Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-24

Senate while the matter 10 heing in
vsstigated 10y that body. lilo deplorcd
the reflections which were made upun
the Navy Department lie stated that
ths whole world deplores the great
tragedy. lie hoped the Senator Mason
would see the improperly Of the posi-
tion he was tnking
Mr. Mason said that he meant no re-
Election on Secretary Long, but an in
veatigatiun by Congress could not In
terfere with the Navy Department.
President Mckinley, to day received
Senior pu Bose, tho charge d'aflaires of
| Spain, who had been commanded by
tbs Queen Regent of Spain to bear, in
person, TO tho President her express
Rion of profound sorrow aver tho
calamity 10 the Maine. Being com
! nunication from the ruler OF one gov
eInment TO another, the usual interme-
diary of the State Department was
waived, and. accompanied by Assistant
| Secretary Day. Senior Du Bose went to
the White House ut II u'clucls. and de.
liyered the message to the President.
The message was brief and heartfelt,
expressing the sorrow of the Queen and
her people.
Captain General Blanco has telo-
graphsd to Senor Du Bosc details of
! the huriul of the sailors Of the Maine.
at Havana, yesterday. lie etateH that
the occasion was profoundly solemn and
impressive. The funeral GorteGe was
made up OF representatives of the army,
the insular government and tho munich
paiity, with the apostolic bishop of
Havana. An immense multitude
/ atlantic nnn uarrpNrfttilN, tpifppgen1 fha
passage OF the cor eye; and on all sides,
he says, il was a feeling Of manifesto
tlon OF the sentiments uppermOst IN the
hearta OF all classes Ui society. lie
states that u bodies have been buried
III the precincts of tho Hospital Mill
tnire, and 26 graves are in tho ceme-
terry, preferential sites being selected
at the cost of the government. lie adds
that the hurials will proceed as last AZ
tho bodies are recovered.
The opinion of one OF the leading
naval experts 10 tho use of high eS-
plusives, Prof. Alger of the Ordnance
! bureau, as TO the cause of the ex
plpsion, is as follows.
"Ag TO the question of the cause of
tho Names explosion, We know that
no torpedo, such ~ is known to modern
warfare, can Of itseli cause an explosion
of tbs character Of that on board the
Mnins Wo know Of no instances where
the explosion OF a torpedo or mine
under ships bottom has exploded the
magazine within 1t bas simply torn
n great hole 10 the side or bottom.
through which water entered, and, in
consequence OF which, tho ship sank,
Magazine explosions, on the contrary,
produce effects exactly opposite 10 tho
! all 10 ~ hA al hn
Maine. When ii comes to soaking the
cause of the explosion of the Names
magazine, We should naturally look
not for improbable or unusual causes,
hut those against which we have had
TO guard in the past. The most com
mon OF these is through fire in tho
bunkers | shall again emphasize the
fact that no torpedo exploded without
ship has ever produced or, according
to our knowledge, can it produce an
explosion OF magazine within"
Havana, Cuha, Feb. Is, LIEUT..
Pedro Peral, brother of the inventor OF
the submarine appliance bearing their
Names Senior Pefal, the judge in the
cRse of the Maine. and the members OF
the technical com mission have re-
quested the authorization OF Consul
General Lee to take the dispositions OF
, the officers of the Maine. and to APP
, point commission TO inspect the
wreck Of the Maine and Investigate the
cause of the explosion. Gen. Lee has
not yet replied to the application; and,
consequently, the experts have not com
: menced work. Tho divers ara only EN-.
ployed in recovering tie bodies of the
dead.
Up TO 8 O'Clock this morning 81
bodies had been recovered. Eight
funeral wagons are employed in carrying
the bodies from La Macina TO thl
. Colon cemetery.
I. Jacksonville, Fla, Feb. Is. "A specia
I from Key West to the Times Union ant
8 Citizen says:
Q The opinion of many persons here il
: that the Mains was hit by torpedo
D after which the magazine exploded
9 In an interview, Thomas Melville o
@ Brooklyn, who was on watch on til,
q quarterback, said that he felt two dis
y tinct ehocks. The first was not Il
: severe as the second, which blew VI
= the ship. Other survivors are of thu
, same opinion that il was foul work.
o Martin Riorden. submarine dive
Q Of Key West, apd survivor of Thu
q Maine, has heon tolegraphed for from
d Havana by Consul General Lee ant
s Capt. Sigshee. and will go over i'm
II mediRtely, to dive under the Maine anC
!. discover the cause of the disaster.
Il The flagship New York ia anchored
u off the bay, awaiting instructions frou
Q Washington.
Is Key West, Fla, Feb. lS.-The Al
Is ISOLATED Press correspondent here hn
had an opportunity to question severa
II officers and men who wore aboard tn
It warship Maine at tue time of the ex
II plosion, and it is the opinion of all tina
u the explosion WAC duo to some interio
d cause, and not the result Of the ex
L plusion of torpedo on the outside.
b All the Wounded of tho Maine ar
70 now doing we'll.
u The Rache left for the cruiser Ney
10 York, at 8 o'clock this morning. witt
~ divers and paraphernalia on board. Sh
II will take more divers from the NeI
V. York, and will then proceed to Havana
q Sho will probably reach the wreck @
2, the Maine Tomorrow morning.
q Affairs here are settling into thei
" usual routine. 1t is notable that tn
officers from the Maine are inclined
to when alone, to drop into abstraction
ND with their eyes looking straight for
III ward, as il viewing manifold horrors
as but they have a cheerful look whe
ut together, and Joke each other aDnu
to not being troubled with extra baggag
TO on shore leave, &c.
I'd Lieut.. Blaudin. who was officer c