Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-04-07
Havana HarbOr was Full OF
Mines.

Details have been obtained at London
of the manufacture of submarine mines
in London for Spain, which was first
bro ught to the attention of the United
States embassy and cabled to America
on March 5. A man whose cards de-
scribe him as being an electrical engi-
neer, and whose name was forwarded
at the time to Washington, then said
he sold two Spanish officials in London
sevsral years ago large number of
mines, eight or ten of which were plac-
ed in HAVANA harbor. He said they
were made in special way, had speci-
ally constructed cable, which he can
indentify, if the smallest piece is pro-
duced, 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 upon a vessel coming into con
tact with them.
The man added, however. that he did
not believe the bulbs would be used in
water so shallow as that of Havana har-
bor Finally, the man exhibited plans
of one of these mines which he said was
the most likely to produce the effect des-
cribed as causing the wreck of the
Maine. 1t was numbered -" and was
constructed to contain 800 pounds OF
gun cotton.
Lieutenant Commander J. G.. Colwell,
the United States naval attache. has
since investigated the matter, and has
made report on the subject TO the
United States Government. The facts
learned strongly tend to show that Ha-
vana harbor was mined, and they un-
questionably prove that Spain purchas
ed the mines for that purpose. The
firm of Lattimer, Rhodes 81 Clark, cleo
trical engineers during 1888, filed q
large order for Spain of lot of mines,
in which were used fourteen and halt
tons of gun cotton.
The work was directly under the sur
veillance Of General Fernandez and
Captain 'Bustamento The latter was
then the head of the Spanish torpedo
school. BY order of these officers the
mines were divided into four consign
ments, for Havana, Ferrol, Cadiz and
Cartagena. The mines were maniac
tured under the direction Of j. b. Glib
bons' patents, which are described il
c.:n,..arsa brol~ m, farnadoaa aud rnipaa
Gibbons, from whom representative
Of the Associated Press obtains the in
formation, and who furnished to Lieu
tenant Commander Colwell a writer
statement of the above facts and outlin
ed his theory of the explosion which
wrecked the Maine, was then employed
by the firm as superintendent of the tor
pedo department. He also says sim
lar lot of torpedoes was manufactured
for Spain in 1896
The manager of the Westminster En-
gineering Company, which is the sue
cessor of the aforementioned firm ant
with which Gibbons il connected, con
firms the latters statement as to th'
manufacture Of mines for Spain. Glib
bons who il former Sergeant of Engi
neers and a government inspector o
torpedoes, believed tie Names first ex
plosion was caused by what is techni
cally called a ground mine, containing
800 pounds of gun cotton, several o
which were manufactured for Spain.
He has experimental with thes
mines largely at Portsmouth. and say
that, once laid, they retain their prop
critics for fifty years. In addition. Glib
bons asserts that it is absolutely impos
sible for them to explode accidentally a
the electric currents for their explosion
are formed only by the manipulation
of complicated keyboard especial,
devised to prevent accidents. Thre
KEYS are necessary, which are alway
kept in the possession of different Off
GERS and even if an outsider obtaine,
possession Of them it would be impossi
bic to manipulate the key board with
out Instructions
Gibbons further says the mines AM
their connecting cables are numbered
and he asserts he would be able TO iden
tify them if any part is secured.
A Washington special says: Accord
ing 10 the naval and other experts VII
have studied the report of the Court O
Inquiry, the submarine mine which de
stroyed the Maine and killed 266 Amer
ican sailors must have been manfactul
ed, planted and fired by persons cor
nected with the Spanish Government
The Senate Committee before whic
Captain Sigsbee appeared will report o
this subject. The story isthat our Coy
eminent was informed within 4S hour
after the explosion that il was the resu
of submarine mine laid by the Spar
ish Government and controlled by il
agents.