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VOLUME LXXXIIL-MK96. FEAR THAT SPAIN MAY DECLARE WAR RUSHING WORK ON THE TRAINING-SHIP ADAMS. NO GREAT HURRY WITH ITS WORK AT MARE ISLAND The Government Wasting Time Which May Be Bitterly Regretted in the Event of War. + VALLEJO. March 5.— Uncle Sam + ■♦■ may be preparing for war, but there is + "♦" no indication of it at the Mare Island "* "*■ Navy yard. Press dispaiches tell of a + "*" rush of work at all Eastern yards : of warships being placed in condition for active service with all possible dis patch; of increased gangs of workmen *_ being employed, and of vast quantities . i of stores and munitions of war be- a + ing hurried to the various naval sta- + + tions, but at Mare Island all is se- + .4. renity. + A few months ago the greatest activity prevailed at the yard, although only vague and indefinite rumors of impending hostilities were in circulation. Then men were fairly tumbling over each other day and night in response to imperative orders from the de partment to get the Baltimore in condition to relieve the Philadelphia, which was in urgent need of extensive repairs. The Baltimore was made ready and the Philadelphia came 10 Mare Island, and everybody supposed she would be overhauled as rapidly as possible. She was placed in the drydock, cleaned and painted, dismantled and stripped of her ar mament to the last gun, and then towed out into the stream, where she now lies as sorry a looking hulk as could be imagined and ap parently forgotten by the powers at Wash ington. And yet the Philadelphia is one^ of the best armored ships in the navy. No blame can be qttached to Admiral Kirk land, the commandant, and his subordi dinates for the state of affairs that exists at Mare Island, for work on every vessel is planned at Washington and a certain amount is allowed to be expended each month, and the limit cannot be overstepped without or ders from the bureau chief. Last November nearly 1200 men were em- j ployed at the yard, and all were worked j overtime ; yesterday 974 men were at work ! on regular time. Cards have been sent out j for about fifty men more, however, and Mon- j day the force will be increased to 1025. But it is not the number of the men so j much as it is the manner in which they are j employed that invites criticism of the de- \ partment's management of the Mare Island \ yard. Besides the Philadelphia the cruiser j Charleston and the gunboat Yorktown are the only vessels of the new navy at the yard, i The Yorktown is anchored in the stream in readiness for instant service, but the Charles- | The San Francisco Call j ton, which has been out of commission ever j since her return from the Asiatic station I nearly a year ago, is tied up to the quay wall a seemingly hopeless tangle of beams, rigging and other I paraphernalia, but it is expected she j will be ready for sea in about two ■ months. She ought to have been ready for service half a year ago, but for months i barely a handful of men were employed on i her. Within a few weeks, however, the ; force has been increased to respectable pro | portions, and if the department should see fit to push work as it was on the Baltimore the Charleston might be placed in commis sion in less time than is now anticipated. But while work is at a complete standstill, or at best is dragged along on the effective fighting ships, a far different scent is pre sented in and about the Adams. This little wooden craft, with her obsolete battery of smooth bores, is now in the drydock with a big force of men at work inside and out get ting her in readiness for service as a train ing-ship. Probably the department has a good reason for believing this coast is in greater need of another training-ship to re enforce the Mohican, which is already in service, and the Pensacola, which is ready to go into commission at any time, than it is of vessels capable of making a stand against those of a hostile na tion, but the reason is not apparent to the average landsman. Certainly it is not to the Call artist and reporter who were in terested visitors at the yard to-day. The Adams is being recalked and recop pered. a spar deck for the greater con venience and comfort of those who are to go to sea in her and other extensive alter ations and repairs are being made, all of which require many skilled workmen. Close to the drydock alongside the quay wall is the old iron ship Ranger. She, too, is receiving a new spar deck and other re pairs, but only a few men are at work on her. She will not be ready for sea for months, and maybe years, and when she is she will be of little or no real value, unless it be to cruise in peaceful southern seas, a J tender for the missionaries or some similar bloodless work. Near the Ranger lies the wooden ship Pensacolu, rhich is receiving the finishing touches prepatCtory to going inio service as a training-ship. She has been fitted up with every possible convenience for the work SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 1898-THIKTY-TWO PAGES. THE DISMANTLED CRUISER PHILADELPHIA. WILL NOT SELL TO THE SPANISH Copyright. 1898, by James Gordon Bennett. VALPARAISO, March 5.