SEEKING AFTER FACTS.
’Tho Naval Inquiry Into tho Causo
tho Maine Disastsr
First Work Done by Service Divers Experts
U ’ K “ ’X' ll Later p arts <>r '
' essel One Confused M , IBN of M( ( (
Difficulties of the I ndertaiUng.
WaS.HXOTOX, Feb . navai
tourtof inquiry appointed to investi
gate the Maine disaster will begin its
work at Havana to-day. This news
came to the navy department vester
day afternoon from Admiral Siem-d -a
He simply das
• The court of inquiry sail for Ha
vana 20th by lighthouse steamer Man
grove. Marix arrived to-day/’
this prompt action is undoubtedly
due to the express direction from See
retary Long, sent Saturday, to have the
investigation begun at the earliest pos
sible moment. The telegram was
dated Saturday, so the board should
have arrived there before nightfall and
be ready to begin its work this morn
By an error incident to the haste
with which the orders were gotten out
the first accounts placed Lieutenant
< ommander Seaton Schroeder on the
board as the third member, while as a
matter of fact, Lieutenant-Commander
Potter, the executive oflieer of the flag
ship New \ ork, holds that place.
The board undoubtedly would have
started earlier, but for the necessity of
awaiting the arrival at Key West from
Washington of Lieutenant-Commander
Marix. a naval oflieer well skilled in
the intricacies of marine law, whois
to be judge advocate of the court.
• apt. Sigsbee was heard from late
Saturday night, but the telegram was
not delivered at the navy department
until yesterday morning. His message
went to confirm the press reports of
the events in Havana harbor, so far as
they relate to the exploration of the
wreck. It read as follows:
Hav xxa. Feb. 19.
Only most experienced wrecking 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. Will do better
to-morrow. Parts of the Maine, especially the
superstructure and connections, are one con
t ised mass of metal.
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UNITED STATES CRUISER MAINE.
'I he .statement referring to expe
rienced divers is explained at the navy
•department as no reflection upon the
men now engaged in the work, they
being enlisted men belonging the navy.
It is the practice on board of men-of
war to assign a few men. always volun
t< ers. on account of the hazardous
nature of the work, to duty as divers,
in connection with their regular work.
'Die scope o' their work is the. ex
ploration of the ship's bottom gener
ally, tin' disentanglement of cables I
from the propeller shafts, and some- ■
times the. search for a lost torpedo or
anchor. Such work rarely car
ries them deeper than 25 feet
into the water and it is
said that for operations in deeper wa
ter. such as would be involved in the
examination of the Maine's bottom,
their training has not fitted them.
They are also lacking in that kind of
skill necessary to enable a diver to
grope his w ay into the interior parts of i
a mighty ship like the Maine, torn and
dismembered as she is, and this work
is highly dangerous. Creeping through
narrow, iron-bound passages and grop
ing for the doors of the numerous water
tight bulkheads which divide the hull
into many compartments, on slimy
floors and in perfect darkness, requires
the highest expert skill, and that is
why 1 apt. Sigsbee. w ith only his sailor
divers at command, had not been able
to do much so far towards unraveling
the mystery of the Maine's untimely
end.
It. is to meet just this emergency that
the navy department is making every
effort to hasten the beginning of the
work of recovery of the goods and per
haps the raising of the hull by pro
fessionals. To that end Capt. Lemly,
the judge advocate general of the de
partment. was at work yesterday in his
office with representatives of wrecking
companies trying to draw up contracts
for the immediate prosecution of the
work. He has been at the task now
two days, and it has not been easy to
dispose of. This is owing' to an ap
parent disposition on the part at least
of one concern to drive a hard bargain,
leaving the department in the dark as
to the amount of money to be paid fom
their services. *
But it is believed that the obstacles
have now been surmounted and that
the contracts can be signed to-day. It
is the purpose of Capt. Lemly to hurry
this work,and to this end he Is arrang
ing to have two of the companies com
b,ne their forces. They will be paid
on the scale of days' work with a pro
vision for a bonus if they succeed in
raising the vessel, thus insuring the
leeiiveryof as much of the valuable
equipments as is possible should it not
” piacticable to float the Maine again.
Lreat difficulty is expected in re
eovering the big ten-inch turret guns,
each worth $40,000, owing not only to
their own weigh t. 50 tons a piece, w it bout
carriages, but to the enormous turrets
inclosing them with 100 tons of steel.
■t is doubtful if the tops of these
turrets can be removed, as was at first
supposed, by cutting off the bolt heads
that ti x them to the sides as these large
bolts are probably countersunk and the
heads below the surface of the metal,
while the confined space within the
turrets would make it very difficult to
operate there on the inside ends under
water.
