The age-herald., 1898-03-09
HAMLIN SOLD WELLER DYNAMITE
Agents Purchased 5000 Pounds of Dynamite and I5o Miles of Copper \ Wire Might Have Been Used for
 Submarine Mine in the Harbor.

The story printed in yesterday mornings Age-Heraad that Weyler had purchased large quantity of explosives from the Ditt- mar powder works of New York. was yes terday confirmed by Capt. G. F. Hamln, general manager of the concern who is in Birmingham.
 "Yes, said Captain Hamlin in reply to a query from an Age-Heraid reporter, "WeyIer agents purchased 5000 pounds of dynamite from the Dittmar company, and I personally conducted the sale and am familiar with all the details"
 Captain Hamlin is stEwart looking man, a s q dresser and a genial, jovial fellow. He is captain in the Twenty third New York regiment.
 "The sale," he continued, twas conducte1 through Spanish army officer who was temporarily stationed in Philadelphia His office was in the tenth story of sky scraper In Walnut street. There was no sign on the door and nothing to indicate the rooms occupant The only entrance to his office was through the room of typewriter on the seventh floor of the build ing. I visited the office and saw about ten draughfsman at work on maps. All those exposed were of Cuba.
 Sent to Buy Supplies
 'The utmost secrecy was observed. The OIllceT pO1O TIC ufletu il0 was Sent po tiio United States to buy supplies. From me he bought 5000 pounds cf dynamite packed in the usual way and from other parties 150 miles of rubber-coveredl insulated cop per wire No. 20, all of which was shipped to Havana from New York on the Cudda Condal of Ceballo's line
 '',This army officer would not allow me to turn the matter over to any one else, but insisted that attend to 1t personally. When the dynamite was ready for ship ping I went to the Spanish consul at New York and applied for clearance papers. They were promptly refused. then ap- piled for freight room on the Ceballos' line, and again met with a refusal.
 Consul Turned His Back
 sI notified the army officer of this and next day received a telegram from him to confer with both parties again. l first went to the Spanish consul and he turneu his back on me. I then went to the office of Cebal.os' line and was shown cable gram from Weyler instructing them to receive the dynamite and forward 1t to Havana and leave all passengers in New York The Spanish consul come in while I was there and tod me the clearance papers would be ready.
 .'The ships crew were scared Of the dynamite and insisted that I go aboard and see that it was properly loaded ana stored. The dynamite was loaded on the Cuidad Condal from steam lighter while the VeSSel WAS dl ildil Specu pouhu ooe' staid on board until 1t was all loaded and stored away. This was not completed until the vessel had nearly reached Sandy Hook. I was then taken aboard large tug and returned to New York at their expense. During all this time the Spanish sailors were in abject terror.
 For Use on Land
 'From the way the dynamite was put up and from the fact that the wire was only No. 20, it was evidently to be used against the insurgents on land. This is my opinion, because the United States gov ernment for torpedo service and mines under water, never use anything smaller than No. 5 wire, which is 100 times heavier than No. 20. No. 20 wire would not stand the tides, to say nothing of other obstruc-- tions.
 Before making the shipment had to obtain permission from the United States government and also to get a clearance personally from the custom ,house.
 s.It is possible that this material might have been used in constructing such a floating rnine as Is reported to have blown up the Maine" u
 Furnished the Insurgents
 .We also s6pply dynamite in large quan- titles to the insurgents. Dynamite Jack