The herald. [microfilm reel], March 13, 1898, Page 2, Image 2

About The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
2
Jkvw miuuted, without x**xtot*o&osvto any ex -
latlng emergency, although It has been
made all the more Imperative by the Span
ish crisis. ; '
CUBAN REPORTS
The Spanish minister, Senor Polo, re
ceived a dispatch today from Capt. Gen.
Blanco, stating that the condition of tha
Cuban reconcentradoa was greatly im
proved. Gen. Blanco states also that he
had prepared full data on this subject to
be forwarded to Washington. It will be a
timely contribution to the official materia!
on the condition of these unfortunate peo
ple and Is doubtless drawn out by the har
rowing stories of distress and starvation
which have induced the sending of large re
lief supplies to Cuba by Americans.
Senor Polo has not yet opened business
negotiations with the state department ex
cept in the formalities of presenting his
credentials. He ls first attending to spe
cial duties incumbent upon a new minister,
and after calling on the president today he
spent the rest of the day In calling on
ambassadors and ministers.
AT HAVANA
Humors Denied—Delay in Distribut
ing Belief Supplies
HAVANA. March 12.—Mail day keeps the
newspaper correspondents busy, but many
of them succeeded in getting to Matanzas.
in order to report the distribution ot the
relief supplies taken there on board tha
dispatch boat Pern.
Consul General Lee was misinformed as
to the remission of the fine of $000 im
posed upon the American yacht Anita,
which brought the congressional party
here, because her papers were alleged to
be out of order, the Anita was not allowed
to go to Matanzas last night, a pilot be
ing refused her on account of the fine. The
fine will probably be remitted today and
the Anita will sal! later for Matanzas or
Sagua la Grande, as she may desire.
It is cited as proof that Spanish and
American divers are working along the
same lines and are In accord that yester
day Spanish and American divers went
together to the bottom of the harbor and
brought to the surface a sack of mud from
under the larger forward magazine.
In an interview had by the correspond
ent of the Associated Press with Com
mander Converse of the cruiser Montgom
ery regarding the report circulated In the
United States that the cruiser bad been
Injured, the officer dictated the following:
"The report Is absolutely false. No
damage of any kind to the hull or machin
ery has been done to the Montgomery dur
ing the nine months she has been under
my command.
"Would it not be well for sensation mong
ers to give some thought to the feelings of
the wives and other relatives of the offic
ers and crew at home before causing deep
alarm by such baseless stories?"
There Is general indignation over the
story. The correspondent was also re
quested to deny the rumors telegraphed
from here, which he saw today for the
first time.
"First, that Capt. Sigsbee Is indisposed:
and. second, that Consul General Lee an.l
Dr. Bruner. the United States sanitary
physician, are on bad terms. Both stories
are declared on the authority of the men
named in them to be without color of truth.
Capt. Sampson seems to be all right
again."
The court of Inquiry did little work to
day. The members examined two divers,
went over drawings, plans and photo
graphs in the cabin of the Mangrove and
read over the stenographers' copy of some
past testimony.
The water is very rough, making the
work of the divers difficult. The wrecking
tug Is anchored a cable length from the
port side of the Maine, sending down div
ers. It is hard lo see any marked advance
in the work of tho wreckers.
The Montgomery was today visited by
several Spanish army officers, accompa
nied by two ladles, all coming on the gov
ernor general's barge. The usual naval
and official courtesies were extended by
everybody to the officers and cadets of the
Austrian training ship Donau.
The members of the court of inquiry are
deeply interested In the account given by
this correspondent of the interview bad by
him with Capt. Feral, president of the
Spanish court of inquiry.
Each member asked questions in order to
make the points of Capt. Peral clear, but of
course made no comment whatever.
Additional advices received by this cor
respondent from Matanzas show that the
1500 pounds of quinine on the Fern and
Bergen cannot be distributed without or
ders from the government, and fears are
felt that the work of distribution will be
delayed because the Red Cross society did
not make proper arrangements before
hand. However, all have confidence In
Consul Brlce. The great damage done by
the attempt to smuggle jewelry Into Ha
vana ls shown now in the delay in tran°!t
caused by the strict examinations. The
officials say they will act as quickly as
possible. The Fern, as soon as the slow
work of unloading Is finished, will take th»
same amount of stores to Bagua la Grande.
