The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-24
sOAfiDJzzYssTORlES

some DlZZYSSI0RiES
About tht ,iain. Dl,a,ttr, but the navy
Department lSnows So,hinE About
Them. & n q. h ~ h Nv d
NEW YORK, Feb, ga dlspa,ch{to
THE Herald from Havana says: " "
The further the inquiry into the cais--
les thar led 10 the Maine disaster pro-
icseds the more remote appear the
chances that any evidence Win be dis,
covered 10 show TINT the disaster was
due to accident. b & 4, IA
IA Those divers who penetrated into the
forward part OF the wreck found that
the whole forward end OF the ship from
q point Just abaft the forward turret
had been twisted fifteen or twenty de-
grecs 10 starboard. That part OF the
vessel wns n wilderness OF debris, and
curlcd and twisted plates. h Z. 4
The sharp, Jagged edges OF come Of
the plates added danger TO the difficult
ties OF the divers, getting lie lines In
to O .tangle and traying the cords, In
one instance they elmost cut through
q rubber tube which supplied a diver
with air. = G i5
One Important discovery made was
the position OF the bodies found In the,
wreck, one hundred Of which were
floating about the torn con, apartments
a foil score OF these were examined BY
my Informant. All OF these bodies
were In hamnocks. and oil had the
arms curved upward. They looked as n
the men had been startled bv soma
sudden shock OF danger and were In the
act Of reaching up for their hammock
hooks to swing themselyes on deck
when death came. 81
I; This seems to confirm what has al
ready been said about there having been
two explos!ons--thc fret startling the
men into the act OF arising from their
hammocke, the other dashlng the life
opt Of them while they were 10 that po-
sitlon. G22f Il
Before the explosion the ten-lnch
magazine was located on the starboard
'turret. What IL loft OF the magazine
port bow In a diagonal and upward dt.
rcctlon. ss ! 4
The. six-ineh magazine, which had Its
.lOGhllIi AL hLlV pUi siSg OhtShC uhtp wi
ward. was hurled IN q direction directly.
opposite to that OF the tcn-inch maya
zine. One OF tho copper Cylindrical
tanks for the slx-inch magazine was
found by divers in the wreck OF that
structure. It contained no powder.
charge. 4
The ten-ineh magazine has not been
closely examined at this writing, but
rttrha tnupncttpu ~ n made
leads TO the belief that big pile of
twisted wrecknge that lies about the
top OF It Is composed OF unexploded ten
inch charges.
The theory OF. the two explosions Is
borne out by the testimony OF Senior
Antonio Cabaiero, a tobacco dealer OF
Havana. Senior Cabalero was crossing
the bay in a ferry boat at the time OF
the disaster He was familiar with the
Maine, having paid sevral visits 70 that
craft and was pointing out to a group
OF friends on the ferry. beat her pecu-
liarlues. "
There came, Just at that Instant. he,
says. . dull report from the forward
part Of the chip, the upheaval Of a
seyser of water about the boat, follow
ed almost instantly by terrific roar
and binding flash OF light
He Is positive about the first explo-
sion, and says 1t was not noticed by
his companions. This statement Of his
came to the ears OF one OF, the court OF
inquiry and last night an officer was
sent 10 Senior Cabalero to ask him II he
would appearSas q witness before the
court. He announced his willingness to
do SO. - s 81 81 As - ~. 3, g K
Many strange tales OF the disaster are
brought out os the days wear on. One
of these was made yesterday when
the captain OF an English bark anchor
ed In the harbor, nearly a mile dlstan.
from the Maine told how beyh!skered
Jaw had fallen on deck OF his vessel.
The captain has been asked to appear
as a witness before the court Of in-
quiry. : n.