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-v. - ?* - : '* .1. v. THE COUNTY RECORD, N| Published Every Thursday ?at? KINGSTREE, SOUtk CAROLINA, ?B T? LOUIS J. BRISTOW, Editor and Proprietor. According to State Engineer Adams's i Teport, New York's commerce, from ! being seventy-eight per cent, of the ' country's business, has fallen to thirty- j seven per cent. This means, get : nearer jsljt material, interprets tho St. ! ( Louis Star. I ' There can be no doubt that the Tn- : dians who granted the San Carlos j railroad franchise as soon as the promoters had stocked their tepees with beef, flour and coffee, are getting civilized. Some of them will go to Ti>t. nreJicts the San Francisco Examiner. _______________ The statement is made by Chief Bon^ # % Her, of New York City, that a recent fire only confirms the theory that there are no such things as fire-proof bnildings. Considering tlio number of . < these high structures his suggestions | as to what must be done in the war of ' j 3 * * preparing for* blazes in these giant i pilea ought to be attended to at once. A Chicago paper complains that $130,030,000 worth of property in . 1 that city is held by absentee landlords. And the worst of it is that i many of theso absentee landlords make their home in New York, thus heloinc to swell the population of the j latter city. How to keep Chicago ! people in Chicago is apparently a live j J question in the Western metropolis. : ' From Sydney comes a curious story j of the wreck of the brig Minora and the saving of the captain's life, though j he was the only man on the vessel who couldn't swim a stroke. The ; other five made a gallant struggle for ! life, but they went down exhausted, ; while he clung to a plank for twenty- I four hours and was picked up in an exhausted condition. His case furnishes no argument against the value ! of a knowedge of swimming; it simply J eerves to show the irony of ff.te, which often dooms to death the man who is the best equipped for saving his life. j That relations between France and ; | Germany are really becoming much | 1 better is unmistakably proved by the firmly re-established mutual relations ; j in the art world of the two countries, | ' writes Wolf von Schierbrand. "Stars" , from the French and from the Ger- . < aaan art firmament are now Sitting to j and fro. Here in Berlin we have had I 1 i < nearly all the leading names in the- ; < atricals, for instance, and just to men- 1 ton those daring the last mouth there i W6re, or im, Matirel, tho l*st opera ! singer in France; ilnie. Richard, of the Grand Opera; Colonne, the famous ( leader; Cocquelin, jeune; lie jane, and j now, too, Yvette Guilbert. The latter receives $750 for half an hour's sing- j ing every nigh^ which is an enormous sum for a German specialty theatre to j pay. Bat it mast be profitable, for , she draws crowded houses ever night, ; end when she appeared at the annaal ' * Presse ball, given for the benefit fund of superannuated writers and newst . paper men, she demonstrated her j 1 quickly acquired popularity by V. ; -amount of attention shown her by her ! y hosts. , ' \ f The world's railway mileage a' 'he present time is equivalent t> inoro than seventeen times the length of the equator. In more exact figure?, the world's railway mileage, aci ordiag to j the latest verified returns, ag^. crr.tca 0 ' 1 1 433,956 miles, or 3$,S10 miles mora 1 than in 1891. This enormous mileaga j Is distributed omqpg tho various sub* t divisions of the globe in the following , manner; Europe, 155,281 miles; 1 Asia, 26,890 miles; Africa, 81G9miles; j America, 229,722 miles, and Australia, j 13,839 miles. From the foregoing 1 table it appears that America not only j heads the list in the building of rail* ways, but that the mileage represent- , , ?d by the various railway systems on j AV*Q TY*nra fTian pnnnl.t \ UU) OAUU Vi IIUV fcuvr.iv ?-?? t (he combined mileage of the various i j ystems on the other side. But while ^ America is credited with the greatest j railway mileage, the greatest percent- j |. age of gain belongs to Africa. Since 1891 tho railway mileage of the ucrk ' continent has increased 23.2 per cent. | "With respect to the other subdivisions ' tho showing is as follows: Europe, i 9.7 per cent; Asia, 22.1 per cent.; { America, 8 per cent; Australia, 12.7 1 per cent. For the entire world the per- t centage of gaiu is 9.8 per cent. Siity ^ years ago the world's railway mileage t aggregated barely more than one j thousand miles, and yet to-day tho < globe is iaterlaoed with a perfect net- \ work of iron rails. What surpassing < wonders has the nineteenth century ; 4 Jarougbtfco easel 4 r v. 0 ' ' 1 MAINE REPORT? | Conrt of Inquiry Finds Vessel! Was Blssa Dp By a Mine. ; rHE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, j Submits the Findings to Both Mouses cf Congress. ? i ! All the Expert Evidence, With the Conclusions of the Naval Koar.l, llcail l:i j Senate and House and Immediately , Jteferred to the Foreign Affairs Committee* in Both Branches ? The Board'*: i Kcport Convicts Spain of Fov.l l'lny 1 Only by Implication?