Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-02-24

CmCAGo. Feb l7.-Thc Trihunc's
Washington correspondent SAYS: In
spite Of official Disclaimers. the opin-
ion is rapidly gaining ground here
that the destruction of the battlcShip
Maine in Havana harbor was not an
accident.
The excitement here Wednesday
night was intense, for, aside from the
appalling loss of life, there is feeling
that the destruction Of the Maine may
he. after all, only the opening gun of
actual hostilities, fired in n way pecu-
liarly Spanish and As opposed to the
usagcs of modern warfare, as has been
the whole course of events in Cuba for
nearly three years.
The United States government, pend
ing the result of the Of
fetal inquiry ordered by Secre-
tary Long, assumes that the
Maine was destroyed by an accidental
explosion. While this is the official
view, the suspicion is growing in and
out of the navy department, that the
disaster was the work of the Spaniards.
The place where the Maine was an
cho.ed was chosen 10y the Spanish har-
Dor master, and is said to have been
directly over the mine.
Key WEST, Feb. ls.-Capt. Sigsbee's
message To Commandant Forsyth, of
the naval station here, received We'd
nesday reads:
HAVANA. Feb. l1.-Advisc sending
American vessel at once The Maine
is submerged except the debris. Most
ly work for divers. Jenkins and Mer-
rift still missing, and there is but lit
tie hope for their safety. Those known
10 have been saved are the officers and
- unin jured of the crew. Eighteen
wounded men are now on board the
Ward line steamer, in the city hospital
and at the Mascotte hotel 50 SO far as
known. All the others went down on
board or near the Maine. The total
loss or missing is 25s. With several
exceptions no officer or man has more
shan part of a suit of clothing and that
is wet with harbor water
WASHINGTON, Feb. I7-After a day
of intense excitement at the navy de-
partment and elsewhere, growing out
of the destruction of the battleship
Maine, in Havana harbor Tuesday
night, the situation Wednesday night.
after the exchange of number of
cablegrams between Washington and
Havana. can be summed up in the words
of Secretary Long, when asked, as he
was about to depart for the day.
whether he had reason to suspect that
the disaster was the work of an enemy,
replied:
Il do not In that ! am influenced
by the fact that capt Sigsbee has not
yet reported TO the navy department
on the cause. lie is evidently waiting
to write a full report SO long as he
does not express himself | certainly
can not | should think from the in
dications, however. that there was an
accident-ihat the magazine exploded.
How that came about | do not know
For the present, at least, no other war
ship will be sent to Havana"
The appalling nature of the disaster
and the gravity of the situation that
would arise sh, uld investigation give
a basis for the undercurrent of sus-
picion of treachery and foul play that
ran through all minds, had a Soldering
effect on public men of all shades of
political opinion. The fact stands forth,
and is little less than remarka BILE. that
not a single resolution was introduced
or a single speech made in either house
Of congress, save one of coincidence
with the families of the killed, offered
by Mr.. Boutelle and adopted by the
house of representatives. Public men
oppressed their opinions with reserve
when approached for interviews. but
everywhere there was demand for an
investigation and full details in the
light of which the horror may be just
ly viewed.
Secretary Long undoubtedly sum-
married. the general opinion of the
majority of the naval experts in find
ing it impossible just now to state the
cause of the destruction of the Maine.
There are a great number of theories,
but most of them are of a character
that makes it easy to prove or upset
them by single investigation by a
diver. Secretary Long has taken i'm
mediate steps to make this investiga-
ton. Late Wednesday afternoon he
telegraphed to Adm. Sicard at
Key West to appoint a board of naval
officers to proceed at once to Havana,
employ divers and generally to make
such inquiry as the regulations of the
navy demand, shall be made in the
case of the loss of a ship. 1t is ex-
pected that this work will take some
time, and while there are officers who
say that in their opinion it will not be
possible, owing to the probably dis
rupted condition of the hull of the
ship TO make out the cause of the
explosion, the opinion of a
majority is that the ques-
ton will be easily settled by
the simple observation of the condition
Of the ships hull plates in the neigh
borhood Of the hole which sunk her,
whether or not they are bulged out, as
would be the case if the explosion came
from the inside, or whether they were
driven in, as would result from the at
tack of a torpedo or the explosion of a
mine beneath the ship. The large ma
| jority of naval officers are inclined
to the belief that the explosion re
suited from spontaneous combustion
Of a coal bunker; the over-heating
Of the iron partitions between
the boilers and the magazine or from
the explosion of . boiler, though the
lest therry aads little support