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IJ V: . : V : II II i t I. LAST EDITION, 5:00 A. M. RALEIGH, N. G, FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 18, 1898. No. 68 DUST TO DUST ASHES TO ASHES, A CLEAR AND GRAPHIC STOtfV DEATH OF FRANCES WILLARD ,S V r &iy 4 I 3 V'nl .1. $111 Bui the Wreck of the Maine Is Yet Enveloped in Mystery. fill!! 111! 5 ! 11 ft! ME Rffl II III The President and Secretaries of Navy and War in Conference Last Night. FLNEKiL OF DEaD SAILORS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON The ew York to Take the Place of the Alaiae in Havana liulior Detroit and Two Other American Vessels I - jcccd to Key West Captain of the Maine Warned rchand President Recognizes the Necessity of ny Prepared and Should War Be Declared Today the i'nitcd States Government Would Be Ready All the News on this Engrossing Subject Up to 4 O'clock This : J i : Morning. " The Morning Post. i-vb. 17. Midnight Tfie xplosion tf the "Maine" tli.'it unit kn-.w ' i I - i . , ! Naval Officers have ! in barn the truth, if .iii.l it now seems probable i iiliii. will be compelled to ! t!ir it port is received to Ml' IS. I ii foundation .for the widely '-; .rts that the President and ' ry of the Navy have secret s throwing light upon the cau . : kvl the "Maine." .-!! -lit yesterday directed that h-s received at the Navy Mioiilil be promptly made i :'.iis r.r.ler has been fully !, I'n ident and Secretary ' kiiow, about the loss of the i' liilic knows, and the ad : : ' -nils this policy shall be ' ' th.' end. . '!'-idfnt is sitting in his ii spatvhes, conferring i! advisers and giving ' the pursuit of the in- uus-'s of tire great dis- sui;estions for the care - - vs. and mapping out the : :! i.-ials. v. ill be placed before any ..; ;:o in any American har--': of ordering another il.i;.na to take the place ' has been carefully con I i' siilent and the Sec Navy, and it has been de ' is not necessary to send - '; just now. - an ahortive attempt made abroad the belief that -; v -nship "Viscaya," now at to N w Yoik harbor, will '" ill. It has even been said ;sh oi't'ieials have warned ia: -;. r. and directed her to m:i:i to bc heady. President's pacific views ' he realizes the necessity ' : a r d for war. : ns to bring all the forces ' States Navy into fight :. i..-, n going on for several ' tivity among officials of i Navy Departments has during the past day or : a deelaration of war should 1 a this government would ; : "! ared. CONFERENCES BETWEEN PRESI DENT AND SECRETARIES. "Washington, Feb. 17. Wars and ru mors of war were in the air today, with out any tangible foundation. They grew out of fake stories printed in sensation al newspapers. The higher officials are trying to be ready for any issue likely to arise as a result of the report of the Board of In quiry. The fact that Secretary Long was re quested "to come to the White House by the President this afternoon, in the present strained condition of public feeling was regarded as significant. But more significant was the visit paid by Acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn to Secretary of the Navy Long, and his subsequent call on the President. The seemingly innocent1 piece of in formation that Acting Secretary Mei klejohn would leave Saturday night for Fort Monroe to see Secretary of War Alger, invites speculation in connection with the Acting Secretary's calls on the President and Secretary of the Navy; The Board of Ordnance and Fortifi cations, which is holding its monthly meeting in Washington, has decided to prolong its sessions, and rumor has it that.this action has been taken in order that the Board may be ready for busi ness, if the Board of Inquiry ieports against Spain. j The Board of Ordnance would have charge of allotments of arms and am munition in case of war. j The conclusion is rapidly forcing it self on the Navy that the ''Maine" is a has tele- total loss. Admiral Sicard graphed: "In the opinion of Lieut.! Hood, the "Maine" can never again be util a ship." zed as MAINE WOULD HAVE SAILED ON THE FATAL DAY". Washington, Feb. 17. The Navy De partment intended to relieve the "Maine" from duty at Havana on the very day she was destroyed. She was to have been sent to the Mardi Gras celebration, and a, small cruiser sent to take her place at Ha vana, f i The President will send a special mes sage to Congress, asking for an Appro priation of $200,000 for the; raising or removing of the "Maine," arid for other expenses connected with the disaster. "i:i.ayi:d until Satur day. Feb. 17. Later. Lieut " Marix will be unable to '" est until tomorrow. Hence ' Inquiry will be unable to :- 1 until Saturday, y w ill begin immediately ' ae Board is authorized to and spare no expense in v- !