\o rctjvr.tibility For tho UWunter F1xe?l?.Has- > niine* Blew l"p, But Xot Until After the Mine Had Been Exploded?*Ship Broken l:i Two?Fores of Explosion Came From Fort to Starboard, I.iftins the Skip in Air. s WAsaixoioN, D. C. (Speeiail.?The lags of the Court of Inquiry whioh invest!Sated the disaster causing the loss of the battleshio Maine on February 15. in Havana Harbor, were transmitted to Congress at noon Monday. Taev woro accompanied by tho following messago from the President: To the Congress of the United States: For some timo prior to tho visit of tho Maine to Havana Harbor oar Consu'.arrc.resentaiives pointed out tho advantages to Dow from the visit of National ships to tho ' Cuban waters, in accustoming tho people ! to the presence of oar flag as the symbol of good will and of our ships in the fulfilment of the mission of protection to American interests, even though no immediate need therefor might exist. Accordingly, on the 21th of January last, after conference with tho Spanish Minis- : ter, in which the renewal of visits of our ; war vessels to Spanish waters was discussed and accepted, the Peninsular an- ' thorities at Madrid and Havana were advised of tho purpose of this Government to , resume friendly naval visits at Cuban ports and that in that view the Maine would forthwith call at the port of Ha- , vana. This announcement was received t>y I he Spanish Government with appreciation of the friendly character to the visit j of the Maine and with notification of intention to return the courtesy by sending Spanish ships to the principal ports of tho United States. Meanwhile tho Maine en- J tered the port of Havana on the 2Jt!? of January, her arrival being m&rkeu w::a no ipecial* incident besides the exchange of customary salutes and ceremonial visits. J Tne Maine continued in the harbor of Havana during the three weeks following her arrival. Xo appreciable excitement attended her stay; on the con- J trarv, a feeling of relief an i confidence followed the resumption of the long interrupted friendly intercourse. So noticeable was this immediate effect of her visit J that the Consul-General strongly urged ] that the presence of our ships iu Cuban i waters should be kept up by retaining the Maine at Havana, or, iu the event of her ' recall, by sending auother vessel .there ! to take her place. Resume of the Tragedy. At 9.40 o'clock ir. the evening of the l.'tt i 3f February the Maine was destroyed bj j an explosion, by which the entire forward i part of the ship was literally wrecked. Ir J this catastrophe two officers and 264 of hei crew perisbeJ, those who were not killed ' autright by her explosion being penned bo j tweea decks by the tangle of wreckage aa< , irownei by the immediate sinking of th< ! ?bin. Prompt assistance was rendered bj i >-Ki : in 1 VUU \ '.aacia uavuviv.' *u , the harbor, aid being especially giver j by the boats of tho Spanish cruiser Al- , pthoaso XII. and the Ward line stearaei City of Washington, which lay not far distant. The wounded were generously caro l ; lor by the authorities in Havana, the lios- : pitals being freely open to them, whilo the I farliest recovered bodies of the dead wore Interred by the municioality in 'a public ' emotery in the city. Tributes of grief an l j sympathy were offered from nil official juarters of the island. The appalling calamity fell upon the people of our country vith crushing force, and for abrieftiine i Intense excitement prevailed, which in a ] jommunity less just and 6elf-eontroiled . ;haa ours might have led to hasty ; i?ts of blind resentment. This spirit, ( however, soon gave way to calmer wooesMS of reason and to the resolve to . investigate the facts and await material , iroof before forming a judgment as to the !j?use, the responsibility and If the facts nreuted (be noedf dm. This course ' eeessarily recommended itself from the >utst>: to* tho Executive, for only in the igiit of a dispassionately ascertained ceralary could it determine the nature and 1 'asure of bis fud duty in the matter. The i i-uai f<rocwtiore was fallowed as in all cases 1 casualty or disaster to national vessels (Hijfct or tiie Naval Court. <f nny maritime State. AXaval Court of In- , jutrv wts ni once organised composed ct uCit? well qualiiled by rank ^ ind practical experience to discharge tho } inerons duty imposed