Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-03

1dNdld, VIA hey west MdfcH e.
Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of surmise, conjecture and proph-
ecy concerning the finding of the court
of inquiry. it is fair to say that, as a
matter of fact, most of the naval Off
GERS here and at Key West incline to
the opinion that the court will find that
the disaster to the Maine was caused
by the explosion of a floating submarine
mine under the port side of the ship,
forward of amidships Opinions differ
as to whether this mine was made of
high explosives, such as wet and dry
gun cotton, or ordinary gunpowder.
Opinions concur, not only as to the
existence of mines in the harbor, but
also thar this one was laid purposely
near the buoy where foreign war yes
sells were directed to moor, and was
fired by flash from an electric battery
on shore
1t is believed barely possible that the
explosion of the mine was the result of
the earelessness or ignorance of Spanish
officers, in charge of the mine station
keys, when testing the circuit; but the
latter supposition is not felt to be prob
able 1t is further regarded as settled by
the evidence before the court that the
port side of the hull forward was COM
pletely blown to pieces, and that the
only explosion on the Maine, except of
isolated cases Of fixed ammunition, was
that of 1000 pounds of saluting powder,
stored forward and of which no trace
can be found.
These views are gathered from officers
who talk with great reserve and only
upon the assurance that their identity
will never be revealed.
The fact remains that only the MEM
bers of the court of inquiry know all the
testimony elected, and no one is author
lied to make public the opinion of mem
bers in advance of the final Judgment
A good deal of surprise was expressed
by Americans here at learning that
Spanish divers were to be permitted to
make an examination of the wreck of
the Maine, especially as it was also said
that American naval officers here would
give divers all consistent facilities and
would throw no obstacles in the way of
thorough submarine inspection.
1t was not at first understood, as it
came to he later that the .Snanish
search was to be entirely independent
and that. while ii was being made the
American investigation would nroceed
under Cant. Sigsbee's superyision AZ
understood here, the Spanish request
made Immediately after the disaster. for
a joint investigation was promptly re-
fused at Washington, but after con-
that the Spaniards had a moral ard IN
ternationai right to discover tha ca,lsa
of the wreck for Themselves if nossibIe
Therefore nermission for an indenend.
ent examination was ORG nted az ~.
ground. as understood here tbat !.
could not be refused ia a friendly Y,ou,a,
in her own harbor.
That the permission was NOT acnentad
until after the court Of ino,,ir,, h 81 g.,
ished its wor, here and eo,,a -te'N' ~. ~
West. is regarded as sienjsoor+
opens a wide field for snac95latio,, CO..
assert that the court now baS Ne. ~,
lection to a Snanish inn,,iY.,, for ~ ~
two reasons-eithar +ba co,,,.+ La., Ia a.
cient evidence alreadv ~ ooaido,,t -,
malice evidence that canoot he oa,9t,.o ~
verted nv tbe Snanis yds. ~. e+o, - al,
gent search. the mvsterv re,oains a. ~
deep as ever and tba co,,,t e'aa,9 doas at
think the Snsnisb will raoch ; oo,,li,, L.
sion where tha Anarica nc i,a,,a - soSIad
or cotIrsa oil tbis 9,aFars yS,,;,tai,eei,.
TO certain narts of tba sbiT7 FIN,
the huJl TTntiI enns daclI. tnai
debris of aai 1,nSs S.ra 20 silies anu
and trna noud mas ben,1 ove tsiiloFeu,
hun II cannot be ,,,,,ad ~ o,,i tiie
nv anv one Sonaa ,rn-ed tiioI ai,tt.o,s1iy my
think 4 viii ha ,,enas,s,.', ti,II
coffa,. 40 ~ a,.o,',, -, " ouilu
driven etc ieSA' Piiee oeiiis
THAT anv ir,nor+o,,+ tasti,,,o,, ,,ae.,.s