New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-27

SENIOR DU Bose REPEATS HIS STATE
MFNT.
INQUIRIES MADE ny AGENTS OF THIS GOVERN
,rrxr ALSO TEND TO SHOW THAT THERE
ARE 40 ToRPEDOEs OR SUBMARINE
MINES IN HAVANA HARBoR


/ months by agents Of this Government, for, so
far, ii is said, they have been unable to And
/ the slightest evidence Of the existence OF any
plan Of defence In the harhor by means Of mines
or tOrpedoes. much less TO locate them as has
been reported in some quarters. OS course the
effect OF this statement II it is accepted as
| conclusive. IS to negative the supposition that
the disaster resulted from other than accidental
causes. as the almost unanimous testimony Of
experts here. based the history of torpedo
work, is that single torpedo Of any known
type could have caused the terrific wreck Of the
| Maine
! In the pursuit OF details some Of the ordnance
| officers acting the theory hat the large 10
| inch forward magazine not exploded. have
been looking into the contents OF the smaller
| and adjoining 6-nch magazines. They find
that. allowing for the amount Of powder that
| was probably consumed in practice drills by
the Maine before she arrived in Havana Har
! Dor, there certainly not less than eight
thousand pounds of powder in this magazine. an
amount sufficient to have caused enormous de-
struction had it been exploded at one time.
THE INFORMATION OFFICIAL
The Government officials were to-day placed
In possession Of the information reaching Senior
Du Bose that no mines exist inside outside
I
/ Bose received after midnight last night, and 1t
was communicated to the Associated Press in
a brief and explicit statement This statement
was made. not a matter Of opinion or per-
sonal conviction on the part Of Senior Du Bose.
but as a conclusion Of fact ascertalned from
those whose official position makes them ia
mar with Havana Harb0r Until this infor-
nation was in the possession Of the Charge
d'Anaires. he had no personal knowledge Of the
facts.
II was suggested TO him carly yesterday by
| representative Of the Associated Press that in
/ many quarters positive statements were being
| made that mines existed within Havana Har-
| Dor and in the vicinity IF the Maine. Crder
such circumstances he was asked for a GiTect
statement bearing on this point. with a view 70
clearing up any m!sapprehensiOn that might ex-
ist SeiOr Du Bose set on foot an inquiry by
4 cable which gave him the information which,
/ up 70 that time he had not possessed. N&tu-
rally the inquiry was distasteful 70 the Charge
dAnaires and 10 the spanish authorities as
they deeply resent any imputation that the
catastrophe 20 the Maine could be due 30 mines
or other external causes But for the purpose
( Of giving the one essential statement OF fact
within the knowledge Of those having the only
direct information on the subject. the official
statement was secured and made public by
Senior Du Bose
1t is not. however, II is explained at tile Lega-
, ton, a statement Of the Spanish Government
I for the Government has not felt called uI,on to
| repel destinations which. from its point 4 view.
grossly reflect upon its honor. The purpose ~
SehOr Du Bose was 20 make the statement as
one Of fact. established from the best official
authorities. and not to make it as a Government
utterance. which he regarded unnecessary.
As a statement Il fact. however. 10 Is given With
The greatest positveness and from sources Of
Spanish Information whose authority. lie says.
Is not open 10 question.
SENIOR DU Bose INDIGNANT
When to-day Senor Du Bose had de-
tails to add 10 his statement The information
reaching him confined itself TO the positive
declaration that no mines or submarine defence
Of any kind exist inside outside Of Havana
Harbor. With emphasis he expressed his in
dgnatOn that he should feel IL to be mis- duty
TO repe the insinuatons and statements that
Havana HarbOr was mined. These assertions
were inspired, he said by people anxious to
arouse passion and resentment between the two
nations. He considered such suggestions an in
suit to Spain. and. without deigning an answer
to them, he submitted bare fact the state
ment that there no mines submarine
defences Of any character in or about Havana
Harbor He would not discuss the subject
further saying that ii sufficed 10 make the one
essential statement Of fact.
PROFESSOR ALGER's VIEWS.
When the attention Of Professor Philip Alger
the expert Of the Bureau Of Ordnance, and one
OF the leading authorities explosives in the
world was called 10 Senior Du Boscs statement
he said.
The statement is important as represent
ing the position taken by the Spanish officials
who have absolute knowledge Of whether or not
Havana Harbor mined II is. Of course. in
herently improbable that such mines existed.
since II IS not customary 10 plant torpedoes in
harbors at all especially not in harbors con-
stantly occupied by friendly vessels Should II
be possible 10 prove Senior Du Bosc's statement
to be true. the whole theory Of the Names de
structi0n hy a torpedo viii become untenable.
IN my opinion But tho only proper course now
10 he pursued is 10 await patiently the report
Of The board Of investigation and to accept its
findings as conclusive. When the first news
O.. the catastrophe arrife1. Il was well 10 at
tempt 10 allay any excitement by pointing out
the fact that the probabilities We're greatly IN
favor OF the explosion having been an accl-
dental one NothinG that has set become known
should lead to a modification of this Wow. II
il still vastly more probable that The cause was
On internal one than thai !. was external
There seems. however ID be a prevalent feel
ing that the accident theory casts a reflection
upon the Navy and also that lis acceptance
would he hurtful 90 the Navys interests The
contrary secus 20 me to be true. The sat Of
man has not yet devised any implement If d.
struction which accident may not turn against
friend with an effect equal 10 that which n was
intended 10 produce uIou enemy Accidents
viii sometimes happen. and II is scf-eyldent
that the force Of The cXpl osivea carried by any
warship Will always be sufficient 10 destroy her
n they are accidentally set on fire II II was
an accident. !is cause may he asccrfainod and
repetition can be guarded against II the modern
hattle-7hp can pc easily destroyed 5y an enemy
as the advocates ~ tho torpedo theory believe
then perhaps IL might De claimed with snrnc
show Of reason that snch ships should no lnn,nr
be built. But 10 condemn battle-ships beceusa
on accident may completely destroy one ,-c1l1
he 20 act without reason"
\ DENIAL FROM WEYLER.