It is hoped that it may be feasible to
raise the turrets entire with the guns,
if lifting apparatus of sufficient power
can be applied.
The newspaper reproductions of pho
tographs taken of the wreck were
studied with much interest by the naval
officers here yesterday, Great surprise
was expressed at the extent of the
wreck, and the vast mass of steel anil
iron heaped in the forward part of
the ship was a particular object
of attention. The experts. who
had first ventured the theory of a
bursting boiler as the cause of the
destruction, claim to find strong rein
forcement in the pictures for that be
lief. ’I he great mass of metal appears
to be thrown up over the boiler space
and not over the forward magazine,
while the forcing apart, forward, of
the hull, they say. might have been
। accomplished by the. enormous expan
i sive power of the high pressure steam
carried in these boilers “with their
shells more than an inch thick. As to
what might have caused a boiler to
explode, whether a disguised bomb in
the coal, low water or faulty construc
tion. they do not undertake to say.
; Secretary Long said yesterday after
-1 noon, after looking over his telegraphic
, and mail correspondence, that it con
| tained nothing- of importance beyond
i the dispatches above given.
i The secretary referred with satisfae
tion to the dispatch stating that the
court of inquiry would assemble at Ha
vans to-day. The plan had been
for the court to meet first at
Key West, and after doing- such
work as was possible there, to pro
ceed to Havana. Hut Mr. Longthought
it was desirable to hive the court pro
ceed at once to Havana, where the in
quiry could begin on the actual scene
of disaster, and where personal inspec
tions would aid in an intelligent judg
' ment. On this account the secretary
| sent orders for the court to proceed di
rect to Havana, and the response of
Admiral Sicard is in accordance with
these orders.
TO QUIET DISCONTENT.
Anot her ••Fair Rebel’’ Falls Into the lianeb
of the Spanish.
Havana, via Key West. Tia. Feb.
21. Senor Jose Congosto. the secretary
। general, is said to have asserted in t
private interview that the government
expected to -'buy up” several members
of the New York junta. It is lie
lieved. however, that the statement
was made in order to quiet discontent
here arising from the military failure t
of («en. Blanco and Gen. l’ando in tht
east.
Senora Isabelle Rubi, owner of many
tobacco estates in the eastern part of
the island, and an active insurgent, has
been captured by the Spanish, in the
province of Pinar del Rio, and is now
in the hospital.
At the time of the Maceo incursion
she induced half the province to join
the insurgent cause. She accompanied
one of the original Maceo expeditions to
Cuba, then left the island, and after a
time returned with an expedition
from Key West.
Rumors have reached here of the
landing of an important expedition
near the River Marianao, this prov
ince, but as yet the name of the vessel
or that of the leader of the party is un
disclosed.
Former Police Comnibwloner Welles, o,<
Brooklyn. Silicides.
New Yoke, Feb. 21. —The body of
former Police, Commissioner Leonard
’ Welles, of Brooklyn, was found in the
woods near Scotch Plains, N. J.,-yes
terday. The threat was cut, and it
was evident Welles had committed sui
cide.
A LETTER FROM BOIES.
A Reply to Criticisms of His An
nounced Currency Plan.
Would Quiet the Fear* of Tliomp Who Be
lieve His riau Wouhl Bring the
Country’* Finance* to the Brink
of a Yawning’ Abys*,
Des Moines, la.. Feb. :??. Ex-Gov.
Boise has sent the following letter to
the Deader, replying to the criticisms
of the currency plan advocated in his
recent speech at Fairfield:
Many of my critics think they see a yawning
abyss in the plan for currency reform outlined
in my Fairfield address into which the treas
ury of the nation would be inconstant danger
of dropping if the plan was adopted.
Let me see If I can q uiet that fear.
Suppose* (the plan ’being in force), A brings to
the treasury to-day. 10) ounces of silver, worth
in the world’s markets 59 cents an ounce, lie
would receive for it SSO in certificates that
would ever after, in the treasury or out. be full
legal tender, and the treasury would receive hh
silver.
One year later he. or some one else, brings
these ccrtiticatPs back to the treasury for te*
demption. Silver has doubled in value. ll<
would receive for them 50 ounces of silver. T he
treasury would own his certitieates. With
these or some other SSO the treasurer would
purchase, in tin* open markets. 50 ounces of sib
ver. and cover it into the treasury. That would
close one transaction. What is the result?
The treasury has gained 50 ounces of silver.
”A has neither gained nor lost a farthing.