Phe I-'ern hopes to reach Bagua tomorrow.
She must unload there, as at Matanzas. to
lighters. At Matanzas she had to use her
Dwn small crew to transfer :hc freight, no
adequate provision of stevedores having
been made by the Red Cross society. The
news that there was food In Matanzas
spread rapidly through the town, and
hundreds of poor people crowded to the
wharves with sacks and boxes, only to be
Disappointed and told that they must Walt.
A report, though it has not yet been ver
'fled. is thai the stores sent to Matanzas
by the Red Cross society ten days ago are
slid In th' railroad warehouse and that
none has been distributed.
VESSELS AND DOCKS
The Dry Dock Question Is Difficult to
Decide
WASHINGTON, March 12.—The naval
■onimlttee of the house did not reach any
conclusion today relative to the number
and location ot dry docks to be authorised
lit the naval appropriation bill, which is'
the main question left open. The general
opinion in the committee seems to favor
three or four new docks. The Dunce hoard
rooammended new portsat Portsmouth. X.
H.. Hoson, Algiers, La., and Mare Island,
and an enlargemen of the dock at League
Island so that it will accommodate the
largest battleships. The Pennsylvania
delegation Is straining every nerve to se-1
;ure an entirely new dock at League
Island. Docks capable of accommodating
battleships would have to have n depth
of channel leading to them of thirty feet,
nnd Commodore Matthews of the bureau
of yards and docks.who was summom d lie
fore the committee today, rather startled
the committee by his statements as to the
depth of the channel to at le;ist one "!' Ihe
proposed docks, that at Mare Islam!. Cal.
He said the channel was not over twenty!
feet for two miles, and that it would re
quire ttOO.QOO to dredge n to the requisite
depth of thirty feet. The channel tit Bps
lon Is only twenty-seven feet, and the
hannol ut League island Ie about ihe
lame depth, This complicates matters
nore or less, and when the committee ad
journed toduy little progress toward a
SOME IMPORTANT PHASES OF THE PRESENT SITUATION. IN THE EVENT OF WAR THE BOMBARDMENT OF HAVANA HARBOR WOULD BE THE FIRST MOVE
OF THE AMERICAN FLEET WHICH IS NO W MOBILIZED WITHIN A FEW HOURS SAIL
conclusion had been made. The committee
has decided that one of the three battleships
they decided to authorize yesterday shall be
built on the Pacific coast. These great war
vessels, which are lo be the peers of any
afloat, are to cost $3.u00,000 each, Instead of
12,000.000. as reported yesterday. Chief En
gineer Melville appeared before ihe com
mittee today and urgently recommended
an increase of SIOO In the engineer officers
of the navy. He said such an increase
was Imperatively necessary. The™" ad
ditional engineers, if authorized, would
have to be appointed from civil life. Rep
resentatives Russell, Hill anil Sperry of
Connecticut were before the committee to
oppose the recommendation of the ord
nance bureau for Ihe establishment of a
government cartridge factory. The bureau
recommended an appropriation of *so,ooofor
this purpose. The business of making
cartridges is a large industry in Connecti
cut and Rhode island, and the representa
tives from those states opposed the pro
vision for a government factory as a
menace to their own industries.
PERAL'S CLAIMS
Not Borne Out by Condition of the
Wreck
HAVANA, via Key West. March 12.—1t
is impossible to send direct from Havana
anything in refutation of Captain Peral'3
statement of yesterday regarding the views
of the Spanish court of inquiry regarding
the Maine disaster. However, an Ameri
can officer, who ls an expert, says in ef
fect, and his words are worthy of all
weight, as he knows absolutely of what he
ls talking:
"1 am a graduate of the torpedo school
and have studied fhe effi ets of torpedoes
ard mines from observation and experi
ment.
"A torpedo exploded a! a depth of six
feet would throw a column of water one
hundred feet Into the air: at twelve feet,
len feel In Ihe air. and at thirty feet deep
Would hardly raise a small wave. A de
tonator of guneotton in the open air makes
a mark of its own size In steel or blows
•lone into fragments, in the water, a tor
pi do Itself would net be felt at any great
distance. It requires the resistance of a
solid body and would be dissipated in mud
Of water. This disposes of the wave the
ory and the affecting of shore or boats
!n the harbor."
