The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-24
NO ACCIDENT.
Magazine Of Maine Did Not
Blow Up.
EXPLOSION CAME FROM
OUTSIDE SOURCE.
Result \ Of Investigations Force
76is Conviction.
SEVERAL CASES OF B&OWN PVW-
DER UNEXPLODED, F0sgND.

--
No One Believes That Leading Spanish
Oficers Had knowledge of Plot If
There Was One-It Would Have Been
and Explode 1t From shore-Shot Need
Not Be Fired in Case of War.
Havana, February 23.-The situation,
which may bo changed at any moment
by fresh discoveries, may be summed up,
when this despatch is sent this after
noon, substantially as follows:
The divers having discovered cases of
brown powder for the 10-inch guns un-
exploded and believing also that others
unexploded will be found in tho 10-inch
magazine on the starboard side forward,
the conviction grows that this magazine
did not blow up. If this DO SO aud many
have insisted from the first that 1t is,
the further conviction is forced thai. the
explosion which wrecked the Maine
came from the outside on the port bow.
AS previously wired the main portion
of the wreck, as seen from above and
noted from below, was blown to star
board. The highest American. officials
here are confident that Gen. Blanco and
the other Spanish officers had no knowl-
edge direct or indirect of the conception
or execution of plot to blow up the
Maine,if such a plot existed, but they be-
lieye the junior Spanish officers, who,
from the nature of things, are more con-
versant with modern explosives than their
elders and superiors. were at the bottom
of the disaster, If there was any outside
agency. 1t is pointed out that it would
not be impossible to plant mine of wet
and dry gun cotton near where foreign
war vessel was directed to anchor, such
a mine communicating with an electric
battery on shore. 1t is regarded as an
interesting point that the Maine, for the
first time during her stay in the harbor,
lay at the particular spot where she
was ut the time of the catastrophe, and
it is said, though not officially verified,
that the Maine was the first foreign war
vessel moored to this particular bouy
since the trouble in Cuba grew active.
All stories as to the discipline on the
Maine are without truth. On the con-
trary, Capt. Sigsbee was complained Of
by some for the rigidity of his rules and
the strictness with which he enforced
them. Moreover, the Maine has been in
commission for years and never had a
serious accident until in this quiet
harbor.
In reply to question put by this cor
respondent to high American official as
to what the outcome would be if it were
proved that the disaster was due to an
outside agency. the official in question
said:
''Sir, the American people could not be
restrained. mean war. Still doubt
whether it would be necessary to fire q
shot Admiral Sicard could anchor the
Iowa, the Indiana, the Massachusetts and
the New York outside Havana harbor to
prevent the ingress of the food supplies
without which the city could not exist
for fortnight. Cuba is a waste of ashes
and desolation. Even the hotels here in
Havana live from hand to mouth on sup
plies brought from the United States.
eff Admiral Sicard demanded the sur
render of Havana, giving twenty-five
hours for the removal of the women and
children. surrender would follow. The
forts are old structures and could be de-
molisfed by six FOUNDER. Such new
guns as have been mounted are shorter OF
ammunition and have never been tried.
If Gen. Dlanoo should decline to surren-
der, the Spanish merchants here, who
represent 80 per cent of the property and
pay rs per cent OF the taxes OF the island,
would compel him to accede to Admiral
Sicard's terms. AS for the volunteers the
men are for the most part the employees OF
these merchants and the volunteer officers
are largely. their sons or their junior
par tners.
SIT is we'll to look these things in the
face. At the same time it is we'll for the
| Americans to restrain themselves until
there is some proof of an outside agency