Multiply similar transactions to any extent
desired. The result is always the same on u
rising market. The treasury gains the rise.
Individuals lose nothing. No pit there. Re
verse the market.
When “A returns with his certificates for
redemption, silver has fallen to 25 cents ai>
ounce. He receives two hundred ounces of sil*
ver. and the treasury owns his certificates.
With these or some* othe.r equally good SSO th3
treasury immediately buys, in the open mar
ket, 200 ounces of silver and covers them into
the treasury. This closes that transaction.
What is the result?
The treasury has neither gaine I nor lost a
grain of silver, nor a farthing of value. Indi
viduals have neither gained nor lost a farthing
of value. No pit there.
But suppose silver is cornered in the markets,
what then? Simply re leem with gold, and buj
gold instead of silver for the treasury.
A world of work this buying of bullion with
which to redeem, some one suggests.
Don’t worry; there would be no rush for the
redemption of these certificates any more than
there is now for the redemption of silver cer
tificates with silver dollars. Every bullion
certificate would be worth mire to every man
outside of the treasury than the bullion it
would represent.
But what of the certificates the dollars in
volved in thess transactions? In all the year*
of rising and falling prices they would float
along th -ch mn ds of business hand in hand
with their brothers, issued for gold
incapable of identification am »ng any member
of such, always serene as the conscience of the
just, forth \v would know (or would if they
could think), that whether th • market was up
ordown, there would always be behind them
their exact sac • value in one or the other of the
money metals.
Would there be a fluctuating currency? Let
my critics try again.
[Signe Ij Horace Boies.
TIT FOR TAT.
Canadians. Incensed at the Payne-Frye
Bill. Refuse to Consld<*r Comumsions in
Klondike License Question.
Washington. Feb. 22.—Representa
tive Lewis, of Washing-ton. who has
just returned from Ottawa, where he
went to appeal to the Canadian gov
ernment for some modification of the
Canadian regulations requiring Ameri
can miners bound for the Klondike to
procure their licenses at Vancouver,
Victoria or Dawson City, says he,
found a feeling of intense hos
tility toward the Inited Suites,
especially on account of the pas
sage of the I’ayne-Frve bill, which
is designed to prevent British vessels
from sharing in the Alaska carrying
trade. There was no disposition to
concede anything to the I nited States
in the controversy, and Mr. Lewis re
turned convinced that no concessions
would be obtained unless we made
counter concessions.
The Canadian regulation requiring
the issue of licenses only at the points
mentioned has aroused the Pacific
coast states, where the belief prevails
that it will divert much, if not practi
cally nil of the outfitting and supply
trade with the Klondike to Victoria
and Vancouver.
Mr. Lewis went to Canada armed,
with letters of' introduction from As
sistant Secretary Day and other offi
cials. including a letter from Sir Julian
Pauneefote. the British ambassador
here. Though he was shown ever - .'
courtesy. Mr. Lewis said feeling
against the I nited States was rampant.
While he was at Ottawa Sir Charlej
Tupper made a speech condemning the
Cnited States for its tariff policy and
charging that Minister Sefton and Mr.
Laurier had come to the United States
and not only truckled to us. but had
.surrendered Canadian rights.
The delegations from the Pacific
coast all protested against any modifi
cation of the license regulation. Mr.
Lewis sought to have the regulation
modified so that a license could be is
sued by British consuls or vice-consuls
at American ports, and this being re
jected. he then sought to have the Ca
nadian police, especially at Lake Ta
gish, authorized tn issue licenses to in
going miners. Both requests were re
fused
Minister Sefton, however, finally
proposed a counter proposition ns a
basis of adjustment, namely, to permit
Canadian goods to go through Wrangel
at the head of White Bass in bond. As
Mr. Lewis was without any actual au
thority to negotiate on any basis in
volving a modification of our laws or
regulations, he suggested that Minister
Sefton submit his proposition in writ
ing to Secretary of the Treasury Gage,
and it is understood this will be done.
THE SPANISH CAPTAIN ASHORE
Visits to tho Spanish Consulate anti tin
llrooklin Navy Vnrd Official Courtoslei
I'.xehniiKccl Capt. Uniate of the I Izcayt
Expresses Fe,-lings of Deep Sympathy
Over the Maine Disaster.
New Yohk. Feb. 22.—( apt. Eulutt
and four of his officers were brought ti
this city from the Vizcaya by Lieut
J. A. Dougherty. I’. S. N., on the gov
ernment tug Narkeeta. On arrival at
the Spanish consulate Capt. Eulati
was received by Consul-General Baida
sano. Several prominent Spanish resi
dents of this city were introduced U
Capt. Eulate. ami after a brief recep
tion the captain, the consul-general
and their attendants crossed over the
Brooklyn bridge to the navy yard.