As to the hole In the Maine, the expert
!n question makes the most Important
Statement that the Maine drew twenty
six to thirty feet at the time of the explo
sion, and had about ten feet of water be
low her bottom to the surface of the har
bor mud. On the port side, where the
United States divers are now at work,
there is at present forty-seven feet of
water. .May not fhls be the hole Which
Captain I'tral says could not be found?
if It is, the hob' was more than seven feet
deep when the explosion took place, and
had greatly filled with mud since. As to
the finding of dead Qsll, tho United States
LOS ANGELES HERALD t SUNDAY MORNING. MARCH 13.1858
THE WRECK OF THE MAINE
NOT THE WORK OF AN IRRESPONSIBLE
WEYLERITE OR FANATIC
The Conservative and Inspired Army and Navy Register Asserts
That the Cruiser Was Destroyed by a Government Sub
marine Mine Planted in Havana Harbor
and Deliberately Exploded
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 12.—(Special to The Herald.) The Army and Navy Register is a con-
servative organ of the military establishment. It is never in error on war and navy department news,
for its utterances are invariably inspired. In its issue today the Register had this editorial leader, <4»
double-leaded: <X
"The Register is in possession of information, the correctnero of which it has no reason to question in
the least, that certain evidence gathered by the board of inquiry at Havana has come in semi-official <&*
form to the president from two members of the board. The information has been in the hands of the tSi
president since Sunday, and has served as the occasion of the unusual activity during the present week. JL
The information is to the effect that the Waine was destroyed by a government submarine mine plant- .4,
ed in Havana harbor and deliberately exploded. More than this, it appears that the Maine was pur
posely moored in the vicinity of the mine, and that the explosion occurred at a moment when the ship S,
had been opportunely carried by the wind and tide directly over the mine. A
"These facts have been hinted at and written about in dispatches from Havana, Madrid and Wash- ,%,
ington, and among the varied statements made the actual conditions have been touched upon, butnoth- c ,jT
ing authoritative has been permitted to escape the court. A.
"That body is understood to have completed its work, but nothing is likely to be officially promul- t £
gated in regard to its findings for a week or more. There is obvious reason for such action, the objects
of which cannot be defeated by independent newspaper statement. > t 'j
"There can be but one outcome of such a report, and preparations for the inevitable result are being
indefatigably prosecuted. The work of the week, related in detail elsewhere in this issue, shows that 2!
the government at Washington appreciates the situation, and will be ready to meet what has now ceas- jjT
ed to be a znere emergency." , T£
It
court of inquiry has not seen a solitary
fish since work begun on the wreck. The
bodies recovered from the Maine have not
been touched by fishes. Some of the fish
ermen In Havana testified that there were
no lisb inside the harbor, the waters beins
too foul for th< m.
Further, as to the alleged discoveries of I
Spanish divers reported to Captain Peral,
live American divers have been working
on the port side of the wreck on an ave
rage of seven hours per day each for near
y three weeks In a space fifty feet lonp
md twenty feet wide. The Spanish
livers have nevpr been inside the wreclt
it all. neither have they ever been on tlu
>ort side, devoting the short hours whlct
hey have been under water to the star
loard and forward and outside the hull.
Recently, to their own surprise, they
nought up two cans of ammunition foi
he six-Inch guns, not exploded. They
lropped them back when the light of the
surface showed that they were unexplodcd
and what their nature was. Further, the
Spanish divers often go down only long
enough to wet their suits and then come
ui> and hide behind a blanket on the barge,
where they sleep or rest for a couple of
hours and then go ashore and report that
they cannot see anything In the mud and
water. They could not have found the ram
of the Maine, since they have not been
down in the locality of that part of the
wreck. They have not located the turret
with the ten-inch guns, though the spot
has been pointed out by Captain Sharp.
In charge of the wreckers. All of these
facts are known by the United States court
of Inquiry, having been elicited In the ex
amination of those In a position to know.
