The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-04-21


the Disaster Consul General. Idea "a
to the Authorship Of the Explosion Is
That Onieers in Charge Of th. Mines
Accomplished II.
The testimony taken before the
Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions in connection with the investi-
CATION into the relations between
the United States and Cuba was
made public Thursday. 1t const.-
tutes book of about $50 pages, and
includes not only the testimony taken
since the disaster to the Maine, but
much that was taken before, and
running back for a year or more.
The statement which contains the
greatest current interest is that made
by Consul General Lee, on April IL.
In this statement, General Lee said
that he was informed on very good
authority the Spaniards had placed
two rows of torpedoes just at the
mouth of the Havana harbor by
Moro Castle within the past two
months, or subsequent to the Maine
disaster, and that the switchboard is
in q room in the castle. He said,
however. that he had no information
of the placing of any torpedoes be-
fore the Maine was destroyed, and
none in regard to the purchase
abroad by the Spanish authorities.
"Have you any reason to suppose
that the harbor was mined at all be
fore the blowing up Of the Mainef'.
asked Senator Frye.
"No sir; l had no reason to sus-
pect anything of the sort up to that
time"
Explosion From The Outside.
With reference to the response
bility for the destruction of the
Maine, Gen. Lee said:
~ am satisfied the explosion was
from the outside. | cabled the State
Department few days after the
board assembled that it was most
certain that the explosion was from
the exterior. ! have always had an
idea about the Maine that. of course,
it was not blown up by any private
individual or by any private citizen,
but it was blown up by some of the
officers who had charge of the mines
and electrical wires and torpedoe s
in the arsenal there who thoroughly
understood their business, for it was
done remarkably we'll.
II do not think Gen. Blanco, the
present Captain and Governor Gen
eral of the Island of Cuba, had any
thing to do with it. l do not think
he had any knowledge of it. l saw
him just shortly after the occur
renee. l was sitting in my room at
the hotel. and from the balcony of
the hotel l could hear this. l heard
the explosion and saw a great col
umn of smoke 60 up in the air. A few
moments after ascertaining that it
was the Maine, went right down to
the palace, and l asked for Gen.
Blanco. Hs came in directly by
himself. He had just heard it and
was crying; tears were coming out
of his eyes. He seem to regret it as
much as anybody l saw in Havana;
but think it came from some of the
subaltern officers who had beer
there under Weyler, and who were
probably anti Blanco anyhow, and
who had full knowledge of the busi.
ness.'
Admiral Manterola's Telegr am.
Gen. Lee said that he had seen {
copy of a telegram from Admir- a
Manter ola, dated IN Havana, prior t
the explosion of the Maine, to the
Spanish Commission in London, ask
ing the commission to "hurry up tn,
electrical cables "whether that re
ferred to wire for submarine mine
or torpedoes, l do not know he con
tinued. 81 tried to ascertain if any
} of the wire or electrical cables ha,
arrived here, but they came on Span
ish ships, and l could not find ont.
Gen. Lee said that this testimony il
regard to Manterola, and also tha
with reference to the Weyler tele
, gram, had been furnished to tn
) court of INQUIRY which investigated
, the Maine disaster, but had not beel
sent to Congress nor published be
r cause of re equest of his made to tn
State Department not to make tneu
public, "as l was afraid the SPANS
papers there would republish it an
4 they would probably kill the man tha
: gave it to me-"
: Continuing his testimony Gen. L.
? said that ten minutes after the explt
o sion he was at the palace talking t
s Gen. Blanco, and that the latter CAV
d him an order for boat to take hil
r out into the harbor.
o "Have you heard since the explt
Q sion of the Maine any expression b
= Spanish officials in relation to it, ii
y dicating their pleasure at the fact4
: asked Senator Frye.
. General Lee responded: 81 hear
# two or three days afterwards, frol
= various persons who came in. th'
q there was . good deal of rel joicin
l. among some of the officers. All RI
y ports I got said they were drinkin
l. champagne quite thing to do
o honor of the event, and in diff ferel
Q portions of the city officers were ma
v ing merry. l attribute it to the fa
o that what they considered almost 8
% enemy's battle-ship had been blow
q up, and it was that much in their fl
n vOr."
A0 SolO tuot A0 AoO AOt ACoA0 -
, threats of or illusions to the destru
t. ton of the Maine previous to the e:
8. plosion. Senator Lodge asked if
?. had heard of an attempt on the Mon
l, gomery.
IS The following colloquy betwe'
6 Senator Foraker and General l.
n brought out some further opinions
4 the General in regard to the destru
t. tion of the Maine:
ir Senator Foraker-You think th
,r no novice could have destroyed Il
70 Maineq
it Consul General Lee-Oh, no, s.
N The man who did that work was
ic officer thoroughly acquainted wi
g. explosives Of all sorts, and who kne
10 all about 1t. It was.yery we'll don
lg1 Senator Foraker-A man who b