The San Francisco call., 1898-02-17

NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-The Herald Washington correspondent telegraphs: Residents of Washington, official and otherwise, have accepted the soper words of wisdom contained III the message of Captain Sigsbee announcing the terrible calamity which befell the battle ship Maine in Havana Harbor last night. Opinions differ as to the cause of the disaster, but controlling minds or all branches of the Federal Government counsel prudence and patience while waiting for a thorough investigation, which will definitely determine the di- rect cause of the blowing up of the battle-ship and the loss of 253 lives.
 While the first impulse of the Federal authorities has been to give proper and tender care to the dead and wounded, the cause of the disaster upon which so much may depend as to the future of Cuba and our relations with Spain, is also uppermost in their minds, and prompt measures have been taken to make an investigation, which will leave no room for doubt as to the primary  efficient battle-ships and the loss of so many of our nations defenders. Whether by accident or design, the call amity in Havana Harbor will have an important bearing on the Cuban queS- tion, the extent of which time alonewill show It is felt that if the explosion was accidental, the sooner it is known the better it will be for the friendly re- lations between the United States and Spain. If it was not accidental, the sooner the responsibility is fixed the better.
 Among Federal officials and experts in the navy, the weight of opinion, based upon official advices and press dispatches, is that an internal explo- sion, the exact cause of which it may be difficult to ascertain, was respon- sible for the destruction of the Maine. I can state autheritatively that the President and all his advisers not only prefer to think that the calamity was due to some mysterious unavoidable accident, but they actually believe such to be the case.
 Secretary Long, in discussing with me the Maine disaster, said: Captain Sigsbee has made no report yet as to the cause of the terrible catastrophe which has befallen his ship, but it is suggested that public opinion be sus- pended until his report is submitted, which is very reasonable, as there are indications that the occurrence may have been the result of an accident. should say that as far as indications go, the disaster was due to the explo- sion of the contents of the forward magazines"
 Secretary Long announced that there was no present intention to send a warship to Havana to replace the Maine. This is matter of future deci- sion.
 Another official of the department with whom I talked suggested that Spain would regard it in the light of an unfriendly act if this Government were to send a battle-ship to Havana to re- place the lost one.
 Besides he suggested, i've have no other vessel that we desire to lose"
 Theories as to the explosion which sent the Maine to the bottom were ban died about to-day at the Navy Depart ment as thick as snowf1akes in a driv- ing winter storm. In no quarter did I hear it suggested that the Spanish Government was in any way respon- sible. It seemed to be the general con- sensus of opinion among naval officers noted for their conservative views that the calamity resulted from an explo- sion in the interior of the ship All the officers admit, however, that their theories may be without foundation.
 With view to determining whether the accident was the result of a torpedo placed under the bows of the Maine or the result of an interior explosion, Sec retary Long telegraphed this after noon to Rear-Admiral Sicard, com mander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron, who is at Dry Tortugas, di-