The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-21
turrets entire with the guns if lifting ap-
paratus of sufficient power can be ap-

The newspaper reproduction of photo
graphs taken Of the wreck were studied
With much interest today by the naval
omcers here. Great surprise was expressed
at the extent of the wreck and the vast
mess of steel and iron heaped in the for
ward part of the ship was particular OBJ
1ect of attention. The experts who had
first ventured the theory of a bursting
boiler as the cause of the destruction
claim to tnd strong reinforcement in the
pictures for that belief The great mass
OF metal appears to be thrown up over
the boiler space and not over the forward
magazine, while the forcing apart of the
forward body of the hull, they say might
have been accomplished by the enormous
expansive power of the high pressure
steam carried In these boilers with their
shells more than an inch thick. AS to
what caused a boiler to explode. wheth-
or disguised bomb in the coal, tow
water or faulty construction, they do not
now undertake to say.
Secretary Long said this afternoon,
after looking over his telegraphic and
mail correspondence that it contained
nothing of importance beyond the dis
patches above given.
The secretary referred with satisfaction
| to the dispatch stating that the court Of
inquiry would assemble at Havana to-
morrow. The plan had been for the court
to meet first at Key West and after do
| ing such work as was possible there, to
proceed to Havana. But Mr.. Long
thought 1t was desirable to have the
court proceed at once to Havana, where
the inquiry could Legin on the actual
scene Of disaster, and where personal in
spection would aid in an Intelligent
Judgment. On this account the secretary
sent orders yesterday for the court to pro-
ceed direct to Havana and the response
of Admiral Sicard is in accordance with
these orders.
When Mr.. Longs attention was called
to reports that he had taken official cog
nizance of Capt. Sobral's criticisms Of
the American navy, the secretary said
that he had called the subject to the at
tention of the state department, with a
view to having an inquiry made by that
branch. The particular expression to
which the secretary had directed the at
tention of the state department. was the
following, attributed to Capt. Sobral:
sit was the result of an explosion inside
the ship, which took place in one of the
forward magazines. The fact of the mat
ter is that the discipline and the watch
observed on the ship were very lax.
This, as one newspaper the other day de-
cIared, is the case of American warships
generally. This sort of thing has occurred
on previous occasions on American war
vessels"
The secretary said that he had not
called the attention of those other feat
ures Of Capt. SobraI's alleged interview
in which he refers to the possibilities of
war and to the Information he had gained
while naval attache Of the Spanish lega-
tion. AS whole, Mr.. Long did not treat
the Sobral matter asisprofoundly serious.
Assistant Secretary Day received no di
rect dispatches from Havana during the
early part Of the day. He would not dis
cuss the Sobral matter. Unexpected de-
velopment Of today SO changes the aspect
of the Sobral case that the state depart
ment may not think that it is necessary
to proceed further.
This development was that Capt.
Sobral's services as naval attache at
Washington were officially terminated by
Spain about four weeks ago. 1t came
from Senior Dubosc, charge d'affairs, of
the Spanish legation, who, when his at
tention was called to the Sobral case gave
to the Associated Press the following
statement: "As regards this reported in
terview, I know nothing about it beyond
what have seen in the papers. l should
imagine Mr. Sobral far too prudent to say
anything calculated to offend brothers
in arms. At the same time should
state that on the Gath of January last,
Capt. Sobral ceased to be member OF
this legation, according to royal decree,
which gazetted as his successor Lieut..
Ramon Carrazay Reguera."
Mr.. Dubosc received no advices of inn
portnnce from Havana to-day. He ex-
pressed entire satisfaction at the plans by
which the divers were operating, and
said there was no justification for talk
about friction.
Referring to Gen. Miles recent order
to Gen. Merritt, commanding the depart
lnent of the east, to Immediately detail
men and officers to all coast defenses
where modern guns are mounted, it was
said at the war department. that while
the order was issued as reported, it was
nothing more than following out the plan
of the war department formulated sew
eral years ago, when the present system
of coast defense was inaugurated. The
order calls for at least 20 men and the
necessary officers to take charge of such
coast defence emplacements as have been
completed and turned over to the war
department. These defense points are
planned and constructed by the engineers
corps and the guns furnished by the or
dnance department. Soon as completed
thoy are turned over to the war depart
ment and men arc at once detailed to
care for the extensive work and ordnance.