upon them. Aided i iy a strong force of wreckers and divers :ho court proceeded to make a thorough j nvestigslion on the spot, employing every , ivailable means for the impartial and ex- ( let determination of the cause of the ox- , ilosion. Its operations have been conic *ted with the utmost deliberation an l udgment and while independently pursued, 10 source of information was neglected, | ind the fullest opportunity was allowed for , * eitrnHanoAtic i ? ATI >iV tl?M 2sr.fi.n sh authorities. The finding of the Court o! Inquiry was reached, after twenty-three days of conIlnuoas labor, on the 21st of March and, 4avin? been approve;! on the 22d by the Commander-in-Chief cf tho United States uaval force of the \ ?rth Atlantic station ivas transmitted to the Executive. It Is ierowitli 'aid before the Congress, together with the voiumtuous testimony taken be'ore the court. Its purport is", in brief, as [olio vest "When the Maine arrived at Havana rho vas conducted oy the regular Government Jilot to Buoy No. 4, to which she was noored in from live and one-half to six athoms of water. 'The state of discipline on board and tho ondition of her masasiaes, boilers ar.d :oal bunkers and storage compartments ire passed in review, with tho conclusion hat excellent order prevailed, and that no ndication of aDy cause for an internal ex)losio:? existed i:i any quarter. At ! o'clock in the evening of Feb. 15 everyhiujj had been reporie.i secure and ail ras quiet. At 9:40 o'clock the vessel was suddenly destroyed. Tnere were two disinct explosions, with a brief interval beween tnetn. Tne first lifted the forward :?art of tue ship very percentibly; thesecsnd.which was more open, proloncredand of treater volume, is attributed by the Court a the partial explosion of two or more >f the forward nsnRazines. The evidence >f tlte divers establishes that the afterpart ? >f the ship was practically intact and eanir | in that condition a very few minutes aftei the exp'.o?sou. The forward part was completely demolished. Upon the evidence of a concurrent externa! cause the Hading ot tho court is us follows: The Cause Itxternal. "At frame 17 the out? r shell of the ship, from a point eleven and one-half feet from tho raiddio line of the ship aad six feet noovethe keel when in its normal position, has been forced up so as to be now about four fee: above the surface of the water; therefore about thirty-four feet above where it wouiu bo hud tue ship sunk uninjured. "The outside bottom plating Is bent into a reversed shape, the after wing of which, about 13 feet t read and S2 fee: in length (fr >m frame 17 to frame 25), is doubled back upon itself again-: the continuation cf the same plating extending forward. "At frp.me'l^tfc" vertical keel is broken similar to the angle formed by the outside bottom plate?. ''bis Iron.'.: is now about b fe~: below the surface of the water and about "0 foot n' <iw its uormr.1 position. *iu tn?* opinion of i.'i * court, this effect could have 1 <\jn produced oulv by the explosion or a nine situated under tho bottom of the siH:\ at about frame IS, and somewhat on tho port side of the ship. The conciv.-ions of the court are: Conclusions of the Court. ' That the 1 >ss of the Te liae was not in any rcspo *t due to fault or negligence on the part of a ay of the o .fleers ?r members of bi-r crew; "that tho ship was destroyed l v tno explosion of a submarine mine, which cause I the partial explosion of two or more of her forward magazines,' und mat' no evidence has been obtainable fixing tho responsibility for the destruction of the Haino "upon any per- ">a or persons." I bnvu directs I that tho 'finding of the Court of Inquiry and tho views of this (Government thereon be comtmiuieuied to the Government of her majesty, the Queen Urgent, and I do no; pinr.it myself to doabt that the sense ..f justice of the S: unish nation will dictate a course of action suggested bv honor 1 and the friendly relations of the two Gov- 1 enuaeots. It will be the duty of the Executive to j ndviso the Congress of the result, aud in : the meantime deliberate consideration is , Invoked. (signed) William McKinlet. j Executive Mansion, March 23, 1S33. OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE MAINE. j Submarine Mine Klew Her L'p, But Spain I Is Not Blamed. Washington, D. C. (Special).?The fol- j lowing is the full teat of the report of the j Court of Inquiry U. 8. S. Iowa. 1st Itate. j Err West, Flo., Monday, March 21,1S99.) i After full and nature consideration o? j nil the testimony bofore it, the Court flads j as follows: 1. Tuat the United States battleship I Maino arrived in the harbor of Havana, j Cuba, on the 25th day of January, 1893, and ; was taken to buoy So. 4 in from live and a 1 half to six fathoms of water, by tho regular i Government pilot. Tho United States Consul-General at | Havana had notified the authorities at that J place. the previous evening, of the intend- ; ed arrival of the Maine. 