— 1 am informed by the authori ties here that the idea of Chile selling the warship O'Higgins has never been entertained for a moment by the Government. It is believed here that if the Government, in the face of the present international situation, sold even a less important ship than the O'Higgins revolution would result. I she is to be used for, and when she is taken to San Francisco, where she will be sta ■ tioned, she will be the best-appointed train ing-ship afloat. In a few days the men em- I ployed on the Pensaco/a will be available for j other work. Even the historic old frigate Hartford, j which has undoubtedly made her last voyage \ and now lies astern the Pensaco/a a dis j mantled, unsightly hulk, has a half-dozen | men tinkering about her decks, their work at j ; best a labor of sentiment and of not the \ j (east practical value at such a time as the I present, while swinging at anchor in the stream the splendid specimen of modern naval architecture, that is capable of coping '< ! with almost any ship in the Spanish navy, is I ! without even a watchman. Stripped of the ; i last vestige of her power, even to her fight ing top, the Philadelphia presents a pitiful spectacle. Her great barbettes, through ■ which her powerful six and eight inch rifles , once protruded menacingly, now resemble the eyeless sockets of some monster more than anything that can be imagined. Captain Henry Glass, the captain of the yard, who is acting as commandant owing ■ to the indisposition of Admiral Kirkland, j said to-day that the Philadelphia, while in \ urgent need of a general overhauling, could i Continued on Second Page. REASON TO EXPECT MADRID GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE THE MOVE MAINE WRECKED AS THE RESULT OF A CONSPIRACY Startling Story of One of the Divers Borne Out in Part by General Lee's Investigation. BOSTON, March s.— The Maine was blown up by a tor pedo from the Spanish | ship Alphonso XIII. :, ■ ._ This is the statement of a ; well-known Boston diver who \ is now at ] Havana employed upon th« Investigation of the wreck of the Msine. The startling '• < announcement '" f is based upon the evidences which he has seen with his own eyes, and which he says is corroborated by the fellow workmen who have gone down with him and viewed the hull of the ill-fated battleship and examined it carefully. "It is the private opinion of the majority of the divers, in fact, that this was the sole cause of the destruction of the Maine," says the Boston diver, "but of course they have to keep their opinions to themselves and obey instruc tions." Friends of the Boston diver who are connected with the company ! which sent him to Havana have just j received from him this startling an- j nouncement. The news came in a j private letter and its recipient has j sufficient confidence in the writer and ; in the manner in which the state ments are made to believe that the diver conscientiously believes this to '< be the true solution of the mystery, j and has most excellent and conclu- ■ ] sive evidence to give him this con- | i viction. It is, of course, impossible for the j | most obvious reastms to publish the j ! name of either the diver or the re cipient of the letter, as the Govern ment would promptly discipline him I severely. In the letter the diver says that ; he and his fellow-workers have ac- j tually seen with their own eyes sum- j cient evidence to convince them that the explosion which destroyed the i Maine could have been no other than ! of torpedo. The divers also found unmistakable evidence of the par ticular character of the torpedo which did the work. As a result of this they j are confident that it was a White head. But the most startling statement i of the whole letter Is that which de- j clares that the divers have been able to trace the course of the projectile. The winter asserts that they are quite sure it was sent from the Alphonso , XIII. Up toithis time no one has yet \ Continued on Second Pace. Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, March 5. The Call correspondent has the best of grounds for saying that Con sul General Lee, authorized by the State Department, has been quietly conducting an investigation of his own, independently of the Naval Cotirt; that h* has employed, detec tives who have obtained front Ha- I vana sailors evidence strongly point ing to a plot to destroy the Maine, | and that he filed a report with the ! State Department expressing the I opinion that although the Spanish i Government was not in any way re- I sponsible for the Maine's destruction, it appears the work was done by i Spaniards who were sympathizers of the Weyler regime. In this case a de manu for indemnity from Spain must ' follow, and inasmuch as it is almost ; certain to be resisted by Spain, this I Government is making active prepa j rations for possible trouble. It was reported to-night that at the Cabinet meeting on next Tuesday Secretary Long would take occasion to explain to the President and his | fellow Cabinet members why he had I published his statement on last Tues ! day tending to absolve Spain from I responsibility. This is only another false