The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-18
WAS Maine BLOWN UP?
Alleged Discovery That a Torpe.
do Was Used.
DIVER FINDS BIG HOLE IN ARMOR

The story Is Sent to Washington from Key
West by Correspondent Who Had just
Left the Scene of the Wreck The Navy
Department Absolutely Discredits the
story-survivors OF the Disaster Reach
Key west-Burisi of the Victims.
Washington. Feb. 1s.-An Associated
Press correspondent who has just
reached Key West from Havana. where
he was at the scene of the wreck of the
United States battieship Maine, tele-
graphs as follows:
The divers who have been working
about her bottom have discovered an
eight-inch percussion hole in a plate.
Admiral Manterola has summoned
Captain Sigsbee to appear before Mill
tary Judge Peral to make the necessary
depositions. All proofs of the torpedo
work will be removed. Another man
of-war is expected here tonight"
The navy department absolutely dis
credits the story coming from Key West
that divers have found an eight-inch
percussion hole in the bottom of the
Maine. Secretary Long says that there
that there is no eight-inch torpedo, and
there is no other way in which such
| hole could be accounted for.
No Suppressed Telegram.
II is, of course, possible that a shell
| exploded inside the ship pierced hole
| of that kind in the outer skin, but that
would be readily revealed by the char
acter of the angle and whether the skin
| ht1l in
ture. 1t is more likely. if there is any
hole at all Of .the kind, that it is sim
| ply the outlet of one of the numerous
| pieces of the inside of the Maine.
Secretary Long positively denies that
| Captain Sigsbee has in any suppressed
telegram expressed the opinion that a
| torpedo caused the disaster, or that 1t
( came from an external cause. The cap
I tain said, on the contrary. that he could
| not venture to express an opinion.
| Senator Burrows. Quay and Penross
! were at the White House, but their
business with the president had no ref
| erence to the wreck Of the Maine. They
| listened intently to the Key West dis
! patch and realized its Importance as
! bearing upon the cause Of the disaster,
| but were not willing to hazard an opin-
ion in regard'to it.
Telegram from Admiral Sicard.
Admiral Sicard telegraphs Secretary
| Long from Key West as follows: In
the opinion of Lieutenant John Hood OF
the Maine, who has just arrived from
| Havana, the Maine can never again
be utilized as a ship. He describes the
! whole forward body of the ship as COM
pletely collapsed where the shock of exA
plosion was heaviest. Photographs of
the wreck will be sent to the depart
ment today
| A later dispatch from Key West
says:
| "The Associated Press correspondent
here has had an opportunity to question
| a number of the officers and men who
were aboard the warship Maine at the
time of the explosion and 1t is the uni
yersal opinion of all of them that the ex-
| plosion was due to some interior cause
and not the result of the explosion of
a torpedo on the outside"
Court of Inquiry Announced.
court of inquiry has been an
nounced to investigate the blowing UP
| of the battleship Maine. The personnel
! of the court is as follows: Captain w
T.. Sampson, Of the Iowa; Captain f. f.
Chadwick, of the New York: Comman-
| der w. p. Potter, of the New YORK;
Lieutenant Commander Adolph Mark
of the navy department. The first three
| officers are with the fleet at the Tortu-
gas. Lieutenant Commander MariS
left by the fast train. The latter viii
act as Judge advocate of the court
Washington is slowly recovering from
| the first shock of the Maine disaster
The White House resumed Its usua
weekday appearance. Congressiona
callers came and went as usual. anc
: no member of the cabinet had called VI
to IL o'clock. Even Secretary Long re-
mained at the navy department. The
dispatches which continue to come fire.
quently are sent to the White House
by the presidents order as soon as they
| arrive.