The herald., 1898-04-15

n came from some OF the subaltern ON
GERS who had been there under Weyler
and who were probably anti-Blanco any
how. and who had full knowledge of the
business"
General Lee said that he had seen a
copy of a telegram from Admiral Man.
terola, dated Havana, prior to the Maine
explosion to the Spanish Commissioner
in London, asking the commission to
"Hurry UP the electrical cables"
whether that referred to wire for
submarine mines or torpedoes, I don't
know" he continued. IT tried to as
certain If any of the wire or electrical
cables had arrived there, but they came
ON Spanish ships and could not find
out"
General Lee said that his testimony in
regard to the Manterola and all of that
with reference to the Weyler telegram
had been furnished to the Court of In
ouiry, which investigated the Maine dis
aster, but had not been sent to Con-
gress nor published because Of request
of his made to the State Department not
to make them public. "as 1 was afraid
the Spanish papers there would repub-
lish 1t and they would probably kill the
man that gave it to me-"
Continuing his testimony, General Lee
said that ten minutes after the explosion
he was at the Palace talking to General
Blanco and that the latter gave him an
order for a boat to take him out into
the harbor Senator Morgan asked II,
when he got to the waters edge, he saw
any lights burning.
II did not notice that" said General
Lee. "But have made inquiries since
and have ascertained that no electric
lights went out. I sent for electric
light men and gas men. Some gas jets
went out in one or two places, caused
by the shock or something, but could
not ascertain from these men that a
single electric light went out. One of
the electric light men whom I called up
is friend of mine and he sent for the
man who has direct charge of the lights,
who came to my Office. This man said
he had not heard of any such thing.
said I wanted to know with certainty
He then made an exploration OF an
hour or two and then returned. saying
that with the exception of one electric
light near the harbor and one at another
place not very far distant, where he
thought perhaps the lights may have
gone out by the shock, no other electric
lights went out"
General Lee also said that he had not
felt the shock of the explosion at the
hotel.
Have you heard since the explosion
of the Maine any expression by Spanish
officers in relation to it, indicating their
pleasure at the fact?" asked Senator
Frye.
General Lee responded: 81 heard two
or three days afterwards from various
persons who came in that there was
good deal of rejoicing among some of
the officers. All reports I got said that
they were drinking champagne, quite
thing to do in honor of the event, and
in different portions of the city officers
We're making merry. I attribute 1t to
the fact that they considered almost an
enemy's ship had been blown up and 1t
was that much in their favor"
He said he had not heard any threats
or illusions to the destruction of the
Maine previous to the explosion.
Senator Lodge asked if he had heard
of an attempt on the Montgomery.
"I heard" responded General Lee,
that there was something of that sort
one evening, but I believe upon investi-
cation it was found that 1t did not
amount to anything"
The following colloquy between Sena-
tor Foraker and General Lee brought
out some further opinions of the Cen
eral in regard to the destruction Of the
Maine:
Senator Foraker-You think that no
novice could have destroyed the
Maine?
General Lee-Oh, no, sir. The man
who did that work was an officer thor
oughly acquainted with explosives of
all sorts, and who knew all about it. II
was very we'll done.
Senator Foraker-A man who had ex-
pert knowledge, necessarily?
General Lee-Yes, sir.
Senator Clark-And who must have
knowledge of the torpedo location?
Gen. Lee-Yes. l have never been certain
that the submarine explosive was placed
there prior to the entrance of the Maine