A CRISIS AT HAND

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, February 18, 1898.

A CRISIS AT HAND.

U. S. Battleship Maine Sunk While at Anchor in Havana.

ACCIDENT OR DESIGN? LOOKS LIKE THE LATTER.

Authorities Claim The Former—Latest Advices Yesterday Say Divers Found an Eight-Inch Hole in Her Bottom—Other Evidence Points to Spanish Treachery—253 Live Lost—Spanish War Vessel Expected in New York Harbor Momentarily.

   Feb. 18, 1898.—The very latest news obtainable at the hour of going to press look as though a crisis is at hand in the relations between this country and Spain. The U. S. Battleship Maine was blown up while laying at anchor in the harbor of Havana at 9:40 Tuesday night. Of her compliment of 350 men, 253 went down with the vessel. Captain Sigsbee and most of the officers were saved. His first dispatch told of the disaster and said that "public opinion should be suspended till further report." The crews of a Spanish warship and a passenger steamer did all possible to save the lives of those in the water. General Blanco and his staff were apparently sincere in their sympathy and assistance offered. They of course deny any connection with the disaster.

   Divers were sent down yesterday and they report finding an eight-inch hole in a plate on the Maine's bottom. Up to this time many theories have been advanced. The state and navy departments claim to give all information they possess to the public, but dispatches from various newspaper correspondents in Havana tell many things which point to Spanish culpability.

   Captain Sigsbee is known to have been afraid to take coal in Havana for fear a stick of dynamite might be placed in it. Naval officers who are high in authority in this country say, almost to a man, that the routine and discipline on the Maine were so strict that no accident inside could have caused the explosion. It is further asserted by them that from the description received of the effect of the explosion it must have been on the outside. The floating torpedo theory is advanced.

   The explosion shook the city from end to end, breaking windows, etc. The large fatality among the crew is because all were in their bunks in the bow and the explosion seemed to be near the forward magazine and beneath them. The officers were in the stern. The boat took fire and soon sank, the superstructure of the stern being alone above water.

   The Spanish cruiser Vizaya, the strongest of their war vessels, is expected in New York harbor at any moment. When she sailed for here it was on a "friendly visit." Will it still be friendly, or is Spain playing a deep game? The White Squadron are at the Dry Tortugas.

Dupuy de Lome.

STATE DEPARTMENT SLOW.

   Washington dispatches say: The personal incident growing out of the publication of Senor Dupuy de Lome's letter to Senor Canalejas may be regarded as settled. This has been brought about by the short cablegram sent by Minister Woodford from Madrid, in which he states that the Minister had resigned and his resignation had been accepted before he (Woodford) had presented the request that he be recalled.

   It is learned on trustworthy authority that Senor de Lome's successor will be Senor Louis Polo Bernabe, son of Vice Admiral Polo, who formerly represented Spain in the United States.

STOCKS DOWN.

   Feb. 17. There is little telegraph news to-day aside from that relating to the terrible disaster to the Maine, it fully occupies the public mind. Stocks yesterday took a decided drop as a consequence.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Politics for [Cortland] charter elections are getting hot. There are rumors of patch up differences among Republicans.

   It is doubtful if public opinion can long be "suspended" and held captive if Spain continues to tread on the honor of Americans. She has been fighting and diplomatically scheming for the so-called Spanish honor for two years. In diplomacy our State department has been bested at every turn, especially in the De Lome matter of the last week. Now top of that and with the majority of Americans at fever heat over the situation, the pride of the American navy, the battleship Maine, is blown up under, to say the least very suspicious circumstances while laying in the Harbor of Havana. With the meager information now obtainable, it is impossible to positively state that Spain had a hand a hand in her destruction and is responsible for the loss of the lives of two hundred and fifty of her crew, but it will be a hard task for the State department to make the majority of Americans believe otherwise. With these incidents constantly in mind how long will the honor of this country remain unavenged?

Obituary.

   A large circle of friends throughout this county heard with sorrow of the unexpected death of Harris Delos Haskell, which occurred at his home near McGrawville early last week. He had been unwell for some time but was confined to his bed only a week when death was caused by pneumonia and heart trouble.

   Mr. Haskell was born on the homestead forty-eight years ago, and he passed most of his life there with his brother, sister and father who still survive him. Always kind, cordial and sympathetic he easily extended his sphere of acquaintances beyond his immediate neighborhood. In addition to a genial disposition he possessed a tenor voice of rare sweetness and a skill to playing the violin that gave him more than a local reputation. Of keen intellect and considerable argumentative power he showed a marked fondness for lines of scholarly research from early boyhood to his death. An unusually large number of people attended his funeral February 11, at which the Rev. J. J. Cowles officiated. Burial was made in McGrawville. The sympathy of the community goes out to his wife and three children, who are left to mourn a husband and father against whom no word of reproach can be truthfully uttered.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   Three men left Hamilton last week bound for the Klondike.

   The law allowing towns to refund to drafted men $300, the amount paid for substitutes, has been declared unconstitutional by the [New York] court of appeals.  

   The Presidents of the villages of Waterloo and Seneca Falls recently ordered all "slot machines" removed from the hotels and saloons in their respective villages. Twenty-eight were in operation in Waterloo and seven in Seneca Falls.

HERE AND THERE.

   A pronounced thaw struck this vicinity last week and settled the heavy body of snow. It made travel more difficult.

   Morrison's "Faust" was presented by an excellent company at the opera house Saturday evening. It drew a large audience and thoroughly pleased everybody.  

   A very pleasing entertainment was given in Library hall, Marathon, last evening for the benefit of the new St. Stephen's church. Daniels' orchestra was in attendance and a neat sum was realized.

   Dr. E. M. Santee celebrated the sixteenth anniversary of his coming to Cortland by tendering a 6 o'clock dinner to several of his attorneys and witnesses in his late libel suit and to a few other friends at his home on Groton-ave.

   Edward B. Thomas, a native of Cortland, has been appointed judge of the U. S. Court for the eastern district of this state. Cortland county is receiving her share of recognition from the present administration. Mr. Thomas was formerly State Senator from the Chenango district.—Marathon Independent.

LITTLE YORK, N. Y.

   LITTLE YORK, Feb. 14—Mrs. Caldwell Clark is seriously ill at the home of her son-in-law, Eugene Perkins.

   The Ice Co. worked one day last week but they were forced to stop by the water on top of the ice.

   Benjamin LeRoux of East Scott caused the arrest of John Long for assault on his 14 year old boy. Owing to a technicality in the warrant Mr. Long was discharged and the case was then settled.

   Miss Katherine Murphy, daughter of Michael Murphy, died on Thursday. The funeral was held at the Catholic church in Cortland on Sunday. Miss Murphy has been sick for a long time but was lately thought to be improving when a relapse came that proved fatal.

   A party of fifty young people from Homer took supper at the Raymond House on Wednesday night. A few evenings before twelve "old maids" from Cortland had supper. We had to examine the register to be sure they were old maids and then we wondered what was the matter of the Cortland boys.