The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-20
STEP COMMENDs ITSELF.

STEP COMMENDs hIFsELF.
Naval Men Approve of the Decision
of the Administrations.
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19-The inter-
esting feature of the days news at the
navy department was the decision Of
the government to allow concurrent in
vestigatiOn of the cause of the Maine
disaster; for its own part making an
Independent inquiry through the naval
board already appointed, while permit
ting the Spanish authorities to make
such investigation as they desire. This
arrangement cOmmendS itself to naval
men as one fair to all and at the same
time calculated to develop the exact
facts in a manner that could not be
questioned
There was a good deal of talk among
the officials of the need of speedy relief
measures for the benefit Of the families
of the victims Of the explosion. Under
the treasury rules, the allOtments of
portions of pay to members of their
families made by the men who persisted
in the wreck must stop at once. II is
not doubted that congress will do as
it did in the case Of the Samoan dis
aSter, provide for a years pay to the
families of the sailors who died at their
posts. The difficulty is, however, that
such measure cannot be passed at
once and meantime some Of the FAM
lies of the dead sailors will be in great
distress. The subject has been taken
up by Mr.. Long and has called a
meeting for Monday to initiate the
movement.
1t happens that by the rare chance of
an unexpected change of paymasters
recently. very little of the savings Of
The Names sailors went down in the
vessel. About two weeks ago Paymas-
ter Littlefield, of the Maine, was re-
lieved by Paymaster Ray. The former
came to Washington and has settled
the accounts of the ship up to the time
he left. The record shows that Pay
master Ray had on hand in his safe
only about $4,000 in cash, probably gold
and a check for $4,000 which, of course,
is safe enough without his endorse
ment against loss.
Parallel Cases.
Since the spontaneous combustion
theory has come so prominently to the
front accounting for the disaster, the
officials have been looking over the
records to find parallel case, as near
as may be. The flagship New York
was discovered to be on fire March Q,
1886. Smoke was issuing from her main
safely and it was found that the wood
work had been charred deeply. The
cause was not at first perceptible, but
it was soon discovered that an ad-
Joining coal bunker was burning. When
the bunker was opened the coal on top
was not hot. but as the men dug down
it was found to be red-hot inside.
There was no manifestation of heat on
top of the bunker nor in any save the
q Cr1 81 hat
startled the naval officers and the con-
structors made a considerable air space
between the bunkers and the Magazine.
In the designing of the new battle
ship now on the stocks the lesson was
kept in mind, and everything posi-
BILE was done to insuate the coal bunk
ers from the magazines.
Secretary Long has given orders
that, with the expiration of this day,
there need not be observed longer the
order to all ships and commands to
display the national colors at half
mast.
There is no abatement of the talk
of the expediency of raising the Maine.
Chief Constructor Hitchborn is one Of
the most earnest advocates of the
resurrection of the ship, from both SEN
timental and practical considerations.
He points out that the ship lies in a
land-lOcked harbor, easy for the wreck
ers to operate in, and that, If she can
be rebuilt at a cost of a million dol
lars. the government will save four
millions, the first cost of such a bat
tleShip with all of her equipment. Great
Britain, he said, never abandoned a
ship If there was the least chance to
save her, and has not yet even aban-
doned the hope of raising the Inflated
Victoria, sunk in collision with the
Camperdown, off the coast of Syria,
several wears ago
Saving the Ship.
Commander Francis Dickens, the
chief Of the bureau of navigation and
Secretary Longs right-hand man in
the present emergency, said: "Ivhe
Maine must be taken to an American
port, if there is enough Of her bones
holding together to warrant removal,
and in all likelihood that will be done
If the explosion was more disastrous
than is now thought to be the case, if
the hull is so wrecked as to be beyond
repair, then as much of the material
as can be secured will be brought home
and placed in a new Maine.
1T is to be remembered that great
advances have been made in ship-build-
ing since the Maine was designed, and
a finer ship to bear her name could be
built today but it would take time.
and. if any considerable portion of the
ship is good, with a modernized bat
terry and improvements in rebuilding,
the destroyed portions, a magnificent
vessel can be quickly secured"
Chief Engineer Melville has decided
views in favor of the proposition to re-
build the Maine: Even suppose this
costs $1,000,000," said he, "a new ship
like the Maine would cost nearly S., 000,-
600. The repairs could be made and the
ship put in service again in year at
the farthest. To build a new ship like
her would take at least three years.
With regard to the practicability of
raising the vessel, it is to be remarked
that larger vessels have been raised
which were at sea, where they were
exposed to the waves, while the Maine
is in a perfectly quiet harbor, one end
resting in the mud and part of the other
end above water.
1.-The Maine is in shallow spot as
protected as mill pond, ard she is only
6.000-ton ship. The British arlnor-
clad Howe, of over 10000 tons, was rails
cd off Ferrol Spain, in the open ocean,
and H. M. S. Sultan. of over 5000 tons,
was raised and saved after she sank
III the Comino channel"
Orders have been issued for the en-
lis tment of 900 men for the navy to fill
the vacancies caused by the destruc-
ton Of the battleship Maine and to
complete the legal quota.
The new men w III ba sent fo 1,pcaiu-