rumor. Secretary Long's state ' ment was made after consultation with his fellow Cabinet members. It ; can be stated on high authority that 1 the Administration does not now and has not at any time believed the i Maine's explosion resulted from acci ! dent, but for obvious reasons could j not assume any other position, for, as j one of the officials said to-night: "If it should appear that it was really an accident, the United States Government will have nothing to | 'take back, whereas, if it develops i that the Maine was destroyed by de | sign the Administration will be i placed in a much better position to ! enforce a demand for indemnity." KARL DECKER IS THRASHED BY OFFICERS Called One a Cur, Struck Lieutenant Blandin and Then Was Prompt ly Knocked Out. KEY WEST, March s.— Karl Decker j of the New York Journal was thrashed ' by the officers of the Maine last night ■ in a hotel at Key West. Decker called an officer a cur, and struck Lieutenant i Blandin. Another officer floored Deck ■er with a chair. Assistance from the outside alone saved Decker from being severely hurt. McKINLEY FEARS SPAIN WILL OPEN HOSTILITIES WASHINGTON, March s— The Call correspond ent is able to state that the Administration Is very seriously concerned over the outlook and regards war with Spain as possible, if not probable. The Administration is not only fearful that Con gress may at any time take action which will pre cipitate a crisis, but has been advised by Minister Woodford that the present administration of the Spanish Government Is tottering and about to fall, but the sentiment of hostility against the United States Is so bitter the Weyler adherents may force Spain to declare war. In other words, the Presi dent and his Cabinet do not fear a declaration on the part of the American Congress so much as a declaration of war from Spain. This may seem a startling statement to make, but it is a fact that the President and the Adminis tration expect the declaration of war will come from the other side of the Atlantic. Therefore the Secretary of the Navy has been authorized by the President to negotiate for the purchase of at least two battleships, $100,000 worth of coal and to contract for a large amount of smoke less powder. THE PRESIDENT HAS REFUSED TO RECALL LEE Despite the Request of the Span ish Foreign Minister the Consul-General Will Re main at Havana. MADRID, March 6.— Senor Gullon, Spanish Miii ister of Foreign Affairs, re cently intimated to United States Minister Woodford that the Spanish Govern ment desired the recall from Havana of Consul-General Lee, and that the American warships which have been designated to convey sup plies to Cuba for the relief of the sufferers there should be replaced by merchant vessels in order to deprive the assistance of the recon centrados of an official char acter. Minister Woodford cabled the request to the Washing ton Government, which re plied, refusing to recall General Lee in the present circumstance or to counter mand the orders for the dis patch of the war vessels, making the representation that the warships are not fighting vessels. PRESIDENT M'KINLEY IS SEEKING SHIPS. He "Will Strengthen the Navy at Every Part, and Ask the Consent of Congress Afterward. NEW YORK, March s.— The Her ald's Washington correspondent sends the following: President McKinley will formally determine, probably within the next forty-eight hours, whether to in crease the navy by the purchase of for eign built ships or to permit those ir PRICE FIVE CENTS. IRRESPONSIBLE CORRESPONDENTS ORDERED OUT KEY WEST, March s.— The Olivette brings news that all newspaper correspond ents except two have been compelled to quit Cuba. The two favored by the Spanish Government are the corre spondents of the New York Herald and London Times. the market to go to Spain. The Madrid Government, I understand, is negotia ting for the same ships which have been offered to the President. Furthermore. I learned to-day that the cruiser Ama zona and the unarmored cruiser of same type which Spain is reported to have purchased yesterday, had been offered to the United States, but the hesitancy of the President to accept them without ex press authority from Congress resulted in their loss to this Government and a valuable gain to the Spanish navy in case of war. Mr. McKinley is still considering the advisability of purchasing two battle ships, one protected cruiser, one tor pedo gunboat and four torpedo boat de stroyers. The Spanish Government is negotiating for these ships, and unless the President should take them for the United States they will undoubtedly be sold to Spain upon the production of the cash. The President and Secretary Long were in earnest consultation this afternoon in regard to the action which should be taken upon the proposition, but so far as could be learned, no decis ion has been reached up to this time. Before disposing of the matter one way or the other there is reason to believe the President will consult with the leaders in Congress, particularly Speaker Reed and the chairman of the Senate and House Naval Committees. In any event, it is positively known the p,.^:^.-* ;. ■wiomh contemplating the