-' truth. WARNED been sCAPTAIN OF MAINE BEFOREHAND. Washington, Feb. 17. It has! learned that Capt. Sigsbee j was warned of the impending danger to the "Maine" two weeks before th catastrophe oc curred. ; j Orr-a Spanish circular sent tio him was written these wordv in English: "Look out for your shfp!"j The circular anathemized the Ameri can Navy and Americans generally. SPANISH CRUISER IN NEW tYORK HARBOR, j New York. Feu. 18. Z a. rrt. one of her officers, her !y has collansed. The ' a ueubt is expressed as to 1 .uet the facts, on ae- a anion -or the fore part ; Spanish armored cruiser, 'jVizcaya," is expected to arrive here today. The Navy Department has ordered a cuard of patrol boats established! about Sigsbee telegraphed her while she is here, and has asked the anons were being post-j police department of this city to lend it of the rough weather. ! policemen for the same purpose. Burial of the Dead Sailors of the Wrecked Maine's Crew. By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Havana, Feb. 18. 3 a. -m. At ,3 o'clock in the afternoon an Immense crowd gathered in front of the City Hall, it having been announced that the funeral procession of the victims of the "Maine" disaster would start from this place. The Plaza DeArmas and all the sur soundings of the palace were crowded with spectators of all classes.- The New Y"ork Sun's correspondent visited the hall, in which 22 bodies lay in state. The hall was filled with wreaths and flowers, sent by private corporations, banking1' and mercantile houses, Cuban and American ladies, et al. There were also wreaths sent by the Spanish army and navy. : The public was allowed to pass through the hall, and the utmost de corum was observed. Gen. Blanco was unable to partici pate in the ceremony, because the an cient law forbids. ; When your correspondent left the City Hall, he received the information that18 more bodies had been recovered by the divers. A few moments later he learned that 15 more had been re covered. They were all placed in the City Hall. ;' The burial of the dead sailors -occurred at 5 o'clock. The route of the funeral procession was thronged with a great mass of hu manity and the spectacle was one never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. p: The ceremonies were conducted, as heretofore announced would be the case according to the Spanish rite, un der the direction of the Bishop of Ha vana, who furnished the ground for the interment. DON'T NEED TKEA1 FOB THIS. Gen. Lee Declines Offers of Spanish Divers In Matter of Maine Wreck. - y- By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Havana, Feb. 17. Consul General Lee has refused to accept the services of Spanish divers as offered by Admiral Manterola, to assist in the work of re covering bodies of the American sail ors who met their death here. s It is believed that many bodies ,will be found within the vessel's hull. Gen. Lee will do nothing with the wreck pending the arrvial of the Amer ican court of inquiry. THE ALLEGED TORPEDO HOLE. Some Naval Experts Laugh at Statement ,..:...V..P.,,..,.- and.:I Tell ;why4i By Telegraph to The i.j.orning Post. Washington, Feb. 17. Naval experts say it is ridiculous to assert that any diver has founcl a torpedo hole under the Maine. Naval Constructor Taylor said it would be impossible to discover so small a hole. "No diver could have gone down there yet," said Taylor, "but granting one did go down, I am confident he could have found no such hole. It would have been filled with mud, as the hull of the Maine has already settled in the mud at the bottom of the harbor." THE NEW YORK TO HAVANA. One of the Finest Vessls in the Navy to Replace the Maine at Havana. By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Washington, Feb. 17. It is officially stated, at the Navy Department: "A cruiser will be sent to Havana as soon as available, which will be shortly." This statement undoubtedly means that the "New York," the flagship of the North Atlantic squadron, will be the "Maine's" successor at Havana. The "New York" is at Key West to day, having arrived there with food, clothing and medicine for the sailors of the i lost "Maine." THE DETROIT ALSO? Mobile, Ala., Feb. 17. Commander Dayton, of the crusier "Detroit," today received despatches from Washington, the contents of which he refuses to di vulge. It is rumored that the "Detroit" is to leave tomorrow for Key West. A VERY GRAVE CHARGE Which. Considering Its Source, Must be Ta- ken Cum Grano Sails. By Cable to The Morning Post. Madrid, Feb. 17. The Imparcial's (newspaper) Havana correspondent tel egraphs: "In order to justify himself to his Government and to avoid the responsibility for carelessness and cow ardice in the face of the catastrophe, and for abandoning his ship and hand ing over the work of rescue to our sail ors, the captain of the "Maine" tele graphed to New York that the explo sion was caused intentionally. "Furthermore, Gen. Lee, after visit ing the palace last .night and stating that the disaster was due to careless ness in cleaning the