The expert interviewed by the corre
spondent expressed the belief that the
Maine was blown up by what ls known as
a Newport torpedo, stationary torpedo,
or something of the same nature. This
engine of destruction 1b the Joint produc
tion of the labors of Commander von
verse, commander of the Montgomery;
Lieutenant Commander McLean, now In
command of the torpedo station at New
port, and Lieutenant Holman, ordnance
officer of the Maine at the time of the
explosion. The Newport torpedo can be
planted from a small boat, and the expert
believes that this one was exploded by be
ing struck on the port side of the Maine,
forward of amidships, as she swung to her
moorings. Ho thinks this more likely than
that wires were laid from Ihe shore, as
the wires, If of any length, would sink deep
in the harbor mud. It would be singular
If It should prove that the Maine was
blown up by a torpedo, In the invention of
which one of her principal officers, Lieu
tenant Holman, bore a notable part.
All of the foregoing etatemenls of facts
ami surmises come from authority on
which the court depends for much of Its
evidence, and Is given to the correspond
ent without reservation, except as to the
name and rank of the giver. The expert
further believes that the destroying mine
was made up of four torpedoes of thirty
six pounds each of wet and dry guncotton,
or 144 pounds in all.
In the judgment of the correspondent,
the United States court of inquiry Is fully
aware of the views which the Spanish
court will promulgate, and has also made
a careful Investigation on the same lines,
so as to be able either to refute or con
firm the Spanish statement.
A story is current here, but ls not con
firmed, that Captain Sampson has been
advised from Washington that President
McKinley Is ready at any time to receive
the court's report, and that Captain Samp
son replied by a long cipher cablegram to
the secretary of the navy.
Captain Sampson Is not looking well, and
great anxiety ls felt lest he be deliriously
111. The doctor of the Montgomery thinks
such fears are groundless, while others,
who should know, do not entertain them.
A careful watch ls kept on board and
about the cruiser Montgomery, but the
officers of that vessel say that no such
nervous vigilance Is shown as Is displayed
by the Vlscaya and the Almlranle Oquen
do, both of which are moored near hy. The
Spanish ships at night constantly have
patrol boats out. which frequently stop
harbor boats coming within the lines of
the pickets.
Senor Sagasta, the Spanish premier, has
written a letter lo an Intimate friend,
which was read at a meeting ot Conserva
tives last Thursday. In this letter the
premier says that the disarming ot the
volunteers had been determined upon,
but that the publication of tho Intention to
diisrm thtm was premature.
The news of ths recrudescence of the
revolution In the Philippines was rteelvsd
With «r«at disgust by the Spanish resl
dents'and with corresponding: satisfaction
by the insurgent sympathisers.
A NETWORK OF MINES
NEWPORT NEWS. Va., March 11—Ac
cording to Captain Greenmyer of the
steamship Castllla, from New Orleans to
Hamburg, which Is now coaling here, there
Is a network of mines In Havana harbor.
Three years ago, he says, his vessel WM
about to steam Into the harbor when he
was signaled not to enter. A pilot
boarded the ship and explained that the
engineers were planting mines and that
it would be necessary for him to wait sev
eral hours before proceeding Into port.
Captain Greenmyer was then master of the
Albino. He was at one time in the Ger
man army.
ARMS AND MEN
Triple-shift Work at Washington
Navy Yard
WASHINGTON, March 12.—There Is gen
eral activity at the Washington navy yard,
three shifts of men working twenty-four
hours continuously. The completion of the
big guns there is being pushed ahead with
all possible haste. The rush has led to a
large demand for machinists of all kinds,
which up to now has not been met. An en
listment of men for bluejackets was
opened at the yard today. Thirty ma
rines have been detailed from the yard to
go with the Columbia or tho Minneapolis.
They are held In readiness to start at a
moment's notice.
Some of the four-inch guns have been
completed this week and were shipped to
Indian bead to be tested. Not a day passes
but guns of some caliber are finished and
taken down by the tug Triton to the
proving grounds to be tested.
Two or three of the monster thirteen-
Inch guns, with the exception of a few
finishing touches to be put to tho breech
mechanism, are ready to be tested.
The enlisting of skilled mechanics, ma
chinists, seamen and Ironworkers was
continued today at the Brooklyn navy
yard, but ail applications from apprentices,
landsmen and coalpassers were refused,
as there Is already a full compliment of
these classes. The torpedo boat Stiletto has
been put In condition for sea.
