The San Francisco call. [volume], March 25, 1898, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXIII.— XO. 115.
THE CRISIS NEAR AT HAND,
WAR TALK GROWS LOUDER.
NAVAL REPORT
HAS REACHED
THE CAPITAL
Guarded by Armed Men, It Will
Be Delivered by Captain Marix
to Secretary Long* To-Day.
NEW YORK, March 24.— The
Herald's Washington correspond
ent telegraphs : President McKin
ley's anxiety as to the full details
of the Maine disaster will be re
lieved to-morrow. The report of
the Court of Inquiry, which has
been awaited with anxiety, not only
by the United States and Spain,
but by the civilized world, arrived
in Washington to-night. It was in
possession of Lieutenant Com
mander Marix, judge advocate of
the court. A remarkable scene
was enacted at the Pennsylvania
Railroad station upon the arrival
of the Florida .Central train upon
H'hich Lieutenant Commander
Marix and his escort traveled.
Long before the hour for the ar
rival of the train the station and
the streets were thronged with a
crowd of curious men and women,
anxious to catch a glimpse of the
men bearing the important docu
ment and perhaps to see the bag
in which it was contained.
With Lieutenant - Commander
Marix were Lieutenant John Hood,
Lieutenant Karl Jungern, Passed
Assistant Engineer Bowers, Naval
Cadet Bronson, Carpenter Helms
and M. E. Marix, nephew of the
lieutenant-commander. Waiting to
meet them at the station was En
sign Ward, who had been detailed
for this duty by Secretary Long.
All the gates leading to the train
shed were locked to keep out the
crowd, which pressed forward toj
the railing and broke into cheers I
as the train pulled into the sta
tion.
Ensign Ward had provided two
cabs, which were stationed at the
Sixth-street side of the station,
near the door of the baggage-room.
The crowd was avoided by Lieu
tenant-Commander Marix and his
escort passing through the baggage
room to the waiting cabs. Lieu
tenant Hood headed the little pro
cession with the precious report in
a canvas ba^ which he carried
flung over his shoulder in plain
sight. Ail of the crowd caught
sight of them and hurried around
to the sidewalk just as the officers
emerged from the station.
One of those in front jostled
Lieutenant Hood and touched the
SPANISH TORPEDO FLOTILLA LEAVING TENERIFFE, BOUND FOR PORTO RICO.
SOME STRAIGHT TALK.
LONDON, March 24. — The
Daily Graphic says editorially
this morning: "We think it time
that Washington cease wob
bling. Weeks ago it was said
that the starting of the Spanish
torpedo flotilla for the West In
dies would compel America to
declare war. To-day the flotilla
is steaming straight for Porto
Rico. Meanwhile acute Senators
in Washington and over-clever
journalists^ in New York are
planning ingenious campaigns to
fix the odium of declaring war
on Spain.'
"Surely this is unworthy' of the
American people. Two clear
lines of policy are before Presi
dent McKinley: Either to co
operate \vith the Sagasta cabinet
in making Cuban home rule a
reality, or to give Spain peremp
tory notice to quit.
"To avoid both courses is to
turn the terrible Maine disaster
into a sort of gruesome red her
ring. If President McKinley
does not mean war let him say
so, and the horrors in Cuba will
soon be mitigated."
bag containing the report. Quick
as a flush Lieutenant Hood pulled
a revolver from his pocket, at the
sight ot which the crowd recoiled
as at the same instant Passed As
sistant Engineer Bowers ran to
the side of Hood with a drawn ro
volver in his hand.
All the officers except Cadet
Bronson, who took the next train
for his home in New York, quickly
entered waiting cabs which were
driven rapidly through Pennsylva
nia avenue to Fourteenth street
j and thence to the Ebbitt House,
followed by a number of cabs con
taining newspaper men.
