The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-03
Acceptance For a Certainty.

Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of surmises, conjecture and pro-
phecy concerning the finding of the Court
of Inquiry, it is fair to say that, as 4
matter of fact, most of the Naval Off
GERS here and at Key West incline TO
the opinion that the court will find that
TIE disaster to the Maine was caused by
the explosion of a floating submarine
mine under the forward port side of the
ship. Opinions differ as to whether this
mine was made of high explosives, such
as wet and dry gun cotton or ordinary
gun powder
Opinions agree, not only as to the eX-
istence of mines i'm the harbor, but also
that this one was laid purposely near
the buoy where foreign war vessels We're
directed to moor and was fired by flash
from an electric battery ON shore.
1t is believed barely possible that the
explosion of the mine was the result OF
the carelessness or ignorance of Spanish
officers in charge of the mine station
keys when testing the circuit, but the
latter supposition Us not felt to be prob
able. 1t is further regarded as settled
by the evidence before the court that The
port side of the hull forward was com
pletely blown to pieces, and that the
only explosion on the Maine, except OF
isolated cases of fixed ammunition was
that of 1000 pounds of saluting pow
der, stored forward and of which NJ
trace can be found.
These views are gathered from off
GERS who talk with great reserve and OF.
ly upon the assurance that their identify
will never be revealed. The fact remainS
that only the members of the Court OF
Inquiry know all the testimony elicitei
and no one is authorized to make public
matter in advance of the final judgment
A good deal of surprise was expressed
H. Americans here at learning that Span
ish divers were TO be permitted TO make
an examination of the wreck of the
Maine, especially as it was also said thai
American Naval officers here wonld give
such divers all consistent facilities and
would throw no obstacle in the way OF
thorough submarine inspection. Tt was
not at first understood, as it came to bt
later, that the Spanish search was t.
be entirely independent, and that while
it was being made the American investi
CATION would proceed under Captain Sigs
bees supervision. As understood here
the Spanish request made immediately
after the disaster for a joint inyestiga.
tion was promptly refused at Washing.
ron. but after a Cabinet consultation. it
WAS agreed that the Spaniards lad a
moral and international right to discern
the cause of the wreck for themselves
if possible. Therefore permission for al
independent examination was granted on
the ground, as understood here, that ii
could not be refused to a friendly power
in her own harbor. That the permission
was not accorded until after the Court
CT Inquiry mad finished its work here and
gone to Key West is regarded as signifi
cant. 1t opens a wide field for specu.
lation. -
Some assert that the court now ha
no objection to a Spanish inquiry for on
Of two reasons: Either the court ha
sufficient evidence already of accident 0
malice-evidence that cannot be cotro
yerted by the Spaniards- after a dill
gent search, the mystery remains
deep as ever and the court does no
think the Spanish will reach ccncluslo
where the Americans have failed
OF course all this refers prin .ipally I
Inspection OF parts Of +he ship othe
than the hull. Until TIE gun, decks
engines ald deorls of all kinds hag
been removed and the mud has beer
pumped from the hull it cannot be eX
amined thoroughly by anyone. Some
good authorities think it will be neceg
sary to build "a Golfer dam around TIL,
wreck, piles being driven, etc.
That any important testimony befor,
the court has found its way to the publ
is very unlikely Some of the witnesse
have told certain correspondents of al
legged testimony but in every case in
vestigation has showed their stories +
he wildly improbable and cont'roverte
by known facts or else absolutely irrele
want. Some of the correspondents hav
tried to extract information from mem
bers of the court or from Naval wal
nesses by putting what were deemed b