torpedoes, has tel egraphed to his Government today in very reticent terms. "Nobody can doubt the gross negH gence of the officers and crew of the "Maine," Iler captain and a majority of her officers were pn the 'City of Washington at the moment of the ex plosion but afterwards pretended that they hr.d returned to the 'Maine befjre the disaster occurred." fr; Of the Horror as Wired by the New York Sun's Correspondent. By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Havana, Feb. 17. Via Key West. At 9:45 o'clock last night a New York "Sun" reporter was sitting in Central Park. when the skies over the bay were brightly illuminated for-about ten sec onds. Then a terrific explosion was heard which shook the whole city. Knowing that something unusual had occurred, the reporter hurriedly drove to the wharves, from which direction the de tonation had come. On arriving there he noticed that all the lights-in the strets, as well as in the neighboring houses, had been ex tinguished, but the bay was brightly lit up by the flames of the burning ship, which was easily distinguished as the "Maine," by its well-known mast, al though it had already fallen, due to the explosion. Screams and cries were heard coming from the sinking ship, for she went partially down within ten minutes after the explosion. " Mingling with the eehoes of the wails of the wounded and drowning sailors, were heard the shouts of "Viva Es pana!" "Mueran los Americanos!" "Manana Tendremos Buena Pesca en La Bahia!" "We shall have good fish ing in the bay tomorrow," and such re marks, coming from the Spanish rabble, who were congregating in great num bers around the wharves, and seemed greatly delighted at the misfortune of the Americans. ; It was then, for the first time, that a suspicion of foul play came to the re porter's mind. Having induced a boatman to take him to the side of the burning vessel, the reporter succeeded in seeing the most horrible sight. Near the ship were already two boats of the "Maine," with a few officers and men rescuing their shipmates. The "Alfonso XII," was not far dis tant, and had also sent some of her boats, which were doing likewise. Some of the rescued sailors were taken to the "Alfonso," others to the "City of Wash ington," some to the Regla, Steamship Colon and to the wharf of Machina. Of these it is marvelous how some could swim, as they were nearly all severely hurt. One had both legs fractured; another had an ankle shattered, and the major ity were severely burned. All these got the best possible attention, at which ever place they were taken. "The "Maine" immediately after the explosion began to burn fiercely. Every few minutes a shell would, burst, scat-teringrthe- btrrnrngdebris all -around- Notwithstanding th6 imminent dan ger of being struck, a boat of the "Maine" was constantly encircling the ship, looking for any one who might be in the water. Although more than 250 men were still on board, not the sound of a living be ing could be detected on the ship. Just then an officer on one- of the "Maine's" boats approached the ship, and with a voice that could be heard far away in the stillness of the night, called out: "If there is any one living on board, for God's sake say so!" All waited for the expected answer, but none came, save tne echo from the shore. Seeing it was useless to try to save any more near the vessel, which was already the iron coffin of nearly 300 men, the reporter went on board of the "City of Washington,", where Captain Sigsbee was. The face of the Captain showed the great mental suffering he was under going, and although he was burned about the head he never complained. When asked about the cause, he said: "I cannot tell you. All was right on board. The keys of the magazine were all in my room." A little while later Gen. Lee and Vice Consul Springer arrived, and after hav ing a talk with them Sigsbee shut him self in one of the state rooms, refusing to see anyone. Onboard the "City of Washington" were several officers and men who wore only underclothing, having had no time to dress. From the "Wash ington" the "Sun" reporter went to the Palace, where all the authorities, both civil and military, had congregated around Blanco. As the reporter was going up the steps of the Palace he passed a group of officers, who were discussing the in cident. One of them said: "I guess this will bring the war; that is what we all wish." At the Pajace everybody said the cause of the explosion was the burst ing of a torpedo that one of the "Maine's" men was cleaning. This was absurd. Everybody knew no torpedoes were ever cleaned at 10 o'clock at night. There are as yet a great many ru mors .concerning the cause of the ex plosion. The one most prevalent is thatj a small torpedo was placed against the vessel, and that the concussion caused the explosion of the gun cotton in tfie magazine. This theory is sustained by the fact that