2. Tae state of discipline on board the Maine was excellent, and all orders and regulations in regard to the care and safety of the ship were strictly carried out. All ammunition was store ! in accordance with prescribed* instructions, and proper care was taken whenever ammuni- j lion was handled. t Nothing was stored in any one of the , trxo or spaix. magazines or shell-rooms -which was not permitted to be stored there. Ammunition Inspected, The magazines and shell-rooms were always locked after having been opened, and liter the destruction of the Maine the keys -were found in their proper place In :he Captain's cabin, everything having l>een reported secure that evening at 8 p. m. The temperature of the magazines an<J shell-rooms was taken daily and reported, rhe only magazine which had an undue iimount of heat was the after ten-incb magazine, r.nd that did not oxolode at the j lime the Maine was destroyed. The torpedo war heads were al! stowed in the after part of the ship, under the ward room, and neither caused nor participated in the destruction of the 3Iaine. The dry gen cotton primers and detonators were stowed in tiro cabin alt, and removed from the scene of the e.vp!o3ion. IVaste was carefully looked after on the Maine to obviate danger. Special orders in regard to this had been given bv the tommauding officer. Varnishes, dryers, ileohol and other combustibles of this nature were stowed on or above the main leek, and could not have had anything to lo with the destruction of the Maine. The medical stores were stored aft under the ward room and remote from the scene jf the explosioij. No dangerous stores of any kind were stored below in any of the other storerooms. j The Coal Brokers All Itight. The coal bunkers were inspected daily. 3f those bunkers adjacent to the forward magazines and.shell rooms, four were sraptv, namely: "B 3, B 4, B 5, B 6." "A 15" had been in use that day and "A 16" was full of New River coal. This coal had been carefully inspected before receiving it on board. The* bunker in which it was stowed was accessible on three sides it all times, and the fourth side at this time r>n account of bunkers "B 4" and "B 6" being empty. This bunker. "A 16" had been inspected that day by the eng.ncor officei )Q duty. iiiv ura Ji;iri.is to iuo L'j.jh-i.i ??cio i.i iTorkincr order and t'?ere bad never been :i >0^0 of spontaneous combustion of coal on ward the Maine. 'The two after ooilers of the s'alp were In ise at ih2 time cf the disaster, but for luxiliary purposes only, with a cotnparaively low pressure of steam and being euded by a reliable watch, these boilers !oald not have caused the explosion of the iaip. The four forward boilers have since >een found by the divers and uro in a fair iooditlon. Cn the night of the destruction of the ilaino everything bad been reported secure or theuiglit at 8 p. a. by reliable persons trough the proper authorities to the cornnandintj officer. At the time the Maine ras destroyed the ship was quiet, and. *. K * 4L ^therefore. least liable to accfdent*caused by movements from those on board. Explosions. 8. The destruction of the Maine occurred J nt 9.40 p. m. on February 15, 1898, in th? : harbor of Havana, Cuba, she being at the time moored to the same buov to which she had been taken upon her arrival. There were two explosions of a distinctly differ" ; ent character, with a very short but distant interval between them,"and the forward part of the ship was lifted to a marked de^ gree at the time of the first explosion. The first explosion was more in the nature of a report like that of a gun, while the second explosion was more open,prolonged auu m gresier volume. j.ne secona explosion was, in the opinion of the Court, caused by tho partial explosion of two or more of tho forward magazines of the Maine. Condition of the Wreck. 4. The evidence bearing upon this being principally obtained from divers did not > enable the Court to form a definite conclusion as to the condition of the wreck, although it was established that the after part of the ship was practically intact and sank in that condition a very few minutes after the destruction of tho forward part. The following facts in regard to the forward part of the ship are, however, established by the testimony: That portion of the port side of the pro' tective deck which extends from about frame S3 to about frame 41 was blown up a:t and over to port. The main deck from about frame 30 to about frame 41 was blown up aft and slightly over to starboard, folding the forward part of the middle superstructure over and on top of the after part. This was. In the opinion of the Court, caused by the partial explosion of tho forward magazines of the Maine. 