Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-18

s.U
"S'er OF the angle. and whether or not
s"e SKIN was bulged In or ont aronnd ,hs
puncture. IL is more likely. ~ thero ls
S S n"ie Ak all OF the kind. that a is sim
pss 10y 'ne outlet OF one OF the numerous
- Sn a'on the inside OF the Maine.
,s.,.,'''"iy Long positively denies that
,o1na Sissoee has in any suppressed
torpedo caused the disaster or thot :,
came from an external cause. The can-
sa'h sald. on the contrary. that he could
~ venture 10 express an opinion.
Ney west bulletin regarding the
nnuinS OF hole IN the bottom of plate
Vi 'he Maine, and referring to the work
y. torpedo, was sent to the White
Rouse by the Associated Press, and was
SHOWN 70 President Mckinley. His only
vo'nineht was that II was the first he
had heard Of It,
The President does not wish 70 make
any statement concerning reports that
come regarding the disaster. but he per-
Hitted the fact 20 be known that the
administration had no advices tending 20
confirm the Key West report.
The Navy Department received n dis
patch this morning from Admiral Sicard
IN command OF the North Atlantic squad
ron giving the detail OF the court of en-
curry to investigate the Maine disaster.
as follows:
COURT OF INQUIRY.
Captain Sampson president of the court;
captain Chadwick Iieutenant- Com
mander Schroeder. Lieutcnant-Ccormand
er ManiN.
Captain Sampson. the president OF the
court Is commander Of the batueship
lowa' now at the Tortugas. Captain Chad
WICK IS commander Of the New York. al
Key West Lieutenant Commander
schroeder Is executive officer Of the battle
snip Massachusetts. now at the TOrtugas
Lieutenant Commander Marix is eNecu-
tive officer OF the Vermont. He was
formerly with the Maine 8s executive
officer, before the detail Of Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright. who relieved
him
Admiral Sicard's board has ample au-
thority 10 make the most searching in
vestigation into the cause Of the disaster
The Fern and the MangrOve are reported
as arriving at Habana last evening. The
former is provided with diving appara-
tus. and as every warships company in
cludes at least several experienced divers
there will be no lack OF men to make the
necessary search. These men can be de-
pended upon TO report the exact facts
I They, moreover will be subject TO the
orders Of the court of enquiry in every
particular, and as they are familiar with
the bottom of a warshp Of the type OF
the Maine, they are not likely to be led
into the mistake of supposing the outlet
hole OF a pipe from the interior to be a
torpedo hole.
1t is believed that under the most IA
vorable circumstances this investigation
cannot be made for several days
Lieutenant Commander Manix. who VIII
be a member of the court of inquiry le1t
washington at II O'Clock to-day by train
for Key West, and he is supposed to be
assigned to duty as judge-advocate OF the
court.
Probably the board will be conveyed 10
Habana from Key West by the OnVetle
or one of the lighthouse tenders, as IL IS
again stated to-day that the Navy De-
partment has no intention of sending an
other man-of-war to Habana imneuia'eiS'
cAIrsE OF THE DISASTER.
General fear is expressed by the older
officers at the Navy Department that the
destruction of the Maine has been so
| con,nlete at least IN the forward por-
! tion of the ship where the explosion IS
believed 10 haye occurred, that II Wouiu
be perhaps impossible to find sufilcietI
evidence in the wreck of the huil 10 be
able 10 declare with certainty the cause
/ of the disaster 1t may be SAID, however
that nothing has yet developed IN 'he
news from Habana as 10 the appearance
of the wreck, or in the conflicting stories
| OF the survivors, TO change the op''lIo-
of the majority of the officers stationed
a. tbe Navv Department that the Maine
| sank as the result OF an hlelh@i "a
| plOsion. -.
As 10 the origin of this explosion ;nere
G. stin wide difference of opinion, but
| the coal-bunker theory to-day nhus very
many more strong supporters thah Shy
| other theory. This theory rs paseu on
| the supposition that spontaneous com
| hustion i'm one of the bunkers, Whlch IN
| the Maine are separated from the masd-
| zine forward by a single thin parullon
| Of iron. ignited the magazine, ana cdu7eu
| the destruction of the vessel. Pruols VI
similar fires on other vessels OF the @ @ira.s
| are being produced IN PROOF "' TIC ->'''
| Department to-day.
! Cantain ROYAL Bradford to-day pro-
| ouced the quarterly report required py
| REGULATIONS. TO show exactly the state CI
| tho Names coal supply and the qudhly
| of the coal. At the end Of December lhe
| vessel had only ffty-two tons OF coal III
| her bunkers. This was made up OF ~
| cahontas and New river coal.
| Cantain Bradford said that Pocahontas
| ,s the standard naval coal, and is rateo'
Of 100 New river follows next, ana Is
| ser down at 30 per cent. These are semi
| htt,,minous Goals of a quality closely ap-
,,-naching that of the celebrated welsh
| a,,ioatine coal. the British naval stand
| ard. ,,e.,fo,d
In the opinion of Captain Bradford
,,atther of these Goals is particularly SUD
teot n spontaneous combustion. Since
r. Maine had been in the Gulf OF Next
co however. she had propaDiy consume
a good part of this coal, ana hao re-
nlenished her stock from the navai s'oIe
~ the Key West station. The coal thete
| len on was anthracite, which, captain
| pradford said. 'is no more subject 10
a,ontaneous combustion than a pie Vi
The Maine took on 2SO tons OF TINS coy
+, necember. and in January before sne
YET for Habana, she loaded up Win "a
80 more This coal at Key west -
i,ant behind a picket fence very huSh
ns-nosed to any evil-minded person "no
r,fgbt desire TO conceal bomb thereili
sonething which could only be eiiecteu
ss.l, a,rest difficulty after the coal Was
stored in the bunkers.
DISCIPLINE IN OUR NANf'
.,ite Of the British reflections upon
the discipline on American warships' 81,
officers here do not hesitate 10 say ''',, =,
IN the matter of care1ul lhsPeSlio'i 90
-hunkers. magazines, ana 'he nHS
o,r navy is second to none III lhe n,oI W.,
Captain-GeneraJ Blanco to-naS sranisF %