The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-18
They Are Now at Elswick, Eng land
Originally Ordered for the Bra.
lillian Government.
Strong Evidence in the Hands OF
the Court of Inquiry, of Spanish
Treachery in the Maine
Disaster.

v
Department in London of the two
fine cruisers builta and building at Els
wick for the Brazilian Government.
Possibly the officials took more
pleasure in closing up the business
in this manner because of the knowl-
edge that the Spanish agents had
been striving to secure these very
ships, to whom, it IS said, they
would be of much greater value in
case of trouble than to the United
States. The next question is now
how to get the ships home, and that
has not yet been settled, according
to the Secretary of the Navy. The
United States flag will be hoisted
over the new ships within week
probably and just as soon as the
crew can be put aboard the ANA
zonas she will start for the United
States. The other vessel will follow
at the earliest possible moment.
The terms of sale are secret. The
availability of the two Brazilian
ships was first brought to the atten-
tiNn of the Navy Department by
Mr.. Lane, agent of the Maxim Nor
denfeldt Company, who was author
lied to disposed of these ships build
ing at Elswick and two others in
course of construction in France.
Mr.. Lane said to-day that the two
ships purchased would be a most
desirable acquisition to the Ameri-
can navy, as they were the latest
and best products of the famous
Armstrong; yards. One of the
ships is complete in every respect,
has her coal supply and ammunition
on board, and steam can be raised
at any time. There will be no
trouble in bringing this ship across,
as an adequate force from the local
yards can be secured for the service.
1t is said the coal and ammunition
on board passed with the sale to the
United States. The ammunition is
not all of the kind in use by the
United States navy, so that the sup
ply of ammunition is a necessary
adjunct to the new ships. The
other ship has been launched, but il
will take some time to make her
ready for sea. Mr.. Lane believes,
however, that there will be no diff
ficulty in bringing her over i'm
mediately, II it is desired to make
tho move without delay, as the hull
of the ship is so well along that she
could be tOwed and her own sail
power utilized for the trip across.
New YORK, March 14.-(Special.
"A special from Key West to the
Press to -night says:
"All theories, speculations and
conjectures as to how the battleship
Maine was destroyed will be cas-
aside when the court of inquiry pre-.
sents with its findings the material
evidence of the existence of not one
mine but of several in the harbor Of
Havana. A shattered section of a
submarine cable containing sever
conductors is in the possession OF
the court delivered to 1t by one oil
the American divers, and it is the
strongest proof yet offered that the
Names destruction was encom.
passed by an agency within the con
troll of the Spanish auth critics Ii
the city of Havana.
Notwithstanding the alert anC
watchful eyes that are constantly
upon the divers who have been in
vestigating the condition of the
sunken ships hull on the port side
one of them successfully concealed
one find that he made, and which
he brought up to the float on which
Capt. Sampson stood at the time
It was not big enough to attract par
ticular attention, and it's actual i'm
portance was not Immediately real
lied. With mass of other stuff re-
covered from the wreck it was car
ried to the Mangrove and placed il
the cabin, where the court holds il!
sessions.
When the time came for continu
ing the Investigation the bit Of cabl,
was examined. 1t was about four
teen inches long, seven-eighths o
an inch in diameter, and contained
seven copper wires insulated with
gutta percha covering. The out
side was of lead, one thirty-seconC
of an inch thick. Both ends wer,
smashed and jagged and torn as /
cut and then pounded.
1.-THE discovery was made abOu
thirty feet from the submerged bow
and within radius of fifty feet II
which the divers have been work
ing. To those of the court familia
with electrical appliances the char
acter of this section OF lead-cOvereC
cable was at once apparent. IL wa
such as would be used only in deel
seas, or for some work in shallow
waters where absolute protection
against breakage or induction woulC
be assured.
IAN ordinary oconite or gutta
percha- corded wire would be al
that would be necessary for tele
graph or telephone service. It i
Known that there is none of these il
L l..