5. At frame 17. the outer shell of the ship, from a point eleven and, a half feet from the middle lino of the ship and six feet above the keel, when In its normal position, has been forced up so as to be now about four feet above the surface of the water; therefore about thirty-four feet above where it would be had the ship sunk, uninjured. The outside bottom plating is1, SXSOB NL01. wwiw, J (The new Spanish Minister at Washington.} bent Into a reversed V-sbape, the after wir.<? nf vriii.-h About fifteen feet broad and ithirty feet In length (from frame 17 to framo 25), Is doubled back upon itself against the continuation of the same plat- j ing extending forward. At frame 18 the vertical keel is broken in 1 two, and the liat keel bent into an angle j similar to the angle formed by the outside j bottom plating. This break is now about : six feet below the surface of the water and j about thirty feet above its normal position } In the opinion of the court tijisefTec. ' could have been produced only by the ext j plosion of a mine situated under the bot- j torn of tho ship at about frame IS and somewhat on the port side of the 9hip. Destroyed by a Mine. 6. The court finds that the loss of the ' Maine, on the occasion named, was not in ' any respect due to fanlt or negligence on I the part of any of the otflcers or members j of the crew of said vessel. , 7. In tbe opinion of the court the Maine i was destroyed by the explosion of a sub- i marine mine, which caused the partial ex- j plosion of two or more of her for^td > magazines. 8. The Court has been unable to obtain 1 evidence fixing the responsibility for the j destruction of t jo Muiae upon any person or persons. A. MaKIX, Lieutenant Com man Jo r V. S. X.. Judge ! Advocate. AY. T. Sampsov. Captain U. S. X., President. j The court having finished tha inquiry It j was ordered to make, adjourned at 11 a." m., i to await the action of the convening au- I thority. W. T. Sampson, Captain U. S. X., President. ! A. Mabtx, Lieutenant Commander U. S. X., Judge Advocate. i United Stat?3 Flagship New York. J ' March 22,1S3S, 01 Key West, Fla.. FThe proceedings and finding^ of th Court of Inqniry in the above case are ap i proved. M. Sicabd, Bear Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the United States naval force on the Xortb Atlantic Sta lion. MESSAGE AND REPORT IN CONGRESS j Uead and Referred to Foreign Affairs Committees in Itoth Houses. Wasiiixotox, D. C. (Special).?Except on j the occasion of the inauguration of a j President, no such crowds as surged ! through the corridors and stormed the galleries for admission on the day the j Maine reporj was sent in have been seen at the Capitol in a quarter of a century. At daylight people were alreaiv seeking eatrance to the Capitol and hours before noon, when thotwo Houses convened, the marble stairways were choked with wishing, jostling people presing toward the gaiieries. Xot an inch of space remained In the public galleries at 9 o'clock, though longlinesof people stretching down the stairways to the lower corridors continued to press forward. .Within a few minutes after the reservo galleries were thrown open they, too, w ?re completely filled with IQ9 exception tu niuaiT ...w diplomatic corps nnd the families of the President and Cabinet. Admission to the?j Kail cries was strictly by card. Many distinguished personages were la the gai- ! leries. In tho Senate the reading of the journal Vvas dispensed with, and at two minutes past tweiv" "ie message from the President was d.-.ivered by .Mr. Pruden, one of liis secretaries. At 12.12 .Mr. .Morgan, of Alabama, asked that tho President's message bo in id before the Senate. The VicePresident presented tho message and the clerks proceeded to read it. When they , got through with It Mr. Davis move ! t hat , the messag?, report and testimony bo ordered prtete'- *od reilutad to th > C > nmitt-?e on Foreign UeUtioas. The motion was a;:r-o 1 to. la the Ilousa at exactly 12 o'*l ?'k tho ! Speakerascended the rostrumand call*! the : body to order. Arr.id the impressive silence J tha. followed t!ie blind chaplain delivered ; n ?ol??mn prayer, which rang through tiie hall like si warning. He referred to tho stern clouds that hung over the country threatening to break at p.nv time. After the journal came th? reading of the President's message. There was an outburst of applanso in the galleries am' on the door , when the reading of tho message was co i- ' eluded. Tiio President's message was