The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-15

time of the explosion and had about
ten feet of water below her bottom to
the surface of the harbor mud. On the
port side, where the United States div
ers are now al work, there is at pres
ent forty seven feet of water. May
not this be the hole which Captain
Peral says could lot be found? If it
is. the hole was more han seven feet
deep when the explosion too place,
and has been greatly filled with mud
since.
THE SPANISH FISH STORY EX-
PLODED.
AS to the finding of dead fish, the
United States court Of inquiry has not
seen a solitary fish since work began
on the wreck. The bodies recovered
from the Maine have not been touched
by fishes. Some Of the fishermen in
Havana testified that there were no
fish inside the harbor, the waters be
ing too foul for them. Sometimes they
come part way in during the day but
all go out at night.
WHAT SPANISH DIVERS FIND.
Further, as TO the alleged discover
les Of Spanish divers reported to Cap
tain Pera1, five American divers nave
been working on the port side of the
wreck an average of seven hours each
per day for nearly three weeks, in a
space fifty feet long and twenty feet
wide. The Spanish Rivers have never
been inside the wreck at all, neither
have they eve been on the port side,
devOting the short hours which they
have spent under water to the star
board side Onward and outside the
hull. Recently, to their own surprise,
they brought up two ans Of ammuni-
ton for the six inch guns, not exploded.
They dropped them back when the
light Of the surface showed they were
uneXplOded and What their nature was.
Further, the Spanish divers often go
down only long enough to wet their
suits and then come III and hide be-
hind a blanket on the barge, where
they sleep or rest for a couple of hours
and then go ashore and report that
they cannot see anything in the mud
~d water. They could not have Oun
the ram Of the Maine, since they nave
not been dow in the locality of that
part Of the wreck. They have not To-
Gated the turret with the 10 inch guns,
though the spot has been pointed out
by Captain Sharp, in charge of the
WreckerS where there is only sixteen
feet and should be twenty six feet.
This spot is outside the hull on the star
board side. 1t is prObObly that the
turret is there, partly buried in the
mud. AN of these facts are Known by
the United States court if inquiry, hav-
ing been ELECTED in the examination of
those in a position to know.
The expert interviewed by the CORE
~SpOndent expresses the belief that the
Maine vas blown up by what is known
as a Newport Torpedo Station torpedo
or something Of the same nature. This
ngine of destruction is the joint pro-
duct of the labor OF Commander Con-
rn1-A 80. ~ IL -
Lieutenant Commander Mclean, now
in command of the torpedo station at
Newport, and Senior Lieutenant HOl-
man, ordnance officer Of the Maine at
the time of the explosion. The New
port torpedo can ibe planted from a
small boat, and the expert believes that
this one was exploded by being struck
on the port side of the Maine forward
of a~midships as she swung to her moor
ings. He thinks this more likely thar
that wires were laid from the shore, as
the wires, if laid for any length of time
would sink deep in the loose harbOr
mud. 1t would he singular if it should
prove that the Maine was blown up by
a torpedo in the invention of which one
Cf her principal officers, Lieutenant
Holman, bore a notable part.
All of the above statements of fact
and surmises come from authority
upon which the court depends for
much of it's evidence, and is given to
the correspondent without reservation
except as to the name and rank of the
officer. The expert further believes
that the destroying mine was made up
of four torpedoes of thirty-siX pounds
each of wet and dry gun cotton, or IA
pounds in all. This amount would have
been ample to blow the entire forward
part of the Maine clear ever to star
board as undoubtedly was done.
In the judgement of the correspond
ent the United States court of inquiry
IS fully aware of the views which the
Spanish court will promulgate and has
made a careful investigation on the
same lines so as to be able either to
refute or confirm the Spanish state
ments.
A story is current here, but is not
confirmed, that Captain Sampson has
been advised from Washington that
President Mckinley is ready at any
time to receive the courts report, and
that Captain Sampson replied by a long
cipher cablegram to the secretary of
the navy.
SPANISH PICKET BOATS.
a careful watch is kept on board and
about the cruiser Montgomery, but the
officers of that vessel say that 10 such
nervous vigilance Is SHOWN as Is ulS-
played by the Vizcaya and the Almi-
rante OquendO, both of which are moor
ed nearby. The Spanish ships at night
constantly have patrol boats out, which
frequently stop harbOr boats coming
within the lines of the pickets.
Senior Sagasta, the Spanish prime
minister. has written a letter to an in
innate friend, which was read at a
meeting of conservatives here last
Thursday. In this letter the premier
says that the disarming of the volun-
teers had been determined upon, but
that the publication of the intention
to disarm them was premature.
The general government is using
strong efforts to induce conservative
Cubans to take part in the coming cleo
tons, as it is feared that the impress
sion will get abroad that the conserva-
tives prefer independence OIL the an
nexation of the island TO the United
States to autonomy.
Miss Clara Barton's presence in anx-
iously awaited at Colon,
province, where hundreds are starving.