The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-05


tanned by the Associated Press of the
manufacture of sub marine mines in Ion
don for Spain which was first brou ght to
the attention of the United States en-
bassy and cabfed to tho Associated Press
on March & A man whose cards describe
him as being an electrical engineer and
whose name was forwarded at the time
to Washington then said he sold to
Spanish officers in London, several years
ago, large number of mines, eight or
ten of which were placed in Havana har
bor He said they were made in a special
way, had a specially constructed cable,
which he can identity II the smallest piece
were produced, and he added that some
of the mines were fixed so that they could
be fired from fort, while two of them
had bulbs SO arranged that they would
explode vessel coming in contact with
them. The man added, however. that he
did not believe the bulbs would be used
in water as shallow as that of Havana
harbor. Finally the man showed plans of
one of these mines, which, he said, was
the most likely to produce the effect de-
scribed as causing the wreck of the Maine.
1t was numbered 't2'' and was constructed
to contain 800 pounds of gun cotton.
Lieut.. j. G. Colville, the U. S, naval at
tacEe, has since Investigated the matter
and made report on the subject to the
United States government. The facts
learned, strongly Itend to show that
Havana harbor was mined and they un-
questionably proved that Spain purchased
mines for that purpose. The firm of Lat
timer, Rhodes g Clark, electrical engi-
neers, during 18s7-ss filled large order
for Spain of lot of mines in which were
used IA 1-2 tons Of gun cotton. The work
was done under the surveillance of Gen.
Fernandez and Captain Bustamento. The
latter was then the head of the Spanish
torpedo school. By the order of these
officers the mines were divided into four
consignments, for Havana, Ferrol, Cadiz
and Carthagena. The mines were manu-
factured under the direction of j. P.
Gibbons, after Gibbonss patents which
are described in Slemen's book on tor
peioes and mines. Gibbons, from whom
the representative of the Associated Press
obtained the information, and who fur
nished Lieut.. Commander Colwell with a
written statement of the above facts, and
outlined his theory of the explosion which
wrecked the Maine was then employed
pedo department.. He also says similar
lot of torpedoes were manufactured for
Spain in 1856.
The manager of the Westminster Engi-
neering company, which is the successor
of aforementioned firm. ana Win Wnlch
Gibbons is connected, confirmed tie lat
ter's statement as to the manufac ture of
mines for Spain. Gibbons, who is a
former sergeant of engineers and gov
ernment inspector of torpedos, believes
that the Maine's first explosion was
caused by what is technically called
ground mine, containing 800 pounds of
gun cotton, several Of which were manu-
fatured for Spain.
He has experimental with these mines
largely at Portsmouth, and says that
once laid they retain their properties for
50 years In addition Gibbons asserts that
it is absolutely impossible for them to ex-
piode accidentally, as the electric currents
for their explosion are formed only by the
manipulation Of a complicated keyboard