The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-17

said today that he was inclined to believe
that the Maine was blown up by her own
magazine. Such things had happened be-
fore.
4 Torpedo Did II.
BOSTON. Feb 16,-Rear Admiral George
Belknap. L. s. N. retired said today that
he was inclined TO think the Maine was
blown up by torpedo
II do not see.' he said chow any expio-
SION OF the forward magazine could have
occurred. The keys of the magazines ara
always kept in the custody Of the captain.
mostly in the form Of projectles. and
their explosion by themselves is mex, to
impossible
Rear Admiral Belknap said 1t was a
very significant thing that the Maine
should have been blown up in that particu-
lar haroor at this particular time.
Butler Fear. Treachery.
MINNEAPOLIS. Feb. Ex-senator But
Ter, of North Carolina. now in Minneapo-
lis attending the session of the Popullst
state central committee. is Inclined to view
the loss Of the Maine as the result of
treachery.
INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. ls-Rear Admiral
George Brown. who was the highest Of
ficer in the navy until his retirement last
year. when informed of the naval casualty
In Havana harhor. said
Il can offer nothing but vague conjec-
ture as to the probable cause OF the de-
struetion of the Maine. although ii would
seem to me at this time that when an in
vesiigation is made Ii will be found that
an explosion occurred on the vessel"
1t Is n Mystery.
KEY WEST. Feb. l6.-The steamer OH
vette with sixty-two survivors, of the
Maine on board, arrived here at 1850
lob. hal "a
yana. OF the number. twenty are
wounded. ten seriously and one fatally.
The Associated Press correspondent saw
Purser benson, OF the Oliyette, who gave
the following brief account Of the dis
aster.
1.-The explosion is an absolute mystery
to every one. 1t occurred In the forward
magazine. which is just forward of mid
ships and below the water line. The coal
bunkers are outside. but separated by two
feet of space. According to custom.
the magazine was inspected at O'Clock
in the evening. and the temperature found
to be 50. The magazine was locked ana
the keys given to Capt. Sigsbee. The
men went to their hammocks in the for
ward part Of the ship after o'clock.
The explosion occurred at $40 About
ten men who We're in the forward part of
the ship were saved, and of those several
had their hamnloeks slung the lower
deck. The explosion split the Dig snip
in two. and threw these and one marine.
who was sleeping on the superstructure.
forty feet in the air and into the water
In the magazine were twenty-five tons
OF coarse powder used for charging the
big guns. there being nc dynamite de-
notation powder or torpedo heads, and
nothing in fact that could be exploded by
conclusion"
I'm the main magazine aft, the high ex-
plosives were stored and this magazine did
not explode. II Ia not believed that the
Maine was destroyed by a torpedo under
meath. as. II this was the case. the hold
would have been torn in the bottom and
the ship would not have been riven 10
atoms as was the case. The aft part OF
+ the ship sank in three minutes
Blanco Informs Madrid.
MADRID. Feb 1s.-Blanoo has cabled
the authorities here and has sent a similar
message to Washington. saying the disas-
ter TO the Maine was indisputatly due to
accident.