Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-16
EXCITEMENT IN THE WEST.
spccniatlons ~ to the Cause and Eject of
the Catastrophe.

Vallejo. Cal, Feb. 16.-Intense excite
ment prevailed at Mare Island navy
yard this morning when the news OF
the disaster to the Maine was received
Rear Admiral Kirkland had just re-
ceived the San Francisco papers when
approached. He said:
you who have read the papers know
more than /. | am just reading 1t now,
There has been no official correspon-
dence whatever | suppose that there
will be much fuss about IT. They cannot
tell anything until the divers get tn
work. If the plates in the Maine hull
are bent out the explosion occurred on
board. If they are bent In then 1t came
from the outside. You know that much
yourself. / can not tell anything about
1t until / read this mornings papers
Captain Henry Glass, u. S. N, COM
mandant OF the navy yard, said; 1T
may have been caused by spontaneous
combustion in the coal bunkers which
were located next TO the magazine. "A
leaking fire room might have caused
1t. These warships use bituminous
coal and 1t is very dangerous. Just
such an accident was narrowly avbfted
on board the cruiser Cincinnati two
years ago in the harbor of Key West.
The coal in the bunkers took fire from
spontaneous combustion. but FORUM
ately there was not enough air to per-
between the magazine and the bunkers
became red hot. The fire was detected
by thin stream of smoke issuing from
the magazine head. The bunkers and
magazine were Hooded Immediately
and the ship saved. At that time
when the ammunition was taken out
many Of the heads of the shells We're
charred and 1t was a miracle that the
ship was not burned. I would gladly
give you any further information II
had 1t. Later something might be
sent from Washington. Full accounts
of the occurrence Will be given TO the
Associated Press / am sure. As to the
possibilities or probabilities of hostil-
tiles with Spain. l cannot say. No of
ficer is permitted to express himself on
such matters"
Naval Constructor VIM. Baxter. when
approached inquired IL any definite
news as to the cause of the disaster
had been received. He had read the
dispatches in the paper and when asked
what effect the sinking of the Maine
II 1t had been done by n Spanish tor
pedo. would have. replied that the
Spanish government would be COM
PEELED to make good the loss OF the
battleshup, apologize to the United
States. and hang those who committed
the outrage. When asked how war
would affect this country he said that
coast, the Pacific is too far away.
There is no Spanish cruiser on this
coast and 1 suppose orders would be
given here to send the Philadelphia,
Charleston and Yorktown. now lying
at the navy yard. to the Atlantic
coast"
When asked II the United States was
in condition to carry on war, he
said 1.-THE loss of the Maine leaves
the Atlantic with only three battle
ships. Then, again. you know about
the shortage of powder and the manu-
facture of powder for these big guns is
n difficult thing. Many times after
quantity of powder is manufactured 1t
has to be thrown away MS II cannot
stand the test. BY doubling up the
capacity of the mills they might in a
few months supply enough for our
ships, but then our fleet Ia very small.
It is very serious thing TO this coun-
try"
San Francisco. Cal. Feb 1s.-Irving
NJ. Scott, vice president and general
of the Union Iron works OF
Oregon, upon learning of the loss of
the Maine, said:
while 1t IL impossible. with the
facts at hand. to give any definite req
son for the accident, there are several
conditions which may have occurred.
any Of which might account for the de-
struction of the vessel. For Instance.
n fire in the coal hunkers where thew
abutted against the magazine might
have heated the partitions sufficiently
to explode the powder in the magazine.
That the explosion was not In the
boiler rooms Is evident for the shin