The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1898-02-26
II LOOKS LIKE TREACHERY.
MANY BELIEVE THE MAINE Elk.
PLOSION WAS NO "ACCIDENT."
NAVAL MEN EXPRESS OPINIONS.
Public Opinion Seems to be Crystslizlng
In the Belief That wrecking OF the
warship Was BY Design.

A Washington special of Wedn esday
says: 1t means heavy indemnity or
war with Spain, for there seems now
no good reason to doubt that the ter
rible tragedy that has cast a gloom
over the nation was caused by Span.
ish treachery.
Despite the strong efforts of those
in authority to create contrary i'm
preston, the opinion that the Maine
was wrecked by Spanish torpedo, at
first advanced with reluctance has
grown until it has become a convic-
ton. The best thought in the navy
department now Endorses this idea,
and the construction which experts in
these affairs put upon Captain Sigs.
bees cablegram seem, to bear it ont
fully.
All Of the official utterances have
been to the contrary. 1t has been
given out in q semi-offi cial way that
the president believes the wreck was
due to accident, and the officials of
the navy department have been kept
busy trying to put up a plausible
story on that line. At first the public
was inclined to take that view of it.
But since these first statements there
have been others, from the men whose
views are valued most at the navy
department, which have thrown a diff
ferent light Oh the situation; and in
consequence of the belief that some
Spaniard is responsible for the most
terrible disaster that has ever over
taken this navy, or any other in time
of peace, the feeling in Washington is
running high.
Nobody believes that the act was
committed by authority of the Spanish
government. But almost everybody
now believes that the Maine was
sent to the bottom by some Spaniard
in consequence of the bitter anti
American policy in Madrid and Ha-
vana, and that it was some man or
men who had means OF securing the
deadly weapons which are made for
harbor defense.
Elaborate explanations are being
made as to the manner of the "acci-
dent" that happened to the battle
ship. Some of these are plausible,
and are adhered to by those whose
every breath is for peace at any cost.
But under the analysis of such men az
Chief Navy Constructor Hichborn and
other men high in knowledge OF the
affairs of our navy, these explanations
vanish into thin air. II is the opinion
of Commodore Hichborn that the
accident" that sent the Maine 10 the
bottom was torpedo, and that the
investigation of the divers when they
get to work will demonstrate his idea
to be the correct one.
Torpedo Did tho Work.
As to the theory of spontaneous
combustion, Commodore Hichborn
takes no stock in that. He says the
character of the powder and other am
munition and the precautions taken to
protect them all combine to render
such an occurrence out of the ques.
ton. All he has said for the public is
that he feels convinced the divers will
find that the indentations will turn
III tellb INC
whole story of his views, as that
would mean that torpedo had done
the work.
Out of Difference to the opinion
which Secretary Long expressed for
publication, most of the officials of the
departments have felt it incu 1bent
upon them to give out nothing that
did not seem to bear out the accident
theory. Nevertheless, the secretary
is quoted as having expressed to q
close friend his opinion that torpedo
did the work, and the other officials
are talking more freely.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt is one
OF those who has all along adhered to
the idea that there was no spontaneous
combustion about it, but that q Span
ish torpedo did the damage.
The correspondent OF the Associated
Press says he has conversed with sew
,ral of the wounded sailors and under
stands from them that the explosion
ook place while they were asleep so
hat they can give no particulars as to