The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-18
KEY WEST STORY DlsoREDITFD.
Secretary Long Says Percussion Hole
Theory is Improbable.


Theory is improbable.
Washington, February 17.-The navy
department. absolutely discredits the story
from Key West that divers have found an
eight inch percussion hole IN the bottom
of the Maine.
Secretary Long says that there is nc
such thing as percussion hole; there 1s
no eight inch torpedo and there is no
other way IN which such hole could be
accounted for.
1t is, of course, possible that q shell ex-
ploding inside of the ship pierced hole
of that kind in the outer skin, but that
would be readily revealed by the character
of the angle and whether or not the skin
was bugled in or out around tho puncture.
1t is moro likely, if there is any hole at
all of the kind, that it is simply the out
| lot of one of the numerous pieces from
the inside of the Maine.
Secretary Long positively denies that
Captain Sigsbes has in any suppressed
telegram, expressed the opinion that a
torpedo caused the disaster, or that 1t
came from an external cause. The captain
said on the contrary, that he could not
venture to express an opinion.
The Navy Department. received dis
patch this morning from Admiral Sicard,
in command of the North Atlantic squad
quiry to investigate the Maine disaster as
follows: Captain Sampson, president OF
the court; Captain Chadwick, Lieutenant
Commander Schroeder, Lieutenant Com
| mander Mark.
| Captain Sampson, the president of the
court, is commander OF The ship Iowa,
now at Dry Tortugas. Captain Chadwick
West. Lieutenant Commander Schroeder
is executive officer of the battleship Mass.
achusetts, now at Tortugas. Lieutenant
| Commander Mark, is executive officer Of
| tn Vermont. He was formerly with the
| Maine, as executive officer before the
detail of Lieutenant Commander VAIN
wright, who relieved him.
| General fear is expressed by the der
officers of the navy department. that the
destruction of the Maine has been com
plete, and that it would be-. perhaps, i'm
possible to find SUI ii Gent evidence in the
wreck of the hull to be able to declare
with certainty the cause of the disaster.
| The reports coming from Havana, and
printed this morning, descriptive OF the
| occurrence of the wreck yesterday
strengthen these doubts.
Admiral Sicard's board has ample au
thority to make the most searching in
yestigation into the causes of the disaster.
The Fern and Mangrove reported ar
| irving at Havana last evening The
| former is provided with diving apparatus
and as every company includes, at least
lack of men to make the necessary search
| These mon can be depended upon to re
| port the exact facts.
1t is believed that under the most favor.
able circumstances the investigation can
not be made for several days. Arrange
ments must be made for the proper work.
ing of the diving outfits and the board OF
! inquiry must determine upon line OF
action.
| As to the origin of the explosion there
is still wide difference of opinion, but
the coal bunker theory today finds many
more strong supporters than any other.
| Proofs of similar fires on other vessels
of the navy are being produced in pro-
fusion at the Navy Department today.
| Captain Royal Bradford this morning
asserted positively that the coal supplied
| by the bureau of equipment was the very
| best
| Since the Maine has been in the Gulf o.
Mexico, however, she probably has con-
sumed great part of this coal and hal
repienished her stock from the naval stort
at the Key West station. The coal there
| taken Oh WAS duUnIdClUc. WAtChy s1it
/ Captain Bradford, is no more subject t.
spontaneous combustion than pile O.
| stones.
The Maine took on $50 tons of this Goa
| in December and In January, before sht
lett for Havana, she loaded UP with 27l
tons more. This coal at Key West is KEEP
behind picket fence, very much exposed
to any evil minded person who might de-
sire to conceal bomb therein, some
thing which could only be affected will
great difficulty after the coal was stored
in the bunkers. In spite Of the BRITISH
reflections upon the discipline on ar
American warship, the officers do not
hesitate to say that in the matter of care.
full inspection of the coal bunkers, the
magazines and the like, our navy Ii
i second to none in the world.
Aboard ship, taking of the temperature
of the magazine is daily occurrence Of
the precautions to guard against such
fires In tho case of the Maine this OBJ
servation was usually taken at O'CLOCK
| in the morning, SO that it was entirely
possibls for bunker fire to have de
veloped sufficient heat during the twelve
hours that elapsed before the explosion to
have ignited the ammunition.