The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-18
THE BOARD OF INQUIRY.
Capt. Sampson at ITS H~snd-Fref. AlEer en the
Cause or the Expiesien.

and to save Admiral Sioard any possible embar-
rassment, Secretary Long to-day telegraphed the
Admiral suggesting that Capt. William T. Samp-
son, commanding the Iowa, and Capt. French &c.
Chadwick. commanding tho New York, DO APP
pointed members, with LioutenantCo Commander
Adolph Mark of the receiving ship Vermont az
Judge-Advocate. Admiral sicard, who is at
Key West on the New York, promptly responded
in a message, saying he had selected those
officers and Lieutenant Commander Potter, ex-
ecutive officer of the New York. Capt. Samp-
son will be President and LieutonantCom-
mandcr Mark Judge-Advocate. The latter left
Washington to-day for Key West. whence he
will proceed Immediately after his arrival to
Havana.
Stronger and moro competent selections could
hardly have been made. Capt. Sampson wac
chief Of the Bureau Of Ordnance for several
years and is familiar with tho use Of torpedoes
and tho resistance Of explosives to heat Be-
sides, he is a man of positive convictions and
has the thorough confidence Of the naval admin
istration. Capt. Chadwick was until recently
chief of the Bureau Of Equipment, and
as such knows all about the posi-
bilities Of spontaneous combustion In coal
bunkers and the character Of the coal
used on the Maine. LieutenantCo Commander
Mark was executive officer Of the Inflated yes
sol, and is familiar with her construction from
stem to stern. As ACCOMPLISHMENTS Mark
cannot reach Key West until tomorrow night,
the board will not DO able to start for Havana
until Saturday morning. They viii begin their
inquiry at once, and authority has been
given them to employ divers and spare no
expense in getting at tho truth OF the cause Of
the disaster. Much doubt In expressed NJ to
their ability to get ut the facts on account
OF the condition Of the fore part of the Maine.
According to one Of her officers. her entire fore
body has collapsed. Divers may discover some
thing 10 indicate how the battleship had met
her fate, but as the magazines appear 20 have
exploded. there is q general belief that nothing
on which to base q tangible theory will DO dis
covered.
Capt. slgsbee and his officers are keeping their
mouths shut tightly about the disaster. They
are giving no views as to the cause or probable
cause. Undoubtedly the officers have been told
to do so by Capt. Sigsbee. who is techni-
cally responsible for the loss Of the
Maine and Is dependent on the verdict Of
the Board of Inquiry for his exoneration
from any blame. In mono Of his official
dispatches has Capt. Sigsbee expressed any
opinion as to what caused her destruction. This
cautious proceeding is justified by the courtesy
which Capt. Sigsbee must show the Board Of In
quiry. 1t is also not inconsistent with the sug-
gestion that Can't. Sigsbce suspects treachery,
though he has not sent a word to that effect to
the Navy Department.
Tho theory eInressed vosterdav in naval
circles that the explosion came from within the
Maine remains practically unchanged to-day In
the absence Of any tangible information. Mr..
Philip Alger. professor of mathematics in the
navy, who was ct one time o line officer and 10
now detailed as an expert In ordnance
matter at the department. expressed him
-, .. voIr.hl. IN .ccount ~ HE cyner,.nce In
a.,,,,r ,y,,h .,nIosiv.,
"Ion ar,,,x cony,,ced - ba s.,d sth.t tb.
.~nIo.ion ,s.r mt cou,.d sva torn.5a or.nv Az
,.rn.j cau.e Com,non sep.e ear accent M sncb
tho,rv Thn or,v r.ason thai suob nm opipion "a
hold AZ all Ia that tho accident bapnened At this
,,rna In IN. b,rbor ~ uoyana Sanaih,e man In
s.oL,no an ernlanat;on NJ an occprrenc.
~ mi. .ort nrefer m cons,der tbo.e c,nsea
,.,ioh 49,. nr,h.hlo -.th.r th.n tho.. ,vb,ch 10.
imnrohab,e A tornado or mine Uould not have
.1nIodsd the Names maoazine sever.l tbick.
nes.es ~ stesI nIates and bnlkbeads interviewed
hstv.sn Tho outer bun and the MAGAZINE A
,ornodo or nina would simnIv have dove The
nsra, work of such n veanon-torn n boIs IN
tho brlI tbropoh which the water vonld have
'"' He'
The fact that there was O terrific explosion,
800 Ill oy.r the c,tv folIowad nv nv. d,snooo.
Of the torpedo theory. Most of the force of an
exploding torpedo is expended under water, and
g. oh.r.otor,,t,o sound q. . duu roor IN nv
ING o.H 'o"t' "mS
opinion the cause OF the disaster was the explo-
sion of the magazine from within. There 10
oon.,.,t a.rgor ~ sucb nm acc,dent ava a.
constant uAhger suon an a,oiuen'' anu Al
though our navy has never lost a ship in
that manner. other navies have. and there have
oeeh se'eiei "nen ~ u 70"
United States ship was prevented lust In the
| nick of time by flooding the maRaziue with
- Tn N. cas-. NJ the Maine a Are 80
"o.oi' ~ - S-. y n"s
have originated In the contiguous coal bunkers
and grown until tho heat was sufficient to cause
the explosion IN Inc magazine thiS miEnthave
happened In spite OF the close and careful watch
| that avery yarship's commander is instructed
.n... -, to nrov.rt I,st sroh . ai...,..r,
70 Keep III oruer pfo'eNI ulSastor.
AS to the theory that somebody smuggled q
| bomb ON board and succeeded in reaching tho
MAGAZINE with It. Prof. Alger regards that aa
too wildly improbable to DO seriously oonsid-
: honoh a, sus1cient proportions to explode Tho
u,o,a,ina Car aful1V nrQfacfAd aa In waa rnpId