The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-04-06

TEE
pumber= Of mii.lrs, eighe or ten of
which were placed in Havana narbor
lie raid they were made in g. epe-
ciai Ways h.d .pecial'ys constructed
cable, which he can identify if the
smallest piece is produced, and he
added that some of the mines were
fixed go that they could be fred from
q fort. while two of them bad bulbs
so arranged that they would explode
ueon vessel coming into contact
with them. The man added, howev-
er, that be did not believe The bulbs
would be used in water as shallow as
that of Havana harbor. Finally, the
man exhibited plans of one Of these
mines, which be said was the most
likely to produce the effect described
as causing the wreck of the Maine.
# vas numbered .s2." aud was coll
structed to contain five hundred
pounds Of guncotton.
Lieutenant Commander j G Col
well, the United States naval at
tache has since investigated the mat
ter end has made report on the
subiect.io the United States govern.
meDt
HAVANA HARR0R MINED
The facts learned strongly tend t
show chat Havana harbor was mined,
and they unquestionably prove that
Spain purchased mines for that pur
pose The 6rm Of Lattimer, Rhodes
8 Clark, electrical engineers, during
1887 SO filed a large order for Spain
of q lot of -mines.-in which we're used
fourteen and a half tons of guncot
ten. The work was done under the
surveillance Of General Fernsndez
and Captain Bustamento The latter
was then the head of the Spanish
torpedo school By order of these
officers, the mines were divided into
sonr consignments, for Havana, Fer.
rol, Cadiz and Carthagena. The
mines were manufactured under the
direction of J. P Gibbons. after
Gibbons patents. which are describ
ed in Sieman's book on torpedoes and
mines
Gibbons, from whom reporter Of
the Associated Press obtains the In
formation, and who furnished to
Lieutenant Commander Colwell a
written statement of the above
acts and outlined his theory of the
explosion which wrecked tho Maine.
was then employed by the firm as
superintendent of the torpedo depart
ment. He also says similar lot of
torpedoes was manufactured for Spain
in 1896
TIE STORY CONFIRMED
The manager of the Westminster
Engineering company, which is the
successor of the aforementioned firm,
and with which Gibbons is connect.
ed, confirms the latter's statement as,
to the manufacture Of mines for
Spain
Gibbons, who is q former sergeant
of engineers and q government in
spector of torpedoes, believes the
M aine's first explosion was caused
BY what is techically called ground
mine, containing Eve hundred pounds
of guncotton, several Of which were
manufactured for Spain
He has experimental with these
mines largely at Portsmouth, and
says that. once laid, they retain their
properties for so years. In addition,
Gibbons asserts that it is absolutely
impossible for them to explode acci-
den.elIy, as the electric currents for
their explosion are formed only by
the manipulation of a complicated
keyboard, especially devised to pre-
vent accidents Three keys are ne
ceesary, which are always kept in
the possession of different officers.
and even if an outsider obtained pos
session of them. it would be impos.
sibIe to manipulate the keyboard
without instructions.
Gibbons further :..says the mines
and their connecting cables are num-
besed, and he asserts he would be
able to identify them if any part is
secured
Mckinley Misunderstood. .