refer- | red to committee without debate. This was the Committee on Foreign Affairs ua ier the rules. No motion was made. Immediately after the announcement of KaprC-seatatiro Simpkiu's death tho Mouse at 12.1J P. If, adjourned for tha day. % 1*" ' * ? ^ imnt: President Puts Hostile Finalities in v the Hands of Congress. DIPLOMACY NOW AT AN END. ?.IacTriu KeacliM a Defin!t9 Cnnclsslon tc ^ Mtike A'o Further CoDcear.ion* to,tli? United States?'The SjjunUh Torpedo Flotilla Arrives at Forto Eloo?Oui War Fleets Strips For Hostilities W?srixGTos, D. C. (Special).?Tht> Spanish answer to tho Administration's de-> man&s lor tho restoration of civil order irCuba brought tho two Governments alii Madrid and Washington dellnitcly to the parting of tho way. Though In a measure, fragmentary and obscure, tho summary tho concessions offered by tho Sagasta Cabinet, which Minister Woodford transmitted by cable, was full an l clear enough to show that Spain, whilo yielding fa; more than the United States eoald have reasonably espected at any previous stage of tho negotiations between too two countries, had nevertheless left unfulfilled thu condition of absolute independence for the Cubans, which has withi'u tho last few days come to bo looked on as tho most popular and essentia! feature of the solution of the Cuban problem. The Cabinet meeting racclved Spain's answer to tho proposition of this Government. and. ilndiui it unt atisfaetorv, prac ticaliy decided npju a poiley which placed the whole record*before Congress, aad tho responsibility of further action upon that body. j Too Spntifsh Minister called at the State I 1 Department aad was in conference with Judge Day for some time. Although thera was the strictest reserve as to what occurred. it can be stated positively that the I United States submitted no further pro- j I positions, nor did the Spanish Minister of- j fer anything which changed the situation j of aUairs. Both sides regarded the issue as maio up. Great surpriso was felt In Washington when news came by way of Madrid tiint the Spanish torpedo boat flotilla had arrived at Porto Rico. The threo torpedo ; boats, three torpedo destroyers an^ the j troop ship convoying them made good j time. They had only been sighted once, J i and that was on March 23, the day they j sailed, when a vessel that reached London j from Las Palma3 passed them a few j miles oH the Canary Islands, steaming : lowly south. El .Liberal gives tho following description ofjiia little flotilla: Torpedo oatcner iruror, suu mas; com- ; niander, D. Carlior; 72 men. Torpedo | catcher Pluton, 450 tons; commander, P. Ya?qucz; 72 men. Torpedo catcher Torror, .405 tons; commander, F. de la ltocha; 72 ! i .men. Torpedo boat Kayo, 123 tons; eomimaader, Senor Rizo; 72 men. Torpedo ] boat Aror, 120 tons; commander, R. de :EguIn; 26, men. Torpedo boat Arlote, 129 tons; commander, M. ^omoza; 26 men. j Transport Ciudad de Cadiz. Hailing on March23, they have taken nine ! days to make the trip across the Atlantic, j The fleet has made better time than was ; expected. The qnick passage is explained | by the fact that thoy met nothing but good j weather and that they had no accidents. j Soon after the arrival of the news that Spain's torpedo flotilla had reached Porto Rico, official advices were received at tho State Department from Consul Goneral Lee, announcing that the Vizcaya and Oqnendo, the formidable Spanish cruisers, thad sailed for Porto Rico. ~By this action Spain prevented the blockade of her armored cruisers in the harbor of Havana and has taken measures to reinforce her torpedo boat flotilla to such an extent that it will be impossible for the naval force of this Government to take them without probably sustaining serious damage itself. Tho realities of war were made evident to the crew3 of both'the naval fleets at Hampton Reads and at Key We3t, when all the deck furniture, as well as the fifteen or twenty cutters which every warship carries, wero sent asbore. The decks wore literally cleared for action. Only tho boats used by the officers In going from ship to ship were left on board. This means that when actual battle comes thero will be no escape?no lifeboats for the COO men on each of the firstclass battle-ships. They most oil survive or perish with the ship. The Spaniards would depend for the defense of Havana solely upon the submarino mines which have already done such deadly work against the Maine. But Captain Sampson will not be caught i napping. It is estimated that Havana I can be blockaded and starved into; sub- j mission in from ten to fifteen days. Secretary Gage and Chairman Dinglov j conferred on "war taxes."