Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-02-25
THE SPAN|ARDS MUST WAIT.
MAINE EXPLOSION INQUIRY.

Make the lnitial Inve.si&atiOn-
Request Respectfully Declined
Captain Sigsbee VIII Direct the
Operations.
Washington. Feb 2O-Secretary Long
and Assistant Secretary Day Of the state
department, had an interview with the
president yesterday lasting nearly All
hour. Mr.. Day read q cablegram from
Consul General Lee at Havana transmit
ting a request from the Spanish outhori-
ties in Cuba that Spanish officials be per
mitted to join with our people in making
an investigation into the cause of the dis
aster to the Maine.
The matter was discussed at considera-
BILE length and the conclusion reached,
and Lee will be SO notified, that while this
government is willing to afford the Span
ish authorities all reasonable facilities for
| conducting the investigation. yet it is
| thought best that the first inquiry shall
be made by our own commissioners The
, request of the Spanish authorities. there
fore, will be respectfully declined.
The apparent difficulty Of sending down
divers to the Maine was relieved. if not
entirely removed. by the statement by
Senior Dubosc of the Spanish legation,
| that complete and harmonious under
standing between Captain Sigsbee and the
authorities at Havana had been reached
ON the matter of divers. and that the
| Spanish authorities viewed the Maine Us
part Of the sovereign territory of the
United States the same a. the United
| 90 -,
tory.
| The waters Of Havana harbor are, of
course, Spanish territory and some con-
fusion has been aroused by the idea that
this jurisdiction over the waters attached
also to the wreck in its present helpless
condition at the bottom of the bay.
| Captain Sigsbee will be recognized as
the one to direct the operations and to
send down the government divers for
such inspection as he sees proper to make.
Senior Dubosc feels assured, however,
that Sigsbee will extend equal facilities
to the Spanish divers go that the inspec-
| tions may proceed together.
! Expert Opinion.
| Washington, Feb. 2O.-The opinion of
one of the leading experts in the use of
high explosives, Professor Agler of the
ordnance bureau. was today asked as to
the cause of the explosion of the Maine.
"As to the question of the cause of the
Names explosion, we know that no tor
pedO such "a is known to modern war
fare can of itself cause an explosion OF
the character Of that on board the Maine.
We know of no instances where the ex-
plosion Of . torpedo mine under q ships
bottom has exploded the magazine with
in. 1t has simply torn q great hole in
the ships bottom, through which water
entered and from which the ship sank.
Magazine explosions, ON the contrary, pro.
duce effects exactly similar to the effects
Of the explosion ON board the Maine. In
seeking the cause of the explosion of the
Maine magazine. we should naturally look
not for improbable or unusual causes, but
those against which we have had to guard
in the past The most common Of these
h through fire in the bunkers. Many Of
our ships have been in danger at various
times from this cause. and not long ago
. nre in the Cincinnati's bunkers act2.
ally set fire TO fttings, wooden boxes
ETC.. within the magazine, and had it not
been discovered at the time it was. il
would doubtless have resulted in catas
trophe ON board that ship similar to the
one on the Maine. I shall again empha
sixe the fact that NO torpedo exploded
without = ship has ever produced or &C
cording to our knowledge can produce
an explosion Of . magazine within"
Il Fatality n the Disaster.
Washington, Feb 2O.-The navy depart
: ment has compiled the following sum
, mary showing the total results of ths
Maine disaster from available official in
formation up to tonight: Total mum
Der Of officers and men on board tn,
Maine. 355; total number of officers, 90
total number Of men, 800; total number q
officers saved, "a; total number Of officer.
lost, 2; total number men lost, GAG; tota
, number officers injured, none; total mum
Der men injured. 81; total number mel
saved, 10; doubtful (men). I.
Tho seven men appearing as doubtful
probably represent that number or les
. whose lives have. been saved, but who cat
:. not be identiAed 1t present on account o
Z errors in transmission Of kilograms. Tn,
q 81 appearing ~ injured are included i,
the 70 appearing - saved. Two men re
= ported ~ having died in the hospital ar,
d included in the total Of 240 appearing
y | hC,.~ NJ Usvs, h~>,. 1noA