Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-04-04
WR4T THE REPORT SHOWS.

and bottom plates Of the Maine. The
m 2 gazine explosion did not precede
and cause the submarine mine ex-
plosion Tic submarine mine explo-
sion did precede and cause the mag
azine explosion. For the condition of
the wreck, with it's keel thirty feet
and it's bottom plates thirty four feet
above their normal position, show the
operation of a force from beneath,
while the exclusion of all causes of a
primary magazine explosion (such as
bunker fires, combustion Of paints,
chemicals, waste, etc., shows that
the force from beneath was set in
operation from an extraneous source.
What was the source? To answer
the question we must inquire into the
nature of the force. What is a sub
marine mine? It is not an impromptu
conUrivance, such as anarchists use.
It is doubtful if any private individual
could obtain possession Of such an
engine of destruction. It's name does
not cover any chance store Of eXplo-
sives that may be placed under water.
It has fixed military meaning. 1t
expresses a large receptacle for ex-
plosives anchored TO the bottom Of
harbor, and IN modern practice con-
nected by wire with an electric bat
terry on shore from which it's contents
may be detonated Or exploded. Such
is the "observation' mine, the only
one of the three kinds known to mill
tary science capable of causing such
destruction as this. It consists Of a
cylindrical case of thirty two by
thirty four inches, containing 500
pounds Of gun cotton, the necessary
electrical appliances and 500 pound
anchor. It is a machine SO large that
its planting in busy harbor without
the knowledge Of the harbor authori-
ties may be dismissed as practically
impossible. Some idea of it's magni-
tude may be gathered from it's effects
as compared with those of the much
dreaded and discussed torpedo. In
this case, according to the testimony
Of Ensign Powelson, this ship, "for
ward of the after smokestack had
type now in use ever accomplished
more than the blowing in of hole in
a vessels bottom plates, permitting
her to sink gradually to the bottom.
The crew of the Chinese battleship
struck by Japanese torpedo at Wei
Hal Wei described the shock as
''gentle jarring." The term describes
by contrast the nature Of the impact
OF this mine upon the Maine.
Such a contrivance as a private sub
marine mine being practically up
known, the question remains as to
how government submarine mine is
In the United States
service, and in those, we believe, of
all the world, no other part of nation
al defense is guarded with such Sc
crecy. The department in charge of
these engines shares its knowledge
with no other department. More
than this, a few only of the officers of
the department in charge are ac
quainted with the two secrets of the
location of the mine and of the work.
ing of the battery. The reason is evil
dent. The power to do what was
done to the Maine is intrusted to few
men and alone upon those whose dis
erection there is imposed, rightfully Or
not, the most perfect reliance. More
ouar. IF o., y1ptroiroI mon FOOLS with,
a "detonator," as the firing fuse is
called, he is likely to blow up any
thing but his chosen objective. In
brief, if the Maine had been blown up
in the Harbor of Bermuda the British
would have been able to
lay it's finger on the author of her de-
struction within an hour from the
time of it's completion. If the Viz
caya had been blown up in the Harbor
of New York the same duty and the
same opportunity to perform itwould
have devolved upon the Government
of the United States.
IF the Government of Spain was
not able, in similar period, to lay
it's finger on the man who blew up
the Maine-why not? The only pos
sibly exculpatory answer is that it
had traitor in it's service who har
bored and used the fearful secret of a
former government.
To these conclusions, which we
have arrived at in the most dispas-
sionate manner possible, we believe
that the whole world must come. The
court of inquiry fixes no RESPONSE
bility, indeed. But the court of in
curry is not of counsel for the United
States before an international tri-
bunal. Nor is it a branch of a de-