* Withit^ few ; days of the beginning of hostilities addi- ; tional taxes will be levied on beer and tobacco. New import taxes will bo ; imposed on tea and coffee. The war taxes imposed from 1861 to 1865 raised $311,000,000 per annum. If exactly the same taxes were imposed to-day on ex actly the same articles. Secretary Gage I estimates that the revenue T70uid be $328,000,000 yearly. The vast lncrease**hows the growth of the country since the lost war. ENGLAND'S ATTITUDE. Cordial Greeting For Colonel Hay?Formal Sow* For Spanish Ambassador. Europe in diplomacy often indicates an important political attitude by a social method. The entire Diplomatic Corps was at the Queen's lores, in London, but a significant interpretation was put upon an incident which the qniuiclated observer night regard as of no consequence. When Colonel Hay,the United Stato3 Ambassador, passed before the Duke of York and the other British royalties, all of then ad- , vanced and cordially shook hands with him. The Spanish Minister immediately followed Colonel Hay and was receded with i formal bows. Captain Sigsbee to Assist Secretary Long, i Captain C. D. Sigsbee, who commanded the battlc-3blp Maine at the time of the explosion, has been assigned to duty as aide to secretary or tae ruavy Jbong. it is : especially satisfactory to the latter at thi3 I timo, as it will enable hits to recuperate j from the great strain to which ho was sub- j jocted during the stay in Havana after t'ao , ship was blown up. , j King's Dae ^Titers to Aid Cuban*. i A movement has been started among tho Hirer's Daughters of the country to supply doming for tho destitute people in Cuba. t St. Thomas Dill Laid Aside. The Senate spent almost an entire day in i discussing the proposition to buy the Danish West Indies, and tho debate developed such a wide difference of opinion that it was.de- i cided not to pres3 the subject iurther at ! this time. 5aiional Volunteer Moveircnt. Lieutenant General John if. Schofleld J took formal charge in New Ycrk City of tho ; National Volunteer Reserve, and Congress will be asked to give the movement official standing, _ A | SPAIN'S ANSWER. Official Summary of the Proposition^ , 3 Which This Nation Made. Wasbisotos, D. C. (Special).?An official summary of the propositions submitted bjj, j tko United states and of Spain's reply wan piven out. The o.Helal abstract of Preai-_ j dent HcXlnley's propositions to Spain waps "First?That Spain shall sand tao reson! eentr l ies hue'.: to their homes and permit the United States to aid in sapplying then* I with means of sustaining life cntil normal' ' j conditions can be restored. I 'Second?That there shall bo an arm!34 vs tlce between Spain and Cuba, with the end! in view of securing a settlement of the difi . ficultios and the withdrawal of the Spanish forces from Cuba. , % "Third?In case cf a failure of tba Cubans and the Spaniards to cotne to understanding during the armistice Sp^Hn i will submit the entire matter to Fresidenji^ i McKinley'as arbitrator, with the undof? stan^jn^ that he will decide in that event lUf 1*1 "JlllII ?. | Thts Is the o2eili abstract of Spain's r?"plTt ' *4 "Spain Inferos tba Government of to? ? TTnitod States that General Blanco has re- V ' voiced the bnndo relating to the roconcen-X j, X trad OS in the western provinces of Cu'oa. "jj^j which r^e understood to bo t ho provinces oftJS Mat anz as, Santa Clara, HaKar.a and PIiw^B^ del Kfo; that the Spanish Government hasjfifl^ placed at the disposal of the Governot-^B fj (ier>ral the or.'dlt of 3,000.000 peeeta^^^H ({ eCO.OOPh to tbo end that the eountrjSa ^ people may return a: once cud with sudBB s, cess to their labor. "Toe Spanish Govern meat jWill accoU^HiJ whatever assistance to feed and sa<*eor tXMM';1 necessitous ntav be sent from the CniteHKv, States in accordance with tho plan cow lC| 1 operation. ,A| "Snain prcpcfs to eonfldo the prerari^^^B tlon for r.n honorable and sta'oie penco * tbe In.-ular Parliament,without whose eonJ^W^ currency t':o ilpanish Government woalj^H "not bo able to p.rrivb at the final mult, be4fl lag understood that the powers reservedf?! ' . by the central government are not lessenoflj or diminished. . * As the Cuban Chambers will not rueJUHH until the fourth of# May, the Spanish Gofln ernment will not, on its part/objeet to^HH suspension of hostilities if ashe?l for by insurgents from ths GenernMa-Chlef, flH j whom It will belong to determine the dnzBH tlon and the condition of the uspensIonM^j^H It was after the receipt of this reply than President HcKinley decided to pat thflF 1 whole matter in tbe hands of Congress. *lra ONE MILLION FOR DEFENSE. fj| ?few York r.f>Ki<latnre Pats Tiir.i Aruouab*. 3 In Governor Bltck'i Hands. For the second time in the history of "?