Secretary Long had instructed
Ensign Ward to tell Lieutenant-
Commander Marix that the Secre
tary did not wish the report de
livered until office hours to-morrow
morning and that he should retain
possession of it until that time. In
pursuance of these instructions
the report was taken to the Ebbitt
House, where the rooms which
had been secured for the officers
were the identical apartments
which were occupied by President
and Mrs. McKin'ey when the
President was a Representative in
Congress. The entire party then
went to their rooms, except Mr. H.
The San Francisco Call
CAPTAIN WILLIAM T. SAMPSON, U. S. N., Who Succeeds Rear Admiral Sicard-
E. Marix, who remained in the
hotel lobby to answer the ques
tions of the newspaper men and
tell the story of the trip. The
officers took turns in going to
dinner, one or more being at all
times left in the room with the
report.
Lieutenant - Commander Marix
and his companions looked tired
and travel stained when they
reached the hotel and retired
early for a good night's sleep
SAX FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1898.
.before presenting the report to
the Secretary of the Navy to
morrow.
Mr. Marix told me that the en
tire party was very much fa
tigued by the journey and by the
anxiety they had been under for
the safety of the report. The
journey had been one of constant
excitement, as in all the large
cities, and even small towns,
crowds had gathered at the sta
tions and peered into the car win
dows and cheered the train. The
officers were very anxious during
the trip to know about the state of
feeling in Washington, and all
southbound passengers who had
been met in the stations had been
questioned on this point. They
were all glad that their journey
was over,- and would be much re
lieved to-morrow to have their re
sponsibility for the safety of the
report terminated by handing it to
the Secretary of the Navy.
YET SPAIN
IS TALKING
OF PEACE
While Sending a Menace
of War Across the
Sea.
Court of Inquiry Report Arrives,
and Senators Say If Inter
vention Means War
Let War Come.
NEW YORK, March 24.— The Her-
aid's Washington correspondent tele- !
graphs: With war talk everywhere
and the War and Navy Departments
straining every effort to get ready
for war, the President and his officir.l
advisers are cool and deliberate in
the consideration of the many ugly
phases of the entire situation which
are now rapidly bringing matters to
a climax.
As hard as have /been their labors
since the Maine catastrophe, the
cruel test of their strength and abil
ity to cope with the great problems
with which they are confronted will
come \^thin the week. Everybody
stj*"** we are on the brink of war.
Wb>* will precipitate the fatal
plunge between the two countries in
volved? Will they be able to halt
long enough for something to hap
pen that will enable the fatal leap to
be avoided and the path of peace to
be retracedP
President McKinley is an optimist, j
Time is the essence of the situation, j
In the face of the extreme gravity
of the situation he hopes that some
thing may yet nappen to avert hos- I
tilites. What that something is he \
probably does not know himself, but '•
NEWS OF THE DAY.
Weather forecast for San Fran
cisco: Cloudy and unsettled weather
on Friday, with occasional showers;
fresh southwesterly wind.
Maximum temperature for the past
twenty-four hours:
San Francisco 52 degrees
Portland 40 degrees
Los Ang-eles fiS degrees
San Dleso 60 degrees
FIRST PAGE.
The Crisis Near at Hand.
Naval Report Reaches Washington.
SECOND PAGE.
The President Wants Time.
Sampson Takes Slcard's Place.
Spain's Torpedo Fleet Sails.
Ammunition for Big Guns.
Maine Destroyed by a Mine.
Activity at Mare Island.
Ship In Distress Off Tomales.
THIRD PAGE.
Fighting the San Jose Gang.
Clever Woman Swindler.
Frost Follows the Drouth.
Search for the Train Robbers.
Good Scores by Marksmen.
San Rafael Flower Show.
FOmTH PAGE.
Twin Battleships Launched.
Laying Plans of Campaign.
Senator Thurston's Bitter Speecll.
Captain Marix's Wife Talks.
FIFTH PAGE.
Floods In Eastern Rivers.
Imposes a Fine and Pays It.
Chapman Is Convicted. 4
Fight for State Text Books.
Inspection of Freight Needed.
Jenkins' Body Recovered.
SIXTH PAGE.
Editorial.
War for the Sake of Peace.
