Washington sentinel., 1898-02-26
The Evidence Thus Far.

Until all the facts are in the
American Government and the
American people will continue to
act upon Capt. Sigsbee's common
sense observation, "it is better to
know than to think"
Still, in the few days that have
elapsed since the disaster to the
Maine much valuable evidence has
been out on record-evidence as to
the conditions surrounding the
Maine and aboard the Maine Just
before the explosion; evidence as
to the significance of the condition
and position Of that mass OF wreck
age over which the carrion crows
keep mournful vigil; evidence from
naval experts based upon meagre
vet accurate and important infor-
nation.
Let us first summarize the ascer-
tanned facts:
I. On the night Of Tuesday, the
18th of February, until about 9:4o
o'clock the Maine was lying peace
fully at anchor in a place selected
for her by a Spanish Government
pilot who conducted her thither.
On this anchorage she was shell
tered absolutely from every battery
which guards the harbor of HaV-
ana and had the city at her mercy
unless there were under that
anchorage ground mines or torpe-
does.
q. So far as human watchfulnesS
can make a certainty, the Maine
was in perfect order. Only the
small engines forward were work
ing, and they were carrying onlv
sixty pounds of steam. The ap-
pAratus fer giving the alarm in case
the bunkers near the magazines
were overheated was in order, and
the magazines themselves had been
inspected at 8 o'clock. AT the
beating OF the 9 o'clock tattoo all
the crew had gone to their beds,
and only the watch was on deck.
3. The high explosives and all
the explosives that can be set of by
conclusion were in the after part
Of the ship, in magazines under or
almost under the officers quarters.
a. In the forward part OF the ship
were large quantities of coarse
powder; almost twenty FIVE tons in
the main magazine; projectiles OF
various sorts in an incomplete state
in the six inch magazine; trifling
amount Of ammunition in the six
pound and small arms magazine.
&. AT or very near 9:4o P. NJ.
there was what Lieut.. Blandin, the
officer Of the deck that night, de-
scribes a "dull, sullen roar, fol-
lowed by one sharp detonation."
He says he remembers only the
one detonation, but that others say
there we're several. The probabil-
tiles are, from an examination oI
the testimony Of about ten other
witnesses, that these several sharp
explosions were either discharges
OF ammunition in the small arms
magazine or the succession oi
crashes from the rending apart ol
the ship, or both. 1t would seem
that there was that all-important
"dull, sullen roar" followed by
noisy but not vital explosions.
So much for the facts before and
at the time OF the disaster. Now
let us summarize the observations
of the naval experts who have ex.
amined the mass OF wreckage:
1. None Of the rear magazine.
exploded.
q. Capt. Sigsbee and the othei
other officers who have been out
to the wreck are convinced that IN,
main magazine forward did no
explode. The naval experts here
and at New York agree with Capt
Evans that if the main magazin,
had exploded "it would hav,
blown the ship to atoms" Further
two sailors who were sleeping
twenty feet from the main maga
zine are alive.
g. By induction from simila
facts Capt. Sigsbee and his officer
conclude that IL is hiphlv imnrob