-? -* V- ! - J.? f.U SI Ol*.') U1 .low ivrk HO UUtUlUV. Kit MUSU to ask the Legislature for an appropriation n for war purposes. Governor Edwin D. J? Morgan, of Now York City, was the first; 2 > and his cait came during tho Civil War. BM ' Governor Frank S. Black, of Troy, is th? *a second. Governor Black asked for bvtj^S $1,000,000, and that as an emergency fund Si to obviate the expensive necessity for n* In convening the Legislature should the slta-j fa ation require. j Almost at iho very opoaing of the closing day of the session Governor Black sent V the following message to the Legislature; ' "To the Legislature:?Event3 are now transpiring of so grave and general import that the attention of every cniightene<| people is llxed upon our own. The crista which our national government now meets involves those deep considerations whlefy affect the future of the race. To aid tha^ government by approval and support, tq sustain its hand when raised for jnstieq : and fair play, is the duty of every State! No honr has ever been so fall 6f peril that New York has faltered while it passed. Be-< cause of her past history and her present greatness she should be the first to under! stand the meaning of to-day. After long re* flection ,and with an earnest desire to do thaC which ought to be done and to refrain from that which ought not to be done, I recott^F mend.that before you adjourn you taker such action as your wisdom shall decided upon to provide against such urgent need* as the future may disclose. "I hope the day is still remote whiehf shall consume the means vou set apart! Bat if the time should come whea foroenr-i nace and national self-respect can no long-^ er stay together, there can be fiat one! answer to the duty thus arising. , ; "I believe you will, not in haste or angec > toward any other people, but in the dclib-| er.ito purpcso to defend your own, and a sign of hopo to the struggling and disj j tressed, realizing that patriotism withoatj preparation is as fragiie as a dream, so act^ that the enlightened sentiment of the world: will justify you. Feask S. Buick." i The reading of the message was received) by both branches with an immediate re-i quest for action. Not a voice was raised in' opposition, and when the necessary bill was! introduced the vote taken showed a full roll call of yeas. The Assembly passed the bill in three minutes. The time taken by1 the Senate to pass the bill was less thaw fifteen minutes. The bill was engrossed at once and trans^ ? ?. n a m T-aA hU miibiTVL i j lira \iv*cruvi| w?v ?u?av** . ? signature to It at 11.30 o'clock. The meas-J ore will be known as Chapter 181, Laws oC 1838, and it passed both houses of the Leg-? lslatcre, was engrossed and signed by tM| Governor in one hoar and twenty minutes* which beats all legislative records. GERMAN DEMANDS ON SPAIN. . v | Satisfaction Wanted For D tin igcj Doad| by Iniarreutj. Germany has began diplomat;** represon-' tat ions to Spain relative to the Carina oabal ca39, and the Gorman cruiser Cider, oa her! way to Bahia, ha? been ordered to get ready to proceed to Ca va if satisfaction is not quickly fort teem!eg. - . The German version of the Cunaneihai case is that some Cuban insurgents, durihgj tie night of ?larch 18, attacked a German, relinery of Caanamaba, {also written Can-! naaiaber.) belonging to tho firm of Fischer A Schmidt of Trinidad, Province of Sact?| Clara. The insurgents arc said to have; rifled the safes, barasi the buildings, kiiied'. lour persons, and wounded tun occupants cf the reflaery. ? /"I The Qceen Co iigratnLatea CapUin SltibtK Sir Julian Pauneefote, the British Ambassador, paid n personal call on Captain' 'QlrroKan ?* fhn Vn?r nnnf WnehiniyJ ton, and left with him a note of cont: retaliation iubehnlrof ths Queen and Govern^""^ meat of Great Britain for Ills escape from' ^ death in the Maine disaster and his con- jl duct on that occasion. I Killed Wife and Himself. I Harbert Dickorman, a railroad clerk,. I shot iii3 wife and then himself withtho, saute pistol at the home of Mrs. Diekermau's^ ( 1 father. inErookiine, Mass. Dickermnn was; 1 thirty yea?s old. and his wife was twenty-j I .seven. 13 :.t ii were highly re's pa c ted audi . 1 r.o can so f ar tho murder and saicido is j I known. . . Earthquake In California. " .tl r Great damage was dona by an earthquake} \ la California. Property valued at CoOO.QOOi was destroyed at Maro Island Navy Yard at! San Franfcisco. L.V_ _ =ryRelief For 201,000 Reconcenlrado*. jr*?5 Supplies from the United States havel now reached 102 towns in Cuba, and fcnvoi been distributed to 201,000 reconcentrsdc^) ? Axudni Sentenced to Death. ! Karditzl and Georgil, who attempted tOj assassinate King George of Greece, mi Athens, wore sentenced to death. j ' i " J Mam ^