The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-04-27
PUTTING THIS AND THAT TO
GETHER.


vehemently that any submarine mines
had been placed in Havana harbor. Re
curing now to these denials it is noted
that neither at first entered any sharp
denial in which torpedoes were named.
After a time, however, a second strong
denial was made, and that included
torpedoes, but it is significant that they
were not mentioned with emphasis at
first
When it became pretty certain that
the Maine was destroyed by exterior
explosion it was probably thought best
to make the Spanish denial broader. It
has not been charged that the destruc-
ton of that ship was due to direct order
of the Madrid Government-no one
charges that-but it is believed, and
whoever reads the testimony in full, ac-
companied by the official plats and
drawings. must reach the conclusion
that the ship was blown up by outside
agency, and that it must have been
such an agency as only governments
deal in and plant.
the Spanish Government, indeed that
Blanco himself, had no knowledge of
the plot to destroy the Maine; but that
the official wires to the mine or torpedo
were used through the treachery of
some Spanish officials is to our mind
made clear by the testimony recently
received in book form 1t might be
barely possible to lay the explosion to
a 1oated torpedo not related to the
shore, but the board of inquiry, meas
uring its words distinctly, declares that
it was a submarine mine that did the
work. Added to this finding is the I'M
impeached testimony of the English
firm which made and sold submarine
mines to Spain for Havana harbor a
year or more ago.
Why should such mines have been
planted? The insurgents had no navy,
the harbor was open to all ships of the
world; there was then no threat of war
by the United States. or any one else.
Now comes the statement that the har-s
bors of Havana, Cienfuegos, Neuvitas
automatic and electric torpedoes,"
and this statement comes direct from
Admiral Beranger, who is taken to ac-
count for telling so much by the I'm
parciaI."
Now a submarine mine is fired by a
shore key, generally combination of
keys worked by secret cipher, while
automatic torpedoes are discharged
either by time clocks or fuses, or by
wire connection with an upstream
point, or with the shore. Electric tor
pedoes are always discharged by the
electric spark induced by pressing a
button and thus forming contact or
closure Of the circuit at a considerable
distance
Now couple all these things together,
the hot denials by Spain, their modifi-
cation or second denial the finding of
the board Of inquiry, the statement of
the English firm and now the admis-
sion of Admiral Beranger and it makes
a very clear case against Spain that
the ship was not blown up, as she
primary force and also that Spanish
officials lied in the first instance.
Beragner who was a former Minister
of Marine for Spain, knows what he is
talking about when he says electric
torpedoes' were placed in Havana har-
ed long ago, and that they have not
been sown in the harbor lately, until the
placement of a lot just prior to the de-
parture Of General Lee. His declara-
ton was made prior to the outbreak of
the war and he is a man who knows
that the distinction between a subma-
rine mine and an electric planted tor
pedo is a distinction without much diff
ference. Both are operated by pressing
keys or buttons and closing an electric
circuit and the case grows stronger
than ever that the American board of
loss of the ship to the explosion of a
submarine mine, at a point where the
ships people had a right to expect pro-
lection and to repose trust in the Gov
eminent that they were safe from any
such. or any assault whatever.
Now to put this and that together in
summing UP. First, the Spanish Gov
eminent denied that there were any
submarine mines in Havana harbor
Second, later it denied that there We're
mines or torpedoes in the harbor Third
a board of inquiry found that the con-
dition of the wreck, with its fiat and
vertical keel and attached plates thrust
upward thirty-four feet above their
normal position and bent from without
together with other evidences, indicated
by diagrams and Photographic pictures
and sworn statements of experts and
of divers, proved that the ship was
blown UP by a submarine mine operated
from without the ship. Fourth, an
English manufacturing firm declares it
made submarine mines for Spain and
sent some of them to Havana harbor,
and declares they could be exploded
only by shore connection and use of
three-fold cipher requiring three trust
ed persons to work it. Fifth, Admiral