New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-21
NAVAL EXPERTS BAFFLED
THEY STILL BELIEVE THE MAINE
MAGAZINE BLEW UP.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WRECK TEND TO Gun
FIRM THAT THEORY. BUT GIVE no cLEw
TO THE CAUSE or THE EXPLOSION.
Inv TELEGRAPH no THE TR1BUNEl
Washington. Feb. 20-The absence Of addi-
tional information Of any particular importance
or significance from Havana and the regular
weekly relief from routine duties caused to-day
to be given over for the most part among naVai
officers and Government officials 10 calner tneo-
r!z!ng regarding the Maine explosion. The pho-
tographs Of the wreck taken the morning AFTER
tire explosion before the Olivette left Havana
FOR Key West with the most Of the survivors,
reached Washington last night but they were
distinctly disappointing to those who expected
them 10 throw any light on the subject Ihey
demonstrated the failure Of words TO eXaggerate
the thoroughness of the destruction so far as
the superstructure of the battle ship was con-
cerned, and confirmed the impression. which
has never once been shaken among the experts
that the principal magazine. with all it's con-
tents had exploded and demolished everything
within fifty or sixty feet Of its walls creating
the greatest damage vertically, rather than
horizontally.
But they gave TO clew 10 the mysterious
cause. internal or external spontaneous or de-
liberate. which touched off the vast quantities
of explosives nor were they of any practical
value to those interested in raising the vessel.
All that appeared visible above the water-and
much Of that has probably subsidized by this
time. as the ship steadily settles-was the light
superstructure, advsedy constructed TO be
readily shot away in action, and the distortion
and total disruption of this. shown in the
photographs gave no indication Of the extent
to which the more substantial hull had suffered.
Captain Sigsbee's early reports have already
shown that the after portions. containing the
officers quarters and remaining magazines,
were intact when he the last TO leave the
ship and Chief Constructor Hichborn's con-
fdence that most Of the hull stood the shock
unintured is positive ever.
Tho advocates of the hypothesis of malicious
or even accidental external causes, which they
have been guardedly attempting to apply TO the
ki,C wn facts and conditions have almost aban-
doned their efforts TO make their showing piausi-
BILE They find no comfort in the latest informa-
ton. meagre as it is. while. on the other hand.
these who speculate OF the presumption OF an
accident due wholly to internal causes-and they
constitute an overwhelming majority-find il i'm
possible TO fix any single impregnable position
which will satisfy all the complex conditions.
The favOritS theory-that of spontaneous COM
bustion in the coal bunkers-has been picked full
of flaws; that Of preliminary boiler explosion
is not carried out 10 all its logical conclusions;
there not sufficient data to support the sug-
gest!on that the new smokeess powder in the
small-arms ammunition detOnated through chem
cal dsintegration. and every suggestion that
involves a lack of alertness or oversight on the
part OF officers and crew is unsupported by those
who alone have knowledge of the unusual APP
proach TO perfection attained by Captain Sigsbee
in his ship and its personnel, especially since
entering Havana HarbOr
The dispatch which Captain Sgsbee sent late
last night, and which reached the Department
this morning. was disappointing TO those who
looked for definite results IN the next day or
two. II not to-day. His announcement that only
the most experienced wrecking divers could do
affoA fafA Glad, IN hfc
opinion that the service dvers-meaning those
from the battle-ships which went over in the
Mangrove from Key West to-day-cOuld be used
only In the upper works, showed the Department
how essential II was TO hurry forward the
wrecking contract in order that the most skilled
divers in the country could speedily begin their
operations. The court of inquiry, which begins
Its examination tomorrow, will be embarrassed
II the regular naval divers are unequal to the
work. and under such circumstances may have
to confine its proceedings at first merely 10
recording testimony of occurrences up 10 the
moment of the explosion and the conduct OF the
Names officers on that occasion.