The work of transporting ammunition
from the yard to the steamers down the
bay was continued today.
SPANISH OPINION
Not So Interesting Now as It Once
Was
MADRID, Feb. 24.—(Correspondence ot
the Associated Press.) "It appears," says
the Qlobe, a government organ, "that the
Maine affair has been abandoned, but only
In order to make way for fresh causes of
alarm. It now appears to be the turn of
expected friction likely to arise when the
North American consulate reports on the
state of the rebellion are made public uy
that government. We do not, however,
think that even in this choice of a subject
a good selection has been made; as, know
ing the Influence the jingoes bring to bear,
those officials will have to make deductions
for their reports, as have indeed to be
done by both governments In the case of
the Jingo inspired reports of the consul,
Mr. Lee. But. so far as the Maine Is con
cerned, It may be said that as a contentious
matter It has ceased to exist."
Commenting on President McKlnley's
pacific utterances, the Correo says: "Ths
president's attitude, his declaration In fa
vor of peace and his temporizing with
Spain, arise not alone from the necessity
of demonstrating before Europe that the
United States are not the provokers but
that they have done all in their power to
maintain peace.
"Most of all do they arise from President
McKlnley's knowledge that until now tha
Unlleil Btates hns not been a warlike na
tion and ls not prepared for war with
Spain, whose civil and military resources
and whoso dash are well known there.
There Is the real reason why McKinley of
fers opposition to the rupture of hostili
ties. He foresees war, but wishes to give
his country time to prepare for It."
The Imparcial of Febraury IS remarked:
"Amid the general praise with which the
archbishop of Valladolld's pastoral has
been received there has been heard a note
of censure proceeding from some of tha
moßt impassioned partisans of den. Wey
ler. They even stoop to attributing to this
Illustrious prelate a desire to take a petty
vengeance on those who failed to support
his candidature for the see of Toledo when,
last vacant."
A CALL FOR COAL
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., March li—Or
ders have been received at the Portsmouth
navy yard from Washington to ascertain
how many warships could be coaled here
and the quickest possible time which would
be required to supply a vessel. The Wash
ington authorities have been Informed that
four battleships and seven cruisers could
be coaled at the navy yard here at onetime
and that 20,000 tons of coal could be sup
piled. The work of equipping the fortifica
tions Is proceeding steadily.
TROOPS ORDERED SOUTH
JUNCTION CITY, Kan.. March 12.—Or
ders were received at Fort Riley this af
ternoon at 2 oclock ordering the three bat
teries of artillery at this post to the south.
Battery B of the Fourth artillery, Capt
Anderson, goes lo Fort Monroe; Battery F
of the Fourth, Capt. Taylor, goes to Sa
vannah. Ga., and Battery F of the Fifth,
Capt. Riley, to New Orleans. Tho ord;ra
are such that It will compel the movement
of the batteries to their new stations not
later than Wednesday of next week. Mai.
Randolph, who is in command of the artil
lery post at Fort Riley, has not been or
dered elsewhere. There ls great excite
ment here and at Fort Riley. Telegraphlo
reports stating that the troops are en route
are erroneous.
MANNING FORT HANCOCK
NEW YORK, March 12.—Fort Hancock
DERISION AND SCORN
For 'Those Who Speak Against Pop
ular Habits
One hundred years ago ministers and
laymen alike were accustomed to use some
spirits, as well as tobacco, and the one who
spoke disparagingly of either of the famous
nulllfters of good Intentions was sure to
bring down on himself derision and scorn;
but the hard, cold facts move along In a
most uncompromising way, and those who
persist In placing themselves In the road
are ground up with a more or less degree of
promptitude.
The same conditions today surround the
drug we know as coffee. The self-respect
ing Individual dislikes to hear 111 reports of
his favorite beverage, but that does not
alter the fact that the physical aches, Ills
and miseries of tens of thousands of good
people come from the llttle-suspeeted cof
fee pot. Ten days' to a month's trial with
out coffee and the use of Postum Pood Cof
fee In its place will prove the facts, and
good, bounding health Is well worth the
experiment. Postum, well brewed, is deli
cious and gives one the exact kind of food
needed to rebuild the body In a most per
fect manner.