until this morning His message goes to confirm the press re- ports of the events of yesterday in Havana harbor so far as they relate to the explora- tion of the wreck. It reads as follows:
 Havana, Feb. 19.-Only most experi- eneed wreckfng divers can do effective work on the Maine In the upper works I can use service divers. Did some work to- day, but with little success. VIII do better
 AI.ex, x.rz<fal llxr the superstructure and connections arc one confused mass of metal"
 Another brief telegram from Capt. sigs- bee read
 "Havana. Feb. 1s.-'Bache (Which means the coast survey steamer), has arrived at Havana, bringing on board all wrecking apparatus sent from squadron.
 The statement relative to experienced divers is explained at the navy department as no reflection upon the men now en- gagged in the work, they being enlisted men belonging to the navy. It is the pracEce on board men-of-war to assign few ms-s' always volunteers, on account of tne hazardous nature of the work, to duty as divers, in connection with their regular work. The scope of their work is the ex- ploratfon of the ships bottom generally fine disentanglement or capies HUH 'ii0 nropeIler shafts and some times the search for a lost torpedo or anchor. Such worK rarely carries them deeper than twenty-five feet into the water, and it is said that Tor operations in deeper water, such as would he involved in examination of the Maine g bottom, their training has not fitted tnen- TO GROPE HIS WAY.
 They are also lacking in that kind of skill necessary to enable a diver to grope his way safely through the internal parts of A mighty ship like the Maine, torn and dismembered as she iss and this work IS highly dangerous. Creeping through mar row iron-bound passages and gropins Tor the doors of the cumerous water-tight bulk heads which divide the hull into many commandments, on slimy floors and in per- feet darkness requires the highest expert skill, and that is why Capt. Sgsbee with only his sailor divers at command had not been able to do much so far towards un- rayeIing the mystery of the Maine's un- timely end
 1t is to meet just this emergency that the navy department is making every effort to hasten the beginning of the work of recovery of goods and perhaps the raising of the hull by professionals Te ihat e's Capt. Lemley, the judge adToc'n -'-s.r f'' of the department was as