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

tno MRlne 10 an explosion OF her maya
Zine. No resolution for this purpose
has yet been introduced 10 the House,
however.
A prominent member of tho House
naval committee said that he was gbso
lutely amazed when he learnsd that the
Names coal hunkers abutted the mag
nzine, with only thin partition he
tween, ''When | learned Of the fire in
the coal bunkers of tho Cincinnati,
which charred the boxes in which the
shells in her magazine were Htured,
said he, ~ did nut consider il my duty
TO attempt 10 initiate congressional
action to avert this danger due to her
construction. assumed. 40 a matter
of course, that it waa tho duty of the
| Navy Department officials TO affect such
changes as would remuve that danger.
The construction OF a second bulkhead,
leaving an air pussage between the
hunkeFs and the magazine, would have
removed this dnnger Now, find TINT
nothing wac done, either TO correct the
defect on tile Cincinnati or any other
ship-that We undoubtedly ascertain
how many of our ships are sub iect to
this danger, hut | do not know whether
it is advisable to have congressional
| inquiry"
Mr.. Cummings, Democrat, Of New
York, who continues TO adhere to the
theory that the Maine was blown up by
a torpedo, when asked what thu effect
OF repurt showing that tho Names
magazine exploded would have IN ap-
| preparations for the increase of the
navy, replied frankly: at is perfectly
true that the modern warship, both as
IA fighter or q safe marine machine, ia
still an experiment; hut We are on the
same footing as England or any other
Country in this respect, and we must
keen abreast of than. We have abso-
lutely no date, except the fight gu the
Ialu, and it was Unsatisfactory. a
war might be a good thing, IL for no
other purpose than to clear up the
doubts which, at present, hang over
these expansive modern war engines
hut az regards tho Maine, | cannot he
lieve she blew up from fire in her coal
bunkers. AS one Of the naval officers
has said, anthracite coal is about aa
much subject to spontaneous comhus-
tinn as pile OF stones, and it is in evi-
dencs that the Maine took or 400 tons
Of anthracits Mt Key West. 10 read
Romn Of the opinions of those whu
desire TO escape the conclusion that
Spanish treachery may have been re-
sponsible for the accident, ore would
imagine that every load of coal, unless
guarded, would lake fire by spontane
Gus combustion in "a hours. !"
Wilton, N. H., Feb. 19.-August
Blomherg, father of Fred Blomberc
one Of tho crew of tho battleahip Maine,
has made public a letter, which be re-
caived from his son on Monday Inst,
dated Havana. February 10th, in which
the writer said: 1--WE are in mortal tor
ror of our lives. and expect to 10 blown
up at any moment
Young Blomberg, who was 90 years
Of age, WINS six feet three inches ia
height, and the tallest man on the ves
sci.
New York, Feb. 81. The three boat,
having on board the police patrol ant
United States marines acting as a guarl
over the Spanish warship Vizcaya. a
anchor off Tompkinsville, have beer
Withdrawn. This was done at the re
quest of Capt. Eulate, commander q
the vizcnya, who objected to such
guard, on the ground that he did no
consider it necessary. He said that b.
would trust his ship to American honor
Staten Island policemen. in citizsns
clothes. are still detailed along tn
shores of Staten Island, and they hav,
instructions to closely scruiinize al
strangers and stop all persons ryinl
bundles which looS suspicious
: Kansas City, No., Feb. 2l.-Geral,
, Holsingor OF Rosedale. Kan, who i
said to have been a junior officer of th
hattleship Maine, Processes, 10 pub
lishsd interview, to believe that th
! destruction Of the American warshi
was designed
The destruction of tho Maine,
said he, was not accidental, not, a
least, as | can figure out from what
: know Of the construction of the hattie
ship Ut the manner IN which the regu
lations OF warships are carried out, ant
also considering the reputation Capt
Sigsbee has in naval circles. Anothe
! thing. 1t is said that - tons of am
munition, compactly stored on the yes
sol, exploded. If that we're true, not
! life would have been saved ~
! Havana, Cuba. Fob. 2l.-At ahou
midnight last night, whils mas
\ | Iuuihub phll Whh III DTukTtS9 Ut III
Irijoa Theatre, a bomb wac exploded o
i the second floor, destroying the windo'
, blinds and the roof and wuunding
lawyer, named Pou, and his father an
two other persons.
The explosion caused great confusion
. anu many OF the masqueradora aban
i doned the theatre. Others, however
continued dancing.
t Madrid, Spain, Fob. 81. The ofllcif
r agency says: Tho Impartial publishe
/. n dispatch for which it must assum
full responsibility, as it docs not accor
o with the relations actually known (
exist between the Spanish and Amer
" can governments. 1t IL dated Ne,
q parations are keing made. The fort
" are being reinforced. Three hundre
i. artilerymen have bean sent to Sand
II Hook, aud the Naval Reserves hay
been ordered TO hold themselves
n readiness. The gun cotton and smoke
@ less powder factories are working da
i, and night, and it is generally behave
!, that great crisis in the relations BIZ
!. tween the United States and Spain
i: imminent
It Several reports from Havana came b
y telegraph TO the State and Navy d.
partments to-day. All of the navi
" kilograms, however, bure date of yei
T, terday, while the message from Ger
j. Lee to the State Department rrobabl
n was sent late last night, though marke
10 as received this morning. None {
these messages throw any light upo
tka oouoa nF tina Mama diuautar