The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-02
Was Feature Of the "Nar" News
Yesterday.
SAID SPAIN DIDN'E PARTICIPATE
EXPLOSION OF MAINE.
1t was Ouly the Secretary's Private Opinion
However-New War Ships Recently Put
in Com mission-The Ram Katahdin
and What 1t Will Accomplish.

ACCOmDklRh.
Washington March 1.-The interest or
the day in connection with the Maine in
quiry centered in statement by Secre-
tary Long following the Cabinet meet
ing, that in his personal opinion any
official participation by the Spanish gov
ernment in the blowing up of the Maine
was now practically eliminated from the
situation. This statement was not formal
or official, and was made by Mr.. Long as
he walked away from the White House
AS usual the various Cabinet officers were
beseiged with inquiries as to the ques-
tions before the meeting and in response
to these opportunities, the Secretary
rather carefully summed up the situation
in few words, statingsthat most of the
time had been given to the outrage on
colored postmasters in the South. Natural
ly the Cuban situation had been gone
over, he said, but there were no actual
developments. and he felt that public ex-
oitement over the subject had materially
abated. The Secretary's s statement that
any participation by the Spanish govern
ment in the blowing up of the Maine was
practically eliminated, in his judgment,
was speedily given wide circulation apart
from the quieting references which had
accompanied it. 1t Immediately started
much comment and discussion and when
Mr.. Long returned to the navy depart
meut after lunch he found that what he
had intended to convey was being given
the force of an official declaration, that
Spain's responsibility for the disaster had
been eliminated. In order to make clear
his meaning, as a personal expression OF
opinion, Mr.. Long dictated a statement
to Offset the enlarged versions of what he
had said. Persons occupying the closest
relations with the Secretary said thst the
opinion expressed was such as any one
might give with the facts now at hand.
1t was not in any sense, itswas explained,
a conclusion drawn from evidence not
made public, wither from court OF in
quiry OF any officer concerned in the in
quiry. Neither fact or intinations have
come from such sources, it Is said at the
department which would serve as the
basis for an opinion. The official declara-
tion of Senior Duhosc, Spanish charge
affairs, that no mines or submarine
defenses exist in the harbor of Havana
has come 4 to the u attention of Secretary
Long and this statement from the author
lied representative of the Spanish govern
ment was felt to have been given it's due
weight in the opinion expressed by the
Secretary. 1t was pointed out by persons
bearing close relations to the Secretary
that the language used was "ofhcial par
tioipation'' or the part of the Spanish
bearing on the question of Spain's re-
sponsibility. In case 1t was shown that
the act was due to some fanatic, then the
question of Spain's responsibility would
be still open.
Aside from this incident, the day
brought forth few developments OF I'M
portance relating to the Maine. No de-
spatches of any character from Key West,
where the court of inquiry is sitting,
were given out during the day and as the
rule OF publicity is still in force, pre-
sumably nothing came from that quarter
The vessel movements announced during
the day were devoid of significance.
Order went out from the navy depart
ment late this afternoon to put the iron
clads Miantonomah and katAhdin into
commission on the 10th inst. They are
now ut the League Island navy yard
where they have been laid up for year
or two. 1t is said at the department that
the purpose of putting them in commits
sion is to make berths for the survivors
of the Maine, now at Key Vest waiting
ON the court of inquiry. which without
doubt will have finished with them by
the 10th
The Minntonomah is q formidable
double turreted monitor carrying tour ten
inch guns. She is of 1890 tons d1splace-
ment and steams ten and one-hal1 KNOTS
an hour. In addition to her main bat
terry she carries a good secondary battery
of rapid firing guns and her turrets are
clad with eleven and one-half inch
armor Her commander has not been
definitely selected.
The Katahdin, otherwise knowa as the
Ammen ram, is freak in naval archi-
lecture and although opinions are divided
as to her qualities, there Is little doubt
that her presence in any harhor would
make an enemy anxious. She lies most
ly under water, with turtled back OF
steel, varying in thickness from two and
one-half inches to six inches, and the
theory of her designer, A dmlral Ammen,
was that this arinor plate could not De
struck directly by a shot from another
vessel. and that any such shot would be
harmlessly DETECTED by the sloping deck.
In action the coming tower AID smoke
stack are about all of the ship that would
present a mark The former is of steel
eighteen inches thick. The Katahdin is a
ram pure and simple, having in the way
of weapons of offense nothing but her
sharp steel beak, and few small rapid
fire Guns to keep off boarders or torpedo
boats When she was designed her speed
was placed at very high mark, but she
did not realize expectations owing to her
peculiar obstructive underwater model.
The two vessels have crews respectively of
l so and 80 mon.
1t was learned at the navy department.
today why the Maine was tied up to a
buoy in Havana instead of anchoring,
fact that has been the base of some of the
theories as to the cause of the disaster. 1t
is said that not only is a man-of-wa at
buoy in much better place for quick ser
vice than when anchored, but 1t appears
that if ship casts her anchor in Havana
harbor so foul and polluted with
yellow fever and other disease germs is
the mud that adheres to 1t when it il
hoisted, that the ship must go into
quarantine upon her return to any
Florida port.
The only word received by the navy de-
partment from Havana came late tonight
in the following telegram from Capt.
SiQsbee:
Baohe leaves today for Tortugas with
all wounded men now here, five jn.all,
rs follows: Mattison, Cahil1, Sloan,
Webber and Mack. All able to walk ex-
cept Mattson. whose jaw is broken.
Bache takes one unrecogn1zed body.
Will take fO1r wounded meJ from