there were two distinct explosions. The sailors in the hospitals are bear ing their sufferings with great cour age. Not a complaint is heard. Theyrflj talk fight, and firmly believe that the "Maine" was blown up purposely. i The President of the W. C. T U. for the Whole Christian World. By Telegraph to The Morning: Post. New York, Feb. IS. 4 a. m. Miss Frances Willard, the universally known temperance worker, ex-president of the W. C. T..U. for the United States, and at the timeof her death president of the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union, died shortly after midnight this (Friday) morning. IN CONGRESS YESTERDAY The Maine Disaster Received Attention Money for Victims' Families. By Telegraph to The Morning Post. .Washington, Feb. 17. In the Senate today, Mr. Allen introduced the follow ing: "Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be directed to make an immediate and thorough inquiry into the cause of the destruction of the bat tleship 'Maine' and report the result of the same to the Senate." The resolution went over on Senator Chandler's objection, until tomorrow. Washington, Feb, 17. In the House, Mr. McClellan, of New York, intro duced a resolution appropriating a sum equal to a year's pay to each family of the "Maine's" victims. SICARD APPOINTS A BOARD OF ENQUIRY. Washington, Feb. 17. Rear Admiral Sicard has appointed a Board of En quiry to investigate the "Maine" dis aster, as follows: Captain Sampson, president; Capt. Chad wick, Lieutenant Commander Schroeder and Lieutenant Commander Marix. Sampson commands the battleship "Iowa." Marix will be the Judge advo cate. The report is to be made to Sicard within two or three days, perhaps earlier. ' DREYFUS IN A TIGHT PLACE. why His "Case" May Again Be Entirely Reopened. By Cable to The Morning Post. Paris, Feb. 17. At last it seems pos sible that the light which Zola demand ed to be shed upon the Dreyfus affair will be forthcoming. The insistence of the defence today succeeded partially in breaking down the reticence of the army officials. Generals Pellieux and Gonse declared that they had jseen a secret piece of evidence which, j it is said, constitutes absolute proof that. Dreyfus is the When this dramatic crisis was reach ed the court-adjourned. The question of whether this secret evidence was submitted to the Drey fus court-martial, without the defend ant's knowledge," is the ground upon which the battle will rage again tomor row. If this is admitted officially, as it already is tacitly, nothing can prevent the acquittal of, Zola, and the reopen ing of the Dreyfus case. A BIG PIG-IRON WAR COMING As a Result of Failure Southern Manufac turers to Form a Combine By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 17. The ef forts which have resulted in two con ferences here of all the pig-iron pro ducers in Alabama, Tennessee, Ken tucky and Georgia to bring about a combination for the maintenance of prices have failed. The manufacturers were in confer ence until after midnight, and ad journed without reaching an agreement The small manufacturers refused to enter the combination. As a result there may be expected one of the greatest wars in pig-iron prices ever seen in the South. AND UP WILL GO COAL AGAIN. Pennsylvania Miners Convention Order Another Big Strike. By Telegraph to The Morning Post. Altoona, Pa., Feb. 17. The first of ficial intimation of a bituminous coal miners' strike, to take place April 1st, in the Eastern competitive fields, In cluding West Virginia, Maryland and the Hocking Valley, was made here to day in the Pennsylvania Miners' Con vention. It came in the form of an appeal to the miners to organize and secure funds in order to enforce a demand for a 10 per cent, advance and an eJght-hour day. It has the full sanction "of the national president of the United Mine Workers. 1 STRONG DEFENSE Got the Best of New Commis sion Yesterday THE JURISDICTION Of COM DE LOME INCIDENT NOW ENDED. Minister Woodford Yesterday Wired Presi dent McKlniey Spain's Of llcial Disavowal By Telegraph to The Morning Pobt Washington. Feb. 17. The President received from Minister Wiodford today Spain's formal disavowal of De Lome's letter. Gen. Woodford cables the abstract of the Spanish note, handed him on last evening. On Monday Minlfcter Wood ford notified the President that the dis avowal was forthcoming. The administration is now entirely satisfied, and the controversy la ended. bo far as the De Lome letter incident is concerned. The Commissioners Admit That They Re duced Telephone Rates Without Taking Evidence Acted on Previous Inform, tlqn Case Is how Closed. Says the Chairman. The hearing of the exceptions of the Southern Bell Telephone Company to the order "of the Hallway Commission reducing telephone rates In this State was one of the most Interesting and important matters that came before the. Commission yesterday. Senator John W. Daniel