A large crowd was outside the Span
ish consulate, but there was no demon
st ration.
At the navy yard Capt. Eulate paid
his respects to Admiral Bunce, the
commandant, and was received with
the usual honors. The ceremonies were
brief and the Spanish party soon re
turned to the consulate.
Capt. Eulate also visited Governor's
Island and paid his respects to Gen.
Merritt. I . S. A., ami afterward the
party drove- to tin- city hall, where 8
call was made- upon Mayor Van Wyck.
During the reiception at the* navy
yard ('apt. Eulate expressed to Ad
miral Bunce Hiss deep sympathy with
the- navy and people- of the- United
States over the loss of the Maine and
the- brave men who went down with
her. Capt. Eulate- said that lie- wouhl
like to attend the special requiem muss
to be celebrated for the- Maine's dead
at St. Patrick's cathedral today. Ad
miral Bunce- appreciated the- sentiment
expre-ssed. but said that as it was a de
nominational religious ceremony he
could not extend te> Capt. Eulate an
official invitation.
Capt. Eulate- said that during the
Vizcaya's stay in this port her flag
wouhl be- at half-past as a token of re
spect to the Maine's dead.
Both on the- arrival and departure ol
( apt. Eulate- a company of.marines pre
sented arms.
From the- Spanish consulates ( apt.
Eulate returned to his ship.
THE INQUIRY BEGUN.
('apt. SlgslHT lli-ard The- Board to Make- a
Personal Examination of the- Wree-k.
Havana, Feb. 21.—The- board of in
quiry into thes Maine- disaster met on
the lighthouse* tender Mangrove- at ten
o'clock this morning, with Captains
Sampson and Chadwick and Lieuten
ant-Commander:, Potter and Marix pres
ant. CajV- Sampson presided, and
Lieutenant-Commander Marix, acted us
reeore ler.
Capt. Sigsbee, the commander of the
Maine, was the first witness called.
Ho was under examination until one
o'clock this afternoon, at which horn
an adjournment was taken. Itisprob
able that no further witnesses will bi
heard to-day. but the board will make
a careful personal examination of tin
wreck.
( apt. Sigsbee. on board the Man
grove. told tlie correspondent that he
was <piite pleased with the examina
tion, and that he was able to answer
the questions asked, not only as to his
own acts, but as to those of his subor
dinates on the Maine.
There was no sign of disturbance
here to’day and c: r lival week is ap
parently closing in perfect quiet, there
being much less excitement than usual.
Gunner Charles Morgan, of the cruiser
New York, arrived on the Mangrove,
and is in immediate charge of the
divers. The latter have been at work
all day, but up to the time of sending
this dispatch no discoveries of import
ance have been made. It is believed
that the salvage by the wrecking com
pany will be considerable and valuable.
CLOSE UP THE GAP.
Men Wanted for the Nav.v to Take the
Place of Those Sacrificed at II ivana.
Washington. Feb. 22. -Steps have
been taken by the navy department
to fill the vacancies in the en
listed branch of the navy caused by
the loss of most of the crew of the
Maine. The legal quota is now about
3('fl short ami arrangements have been
made for the immediate enlistment of
about that number of men. Tele
graphic orders have been sent to the re
cruting officers in charge of the receiv
ing ships at New York, Philadelphia
and Norfolk, authorizing them to make
the following enlistments:
Receiving ship \'ermont. at New
York- Forty apprentices. 20 landsmen,
!> shipwrights. 6 machinists, second
class, and 20 coal passers.
Receiving ship Franklin, at Norfolk
—Ten landsmen. 2 shipwrights, 4 ma
chinists. second class, and 10 coal pass-
Receiving ship Richmond, at League
Island. Pa.—Ten landsmen. 3 ship
wrights. 4 machinists, second-class, and
10 coal passers.
These enlistments are in addition to
those previously authorized to com
plete the crews of the monitors Puri
tan and Terror and the dispatch boat
Dolphin. In each case it was specified
that the recruits should be citizens of
the I nited States.
There will be no difficulty whatever
in securing these men. inasmuch as
there are applications on file far in ex
cess of the requirements of the navy
for some time to come unless congress
shall immediately comply with the rec
ommendations of the department for
an increase of 1,000 men in the enlisted
strength of the navy.
TOLD BY FA EWITNESSES<
Tho Fooling at Havana Oraphic«
ally Sot Forth.
