Evening star., 1898-02-16
OFFICERS PUZZLED
Naval Experts Cannot Agree on the
Cause.
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN ON SHIPB0ARD
Some Ascribe the Disaster to Spon-
taneous Combustion.
CON ENCES OF CHIEFS

obstruction of the Maine. Perhaps a ma
Jcrity inclined to the belief that the
explosion was purely accidental; another
considerable number feel that a torpedo
was exploded under the vessel and third
that some Internal machine was smuggled
aboard the ship and set of. In the present
lack of knowledge az to the condition of
the wreck 1t is not thought to be possible
to say on which theory the balance Of
probability lies. An examination by
diver of the hull of the Maine would demon
strate instantly whether or not a torpedo
had been used. for in case it had the
plates of the hull would surely be driven
In. On the other hand protruding plates
would be evidence that the explosion
was purely internal
Capt Sigsbees brief report as we'll as
Gen. Lees dispatch, indicates that they
Eow incline strongly to the belief that
the explosion was of Internal origin.
Both agree that the force Of 1t was in the
forward part Of the ship, and this is borne
out by the escape of the majority of the
officers and the heavy casualties among
the crews sleeping forward. Probably in
the latter case the death list would have
been even larger, but for the fact that
the Maine having superstructure for
ward on the main deck, a portion of the
crew were quartered there and so escaped
the greater violence of explosion as TeIt on
the berth deck below them.
Maine Had Three Magazines.
The Maine had three magazines. The
one forward was used for the storage of
ammunition for the big ten-inch lurret
gins There were eighty rounds of this
ammunition, weighing 5000 pounds. So
large this quantity of explosive that
the naval officers here can scarcely believe
it was possible for any human being OF
board the Maine to have escaped alive had
this magazine exploded entirely. There
was no smokeless powder on beard the
ship. and the ten-inch ammunition was
made up of brown prismatic powders. Not
only Ii this powder most carefully packed
in Theoretically sealed copper cases. but
its heat-ressting qualities are so great
that ii cannot be ignited by the flame Of g
match, 600 degrees Fahrenheit being the
amount of heat that must be applied for
some time to set of the powder. On the
other hand 1t is readily as in the
case Of the charge in a gun. by the explo-
sion of good quantity of fulminte.
Precautions on shipbOard.
Every precaution is adopted aboard ship
to safeguard the magazine. In its vi
cinity sentry stands on duty contin-
ually. The doors are closed Theoretically
except when the ship is cleared for action.
At o'clock every night the temperature
is taken and the keys of the lock door
are placed in the captains hands for the
night. The records of the Navy Depart
ment show that eighty-seven degrees was
the maximum temperature in the Names
magazine during the past month, very
low and safe temperature. These facts
make it extremely difficult to account for
the explosion, particularly as no visitors
are admitted under any circumstances to
the magazine. OF course, it is possible
that there was spontaneous combustion of
some fulminite or gun cotton intended for
use in torpedoes. There were no steam
pipes or furnaces near enough to the mag
azlne to cause the belief that they might
have exploded the powder. The coal bunk
ers were in the neighborhood, and it is
Just possible that in them might be found
the origin of the accident. 1t depends on
whether they were empty or contained coal
to some degree. 1t is said to be the prac-
tce of commanders to empty the fore
bunkers of the ship first, in which case
the Names bunkers in that quarter were
probably emptied. owing to the length of
her stay in Havana harbor.
Belief of the Construction Bureau
heved that 1t will be found that the plates
OF the Maine are bent inward. This wou,d
ndicate the explosion of a torpedo be-
meath the vessel. That there was an ex
pioslon of the Maine's forward magazine
no one at the department will admit Com
modore Hichborn said that there was only
pro"h powder on board, and that would
not explode from ordinary concussion or
coihoustion Proof Of this was had on the
cincinnati, where fire was found In con-
tact with brown powder in one of her
magazines and red-hot Goals were there
extinguished without the slightest tndica-
uoh OF ignition or explosion of the DOW
uer- Inc magazine was carefully inspect
ed at O'Clock last night-a little over
an hour and a half before the destruction
OF the vessel, and everything reported all
rlsht Any SUFFICIENT cause of the explo-
sion could not have been present at that
Time The theory of spontaneous combus
uOn is thought of as possible cause but
no" that could have exploded the brown
powder Is quite as inexplicable as any
other feature of the affair.
Commander Dickins' Theory.
Commander Dickins, chief of the naviya-
uon bureau. expressed the opinion TODAY
mat the explosion took place in the maea
zihe OF the Maine. He said that this was
evident Tor the reason that the ship was
afioat for an hour after the explosion. Had
torpedo been fired under the battle shin
she would have sunk almost Immediately
and the fact that she had not done so was
conclusive evidence the firing of a tor
pedo was not the cause of the disaster.
Conference Of Chiefs.
Both Secretary Long and Assistant Secre-
tary Roosevelt called consultation in the
forenoon of all of the chiefs of the Navy
Department and several of the officers of
high rank not directly attached, such as
commodore Schley, president of the light
house board. who has brilliant reputation
as gallant officer. while possessed of great
discretion. The purpose of these consulta-
dons was to secure the best expert testi-
mony as to the probable cause of the dis
aster while at the same time ascertaining
to what extent the naval situation has been
affected by the loss of the Maine A good
deal of disQuiet was exhibited when 1t was