The herald., 1898-02-24
AS TO POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE
MAINE DISASTER
BOILERS DID NOT EXPLODE
Prove to Have Any Basis
of Truth
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23-The arrival OF
more mail in Washington from Key West
this afternoon, bringing several private
letters from naval officers lately attached
to the Maine, caused q wave of excitement
to run over the department and the capitol.
for there were all sorts of rumors as to
the contents of these letters, very few Of
which rumors, in point of fact, had any
sound basis. The only feature, so far as
could be discovered, of real Importance as
throwing any light on the cause Of the ex-
plosion contained in the letters was the
statement that the two after boilers In the
after boiler space and all of the eight boil
ers of the Maine were under steam at the
time of the explosion. This fact had neg
ative value. for 1t disposed at once OF the
theory that a boiler explosion had caused
the wreck. The experts all say that by no
possibility could the after boilers explosion
have wrecked the forepart of the Maine
and left the other part almost unharmed.
Secretary Long this afternoon received
the following telegram fro Admiral
Sicard:
Fright Arm arrived at Havana this
morning. Captain Magee seems to be an
good advice Captain Sampson wires me
condition of wreck is such as to require
most powerful appliances the government
can secure. The court recommends con-
tract with best equipped wrecking COM
pany to remove material and lift ship With
out delay Forward half completely de-
stroyed; aft half apparently intact except
in minor matters"
Much interest was shown in the dispatch
The view of the naval officers was that
Captain Sampson and his associates were
giving this advice, not as court but as
| officers in position to speak as to the best
methods to be adopted for wrecking the
Maine. Various interpretations were put
on the expression forward half COM
pletely destroyed" This was regarded as
a partial confirmation of the theory that
| the forward magazine had exploded as that
| is one of the most important portions of the
| forward half of the ship. AT the same time
| 1t was held by some naval authorities that
the destruction of the forward half of the
| ship did not necessarily mean that the for
ward magazine had exploded as this might
! be still intact although part of the gen.
eral wreckage. In the absence of an ex-
plicit statement as to the forward maga-
zine, there was a disposition not to accept
any implied statement as to its destruction.
Captain SIMPSONS recommendation that
contract be made with the best equipped
wrecking company to remove material and
| lift the ship without delay was in line with
| the action already taken in closing a con-
| tract with the two largest wrecking con-
Germs in the country by which their COM
bined facilities will be at the service OF the
government. The contract contains a
| clause binding the wreckers to use their
utmost efforts to expedite the work. so that
| the department feels that everything has
been done to carry out the views expressed
| by Captain Sampson. A clause of the con-
tract itemizes the amounts to be paid for
each branch of the wrecking work, viz:
Wrecking tug Underwater. $150 per day:
wrecking steamer Jones, 5000; lighter Sey-
mour, SIS; derrick Chief SIS; barge Lone
Star, $50; wrecking tug Right Arm, 5000:
wreck master, $15; wreckers. $3.50 each:
| divers, $50 each.
Evidently the president of the court of
| inquiry is fearful of the effect on the public
Of ill-judged attempts to account for the
destruction of the Maine. for this afternoon
he telegraphed Secretary Long, doubtless
having in mind certain publications of this
| morning, as follows: Havana. Feb. 2s:
Any reported interviews with divers un-
true Every precaution has been taken
Officers always present"
| This brief statement disposes of all the
allegations that have been made pro and
con as to the blowing up of the forward
| magazines.
| The noon mail brought to Secretary Long
| a letter from Admiral Sicard at Key West
The admiral wrote that he had not yet
recovered his health, and would be unable
| to go to sea with the squadron He will
remain on shore at his hotel in Key West
and retain command of the squadron from
| that place as long as 1t remains in the
| harbor there, relinquishing 1t only when
! 1t becomes necessary for the vessels to go
| to sea. 1t will be remembered that the
admiral has suffered an attack Of malarial
| I~,1 80 -
for two weeks just before the explosion Of
the Maine. He got as far as Tampa, but
returned Immediately to his command,
which for only one day he had left in the
hands of Captain Sampson. Should the
squadron be obliged to go to sea with the
| admiral i'll at Key West, and the senior
officer of his fleet, Captain Sampson, en-
gagged in the investigation at Havana.
probably the command of the squadron
| would devolve upon Captain Taylor now
commanding the battleship Massachusetts,
and commonly regarded as one of the
brightest and brainiest officers in the ma
| val service
A telegram from Key West received to-
day announced the sailing of Merritt g
Chapman's wrecking tug Right Arm from
| Key West for Havana last evening, so
without doubt the vessel is now In Havana
and has brought to Captain Slgsbee the
| reinforcements in the matter Of profess
|
quired. With this assistance It is be-
| lieyed that the work of recovering the
bodies In the wrecked forward portion of
| the Maine will be greatly facilitated
The battleship Texas and gunboat Nash
Wills sailed from Galveston this afternoon.
| The Texas goes to rejoin Admiral Sicard's
fleet and the Nashville to Key West for
| orders.
simultaneously with the departure OF the
Texas and Nashville from Galveston and
| Kew West, the Marblehead will leave New
Orleans and the Detroit will leave Mobile
| for Key West. These movements are also
a mart of the orders given early this month.
| before the Maine disaster. The navy de-
nartment had received no notification of
the actual sailing of the four ships up 70
noon. but It is expected to come during
| the day, in view Of the definite orders here
toforc given for their sailing on the 33d
| The Montgomery is also due at Key
west, having left San Domingo for Koy
West on the 18th. tx &
| The result will be 70 bring toKefhcr again
the large number Of vessels under Admiral.
Gfcard Il Kay WoSt and the imznediat1
ylalplty Ihsy &'lt q e NOV 3oEz. ne 4