was the prin cipal figure In the hearing, and the manner in which he conducted the case commanded for him the admiration of the large number of witnesses In at tendance. ' " That Senator Daniel got the best of the majority of the new Commissioners in the contest was freely admitted. So embarrassing was their position that those present could not refrain from smiling. In first addressing the Commission. Senator Daniel asked what "record" he was dealing with saying that the. last time he appeared before the Commis sion It had held It was a court of Judi cature, so interpreting the supplement ary actof 1S93. Since then the Supreme Court has declared, in the Wilson case. that it is a courts but not a Judicial court a court of administration. In the old suit the proceedings were Inter partes, and a case made up on plead ings in court was heard. In this mat ter there are no parties, but this body Issues an edict passed upon nobody's petition. Yet another and vital change in this tribunal affects the status of the Commission. The, Attorney General says telephone rentals cannot be re duced. He Is the board's legal adviser. Wishing to conform to the Supreme Court's decision the Bell Company asks that the Commission refer it to the re cord upon which it has made up Its verdict. This Is a court of record; made so that its proceedings may be recorded. This tribunal is not - per mitted to prescribe a purely arbitrary rule' nor has any. railway company, for instance under charter power to charge what It "pleases;-' The Commission must be bound by such testimony as would be introduced In a court of Jus tice. The record Is wanted; the evi dence the Commission has considered, so the Bell Company can point out what is incompetent and what is erro neous. ' Chairman Caldwell asked If Senator Daniel wished to raise a question of jurisdiction. Senator Daniel replied that he want ed to argue that question. But above all things he wanted the record the testimony. Chairman Caldwell to this said that two of the present Commission were not members when it held the former trial, but that from the evidence at that trial, he thought It proper to rail the matter up again; that this Com mission did not feel bound by the Judg ment of the former one, and that while it was true the Attorney General was the person to give advice, this Commis sion thought his former advice erro neous. Senator Daniel asked If the Board was using the old pleadlnxs. Chairman Caldwell said It did not consider the old Judgment binding, but had other and competent evidence. Senator Daniel declared ' he could not, if he desired, intelligently intro duce testimony uhlep he knew what was before the Commission In the way of evidence. Chairman Caldwell said the Heirs' rates gave cause for action, being In some places more than those the Com sion has ordered. Senator Daniel replied that he want ed tangible things; that the Legisla ture has not prescribed any rates for telephone rentals. He wanted to know Jf anyone had contended the Hell's rates were not reasonable or Just. The lower rate could not be complained of, surely, could such be taken as a basis. A man may give away what he has. But the law does not give power to ., anyone to make him give his own away, or to order him to do so. If, under the provocation of rivals, the Bell Company gives away Its own. that is not a matter for the Commission to record. It appears that this Is the ground for the CommlsIon's purpose. Senator Daniel said the point which the Commission", under the Legislative act. must consider. Is whether any rates are Just and equitable, but that there must be testimony to show that rates are reasonable. The competition of rival lines is one of the things which the law requires the Commission to take as a basis. The Bell Company has no record, and comes here as a defend ant. The Commission has reached a conclusion without argument and with out giving the Bell a hearing. When the latter has the evidence it Is ready to answer. Commissioner Pearson said, as he un derstood, there was no evidence before the Commission; that his own action in favoring the order reducing rates wbh predicated on the Idea that the reduced rates were Just and reasonable, ' and that there were yet lower rates In other States; that the rate Is arbitrary: that there .Lad been no complaints 11!ed. j as far as he knew; no record. He said I he could produce a witness as to the high rates of the Hell. Senator Daniel said he "did not want to consider his side of the case until he knew what he had to meet; that he did not know what unknown wltnees might have testified to unknown facts. Chairman Caldwell said that It ap- (Contlnued on I 'age 6. i i V I 4, I- . 1 V. 1 J ! : i. r. 1 if V I ir 1 f I -i h . 1 1 ii
The Morning Post (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Feb. 18, 1898, edition 1
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