Doleful Times in Hawaii.
Street Contractors' Rings.
Gorman and Hill.
On the Speaker's Desk.
Answers to Correspondents.
Notes From the Corridors.
SEVENTH PAGE.
Notable English Greyhound!.
Irene Lynch Found.
EIGHTH PAGE.
The Press Club's New Home.
The Almy's Hulk Still Afloat
Electricity as a Monopoly.
How Berkeley Girls Train.
News Along the Water Front.
Burkes Murderer Will Plead In
sanity.
NINTH PAGE.
Primary Law Unconstitutional.
Revenue Deputies Dismissed.
TENTH PAGE.
The Commercial World.
ELEVENTH PAGE.
A Woman Stricken Dumb.
News From Across the Bay.
Lives Endangered by Firebugs.
Opposed to the New Numbers.
TWELFTH PAGE.
Racing at Ingleslde.
Romances of Bank Books.
Baldwin Grotto as a Music Hall. .
THIRTEENTH PAGE.
Births, Marriages and Deaths.
FOURTEENTH PAGE.
The Ferry Scandal.
Exposition Committee Appointed.
Ruled Off the Track.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SENATORS
DECLARE
FOR WAR
WASHINGTON. March 24.— "1n
my opinion we have left to us but
one question— ought we, for hu
manity's sake, to interfere in the
conduct of war by Spain?
"Interferenceundoubtedly means
war. Even if it does, 1 am for in
terference, and want that inter
ference to be undertaken at once.
If Spain, at our demand, in the in
terest of humanity, will allow the
reconcentrados to return to their
homes and their ordinary pursuits
and permit us to extend our chari
ties to them In our own way, war
need not be involved."— Senator VV.
F. Frye of Maine.
"The only reason why resolu
tions recognizing Cuban independ
ence will not be presented at this
time is that their consideration
might open the way to acrimonious
and unwise debate. I believe, in
the present emergency, nothing
should be done to hamper in any
way the movements of the execu.
tive branch of the Government. I
can see no need of further debate
of the Cuban question until we get
something substantial to act upon,
and we will have that in a few
days."— Senator A. O. Bacon of
Georgia.
"The situation to-day !s one of
expectancy as to the verdict : one
of determination to assert the con
viction of the duty that the Ameri
can people feel to be incumbent
upon them of terminating the war
in Cuba, and relieving the people
and giving them a chance to sus
tain life and renew their fortunes.
I believe all this is comprehended
In the President's policy, and I
know the Senate stands ready to
sustain him, man to man, although
It may lead to war."— Senator John
Morgan of Alabama.
when asked by his friends if it is
going to be war or peace he invari
ably declares that he has not aban
doned hope of averting war.
Everything that has happened to
day adds to the gravity of the situa
tion. The departure of the Spanish
torpedo flotilla from the Canary
Islands for Cuban waters; the speech
of Thurston in the Senate; the ad
ditional preparations hastened in
consequence of the news of the sail
ing of the Spanish flotilla; the ar
rival to-night of Lieutenant - Com
mander Marix with the report of the
Court of Inquiry, and tne continued
consultations of the President with
the Democratic leaders have all tend
ed to inflame the public mind, and
in all quarters there is a feeling of
anxiety while waiting for the devel
opments of next week.
Aside from the President and some
of the members of his Cabinet, there
are few men in Washington who will
say they have any longer much .Uopa
that war can be averted. One whole
some sign to-day is that in the face
of an impending crisis the jingoes
are becoming alarmed and are say
ing now: 4 'Let us wait for the Pres
ident before doing anything radi
cal." What their attitude will be
when the President is heard from
and the Maine report is made public
is another question. It is realized
everywhere that the imminent dan
ger at present is in Congress. The
President has done everything pos-
sible by conferences with the leaders
of both parties to prevent an in
flammatory outbreak, and it is prob
able, unless some unforeseen event
occurs, that the Maine report •will be
received in both houses without de
bate and Congress will wait with
more or less impatience the further