The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-23

congress for this p1rp9se in the joint
resolution passed yesterday. Finally
it is provided that if the companies
succeed in raising the Maine and in
towing her to New York, they shall re-
ceive bonus of S1s0,e
Expensive work.
In view Of the large first cost of the
Maine, S5,0o0, eco. ard the national de-
sire that she be raised. as evidenced
by the prompt and unanimous action Of
congress upon the JOINT resolution. Sec
retary Long believes ne is fully justified
in making the above terms with the
wreckers, though at first thought the
per diem compensation seems large. 1t
must be borne in mild however he
said today, that this viii constitute the
largest wrecitng expedition ever equip
Ped in this country Moreover. the
wreclsers expressed willingness to
go to work in the usual way that thew
serve underwriters. namely to do the
wrecking and then take the award Of
a beard OF arbitrs xOFs. This plan.
however, was not open TO the govern
meut which ~ compelled by law 10 fix
exact terms in advance.
A clause Of the contract requires the
companies to proceed with all dispatch
and in a businesS-lilSe manner With
haste adds to the cost of the work. it
is believed to be necessary in view OF
the possibility of the early appearance
of yellow fever at Havana harbor. with
the approach of the rainy season next
month.
A government official high in au-
thority in the line OF engineering has
advanced several theories TO account
for the destruction or the battIeshfp
Maine He says that the proper way
10 secure information as to the cause
of the explosion would be to coferdam
the Maine, as 1t would be almost i'm
possible for divers 10 Judge of the
cause from personal observ alton.
Not Conclusive.
He says the fact that plates may
have been blown outward is not posi-
tive evidence, or even an Indication
that the explosion was internal; that
a torpedo exploded in close proximity
or any where within thirty feet of the
vessel would cause a conclusion which
would result in pulling the plates out
of the bottom of the vessel, thus Civ
ing a Iayman the impression that the
explosion came from the inside; that
q cofferdam would enable the commits
sion TO discover the wires. If any con-
Meeting the torpedo with the land; that
v
on the bottom of the harbor: that it
would be impossible to pull them In
from the shore, as the weight of the
mud would cause them TO cling so
closely to the bottom tnat they could
not be drawn in
A torpedo or mine exploded In the
bottom of the harbor would disturb the
surface of the water but very little;
whereas, II 1t were exploded within five
or ten feet from the top, It might cause
the water to shoot up as high as 200
feet It will be remembered that sew
eraI eye witnesses claimed that sprays
Of water and debris were thrown many
hundred feet-tn fact that portions Of
the vessel fell on the steamship Wash
ington. lying at anchor over cable
length away Assuming these state
ments TO be true, they would seem to
indicate that the torpedo was near the
surface when it exploded. Practically
the same effect would have been pro-
duced If one of the magazines had ex-
pIoded. His conclusions were that 1t
will require the most careful tnvesti-
cation. and that TIE exact facts may
not be known for several weeks, pos
sfbly never.
sIgsbee's Theory.
The following telegram was received
by the navy department this after
noon from capt. OlS-DSS.
Send to Forsyth for sigsbee, transverse
sectional drawing Of Maine through for
ward teu-iuch magazine and shell ROOM
showing pocket coal bInkers.
This request was Immediately COM
Piled with 1t rs supposed that Capt.
Sigsbee wants these drawings to as
sfst in the work of wrecking the ship,
as they would be a great aid to the
divers. They will be useful also as the
basis for the testimony now being
taken by the court of inquiry at Ha
yaua. The fact that it is deemed es
sential that the drawings shall show
the pocket coal bunkers, which abut
on the magazine, is evidence that Capt
Sigsbee has in mimi the spontaneous
combustion theory though it does not
follow by any means that he is COM
mitted TO it.
Some of the employees of the navy de-
partment have been making estimates
Of the amount of money that will be
required TO meet the demands Of the
Joint resolution which Mr.. Boutelle
proposes to introduce in the house, al
lowing a years pay to the families Of
the dead sailors, and the money for
lost clothing and effects, not TO exceed
a years pay, to the survivors. It fixes
the sum at not TO exceed $3.50, 000-
Should it be proved that the Maine
was destroyed by an outside explosion,
with the knowledge OF Spanish officials,
President Mckinley will demand an in
demnity Of from st3,000O00 to SIS ,0C0,-
000.7 This statement was made today
by an officer Of the navy department,
who is thoroughly cOnversant with the
present Spanish situation.
1T was decided at the conference of
the president and several cabinet Off
GERS today" he continued, that the
Spanish government was bound to pro-
tect the vessels of q friendly nation in
was destroyed by submarine mine or
torpedo. whether witE the knowledge
of officials or not, that government
must be responsible. The value Of the
vessel is estimated at $4,000, 600. The
rest is to be paid to relatives OF officers
and men who lost their lives by the
destruction of the vessel"
An Ugly RumOr.
There was very unpleasant story
afioat last night. It is to the effect
that there Is a traitor connected with
the war department who has sold TO
Spain secret information concerning
the fortifcations of New York harboi,
which were supposed to be known only
to the chic engineer and q few Of his
most trusted associates
For some time past Lieut.. Command
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