The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-24
BELIEF THAT IT WAS A MINE.
Evidence Tending to show It-How
the War Would BE Fought.

HAVANA, VIA kh1 W t.Sif La
Feb. 22.-The situation which may be
changed al any moment by fresh dis
coveries. may be summed up, when this
dispatch is sent this evening substantial
~ as follows:
The divers having discovered cases Of
brown Hexagonal powder for the ten
inch guns unexploaded. and believing
also that others uneXploaded Will be
found in the ten-inch magazine on the
starboard side forward, the conviction
grows that this magazine did not blow
up. II this BE- so and many have insist
ed, from the first that 10 is the convicted
is forced that the explosion which wreck
ed the Maine came from outside the port
bow. As already wired the main portion
Of the wreck as seen from above and
noted from below was blown 10 star
board
The highest American officials here
are confident that General Blanco and
the other high Spanish officials had no
connection. direct or indirect IN the con-
ception Of execution of q plot TO blow
up the Maine At such plot existed, but
they believe the junior Spanish officers
who. from the nature Of things. are more
conversant with modern explosives than
their elders and superiors, were at the
bottom of the disaster. If there were any
outside agency. II is pointed out that
il would not be impossible 10 plant
mine Of wet and dry gun-cotton near
where "a foreign war vessel was directed
10 anchor such a. mine communicating
with an electric battery on the shore II
IS regarded as an interesting point mat
the Maine for the first time during her
stay I'm the harbor. lay AT the particular
spot where she was at the time OF the
catastrophe. and &c Is said though not
officially verified. that the Maine was the
first foreign vessel mOOred To- THIS par
ucuiar buoy since tie troubles In CUBA
grew acute All stories as 90 the lax
discipline on the Maine are without
shadow Of truth. on the contrary, Cap
tain Sigsbee was complained OF by some
for the rightly Of his rules and the
strictness with which he enforced them.
Moreover. the Maine has been In com
mission for years and never had serious
accident until anchore In this hahor.
In replv To a question put By this cor
respondent 10 a high American official as
10 what the outcome would be If ii were
proved that the disaster was due TO an
outside agency, the official in question
said:
Sir. the American people could not be
restrained. IL means war; stu l DOUBT
whether h. would be necessary 10 lire a
shot. Admiral Sicard could anchor the
Iowa. the Indiana, the Massachusetts, and
the New York outside Havana harbor TO
prevent the ingress Of the food supplies
without which the city could not exist
q fortnight Cuba Is a waste Of ashes
and desolation. Even the hotels and
cafes live from hand 20 mouth. on sup
plies brought from the United states.
eff Admiral Sicard demanded the sur
render of Havana giving twenty-four
hours for the removal Of the women and
children, surrender would follow The
forts are old structures and could be de-
molished 10y six FOUNDER Such new
guns az have been mounted are short Of
ammunition and have never been tried.
II general Blanco should decline 10 sur
render. the Spanish merchants here, VINO
represent eighty per cent. Of the property
and pay seventy-ive per cent OF the
taxes OF the island. would compel him
10 accede TO Admiral Sicard's terms.
AS for the volunteers. the men are
TOR the most part the employees OF these
merchapts and the volunteers OF course
are largely their Sons or their junior
partners.
face at the same time it Is well for the
Americans 10 restrain themselves until
there is some proof Of an outside agency
for the explosion. We can afford TO
await u little longer. seeing that We have
waited so long. We could not wait after
It had once been proven that the Maine
disaster was the result of a dastardly
plot.
Spanish officials from the old country
hold TO the unaccountable belief that
their arms would overcome us i'm few
weeks, but the Cuban merchants have no
such deiusion, and they would control
the situation. Hence. / believe that no
shot from a big American gun would be
necessary"
These sentiments fairly represent those
Of the best informed Americans here
Any moment. however. may chronicle dis
coveries at the wreck that would change
all this.
member Of the court of inquiry. who
conversed with this correspondent to-
day. strongly deprecated any premature
expression or eviderce or resentment on
the part Of the people of the United
states until IL was proved that the disas-
ter resulted from other cause than acci-
dent; care!essness or tho visitation OF
Providence. Certainly the members Of
the court Of inquiry, cool, experienced
and judicial, will not lose their heads.
One thing seems certain; II the Maine
was blown up by an outside agency, the
agent was . mine and not . torpedo, a.