AII Sp:tnlHli Flrkh at tlx- M»Kthotui—
portHof the Terrible DlsaKter by PaHnetv
gers on the Sagnranca. Arrived From i
llniana Destroyed by Design.
N>w Yohk, Feb. 22.—The Marti lina
steamer Seguranca arrived at quaran
tine yesterday from Tampico and Ha
vana. The Seguranca arrived at Ha
vana at ten o'clock on the morning
after the disaster to the Maine anti
passed close by the wreck. The Segnr
anea's passengers said that great ex
citement prevailetl at Havana, and at
the time of sailing the foreign popula
tion were generally of the opinion that
tin- Maine was destroyed by tiesign.
They cited, among other things,
in support. of this story, the
fact that the Spanish man-of
war Alfonso NIL, which was
anchored near the Maine, changed her
moorings just previous to the disaster.
One of the passengers. Win. L. Carbin,
went so far as to say that he saw a
boat go near the Maine a short time
previous to the explosion. He said he
wouhl go to Washington to make a
statement before the proper authori
ties.
U. I’. Holcomb, of Newcastle. Del.,
general manager of a street railway in
Philadelphia, one of the passengers on
board the Seguranca. was outspoken in
his belief that the investigation at Ha
vana would reveal startling circum
stances.
“I went to Havana." said Mr. Hol
comb. “not at all in sympathy with
the insurgents, but on Wednesday,
when we got to Havana. I believe any
of the Americans on board was in it
mood to commit a murder, '[’he flags
of the Spanish war ships were not at
half-mast. The vessels of all other na
tionalities had paid this slight tribute
to the dead. I had a telegram to bring
back the remains of Apprentice Glaz
ier. who is the son of my bookkeeper.
I found that he was among the saved.
“The contrast between the. bearing
of the Spaniards and Cubans is strong.
At the funeral of the Maine's seamen
the Cuban woini-n in the streets were
almost all dressed in mourning, while
the Spanish women wore colors. The
only American flags I saw in tin- whole
procession were two small ones uliont
three by six inches."
“I went aboard the Alphonso XII.
and was received politely. The only
expression of regret J heard there was
from an oflieer who complained that
the force of the Maine explosion had
broken his toilet bottles. There can
be no mistaking the indifference of the
Spaniards in Havana over the loss oi
the warship and those on board. On
Thursday, while driving to the ceme
tery with two American friends. I was
assailed with jeers and some one threw
a large stone at our carriage."
F. W. Bobbett. of this city, who was
with Mr. Holcomb in the carriage,
added:
“That's perfectly true. In fact, one
or two children yelled after us that
they had blown up the “Americano,'’
and that they were glad of it. I did
not hear a single expression of regret
for the terrible loss of life from any
Spaniard during the time I was in Ha
vana. ''
Frank Weinheimer, of this city, an
eyewitness of the explosion and a fel
low-passenger of the Mr. Holcomb, told
the following story:
“On Tuesday evening I strolled down
to the water front for a breath of fresh
air. I was about 300 yards from the
Maine. The first intimation 1 had of
an explosion was a crunching sound.
Then there came a terrible roar. Im
mense pieces of debris flew skyward
from the Maine. Some of them must,
have been thrown at least 300 feet. It
looked as though the whole inside of
the ship had been blown out. Many
persons on the pier were nearly thrown
from their feet by the force of the ex
plosion. The air became stifling with
smoke.”
Mr. Weinheimer said he heard an ex
cited Spaniard declare shortly after the
explosion that if the “Americanos”
sent another war ship it. also,would be
blown up.
M. J. Naghton. an insurance man of
Chicago, who was staying with his
wife at the Grand hotel, said he was
seated in front of the hotel when the
first explosion occurred. It was fol
lowed, he said, by another and a much
louder one.
•'We thought the whole city hail
been blown to pieces," said Mr. Nagh
ton. “Some said the insurgents were
entering Havana. Others cried out
that Morro castle was blown up.”
Continuing his description of the
panic which existed in Havana shortly
after the explosion. Mr. Naghton saidi
“On the prado is a large cab stand.
The minute after the explosion was
heard the cabmen cracked their whips
and went rattling over the cobblestones
like crazy men. The fire department
turned out and bodies of cavalry and
infantry rushed through the streets.
There was no sleep in Havana that
night.
“The Spanish officials were quick to
express their sympathy and acted very
well as a whole, but I think their ex
pressions of regret lacked the warmth
which would have been eharactoristio
of an American city had such a disas
ter occurred under similar circum-s
stances.”