The times., 1898-02-18
INTEREST IS STILL KEEN.
The Maine Disaster the Sole Topic
at the Capitol.

the DattleShip Maine in the hdrbor OF
Havana Tuesday night. There has been
less of talk on the part of public men.
but this is due to the cooI-headed judS
| ment of the American people. which sug-
gests the propriety Of awaiting accurate
information from Capt. Sigsbee before
forming positive conclusions as TO what
policy should be pursued. Public feeling
has not abated in. the least
On the contrary. the absence of official
infoITna ton and the failure of the Navy
Department to repudate the suspicion
that the attack on the Maine came from
without has only confirmed the suspicious
so freely given utterance TO Wednesday.
II Is impossible to eradicate from the
| minds of members of Congress the pre-
vaiiing idea that this deplorable accident
was due TO an attack from an enemy, he
that enemy in collusiOn with the Spanish
government or some independent fansrtic,
who had access to the mines submerged
in the harbor over which the Maine had
been anchored at the suggestion of the
Spanish authorities or some person in
possession of dynamite bomb smuggled
aboard the ship.
The feeling at the Capitol yesterday
was Of that character which plainly in
dicates the approaching storm. and If it
should be proven by the court of inquiry.
appointed yesterday. that the Maine
was blown up by an act OF treachery no
power ON earth can prevent the outburst
of Indignation, which is now pent up only.
by reason of the absence of positive and
that this accident was due TO some fright
ful mistake on the part of either officers
or crew of the battleship the impression
prevails generally that the investigation
will show this to have been impossible.
The absence of any further report from
Capt. Sigsbee and the refusal of the Navy
Department TO discuss this phase of the
case only strengthens this opinion in the
public mind Every possible contingency
or accident that could have occurred on
board such Il ship has been carefully
weighed and considered by naval experts.
and these men have. almost without
ception, reached the conclusion that an
accident capable of doing this enormous
damage could not have happened within
the vessel itself without the aid OF an
initial blow against the hull.
The feeling of bitterness against the
Spanish people. and especially against
the authorities in Havana, has not been
Modified by the receipt OF the information
that the Spanish authorities have sum-
moned Capt. Sigsbee to apear before
military court and answer questions re-
garding the disaster. This would seem
TO indicate that the Spanish authorities
are attempting TO take charge of the in
Yestigation and head of. if possible. such
Investigation as this Government may
see fit 10 prosecute. Members of the
committees on Naval Affairs and on For
eign Relations assert that such a pro-
eeeding would not be tolerated il it was
the intention of the Spanish government
to substitute their own investigation for
such inquiry as the Navy Department
had ordered. II is not believed that Spain
would go to the extent of prohibiting the.
United States naval authorities from
sending its wreclSng boats to the harbor
for the purpose of removing the wreck or
would protest against the use of its own .
divers in an effort to ascertain exactly /
how the accident happened. On the con
tr5 ry. in order TO allay public feeling in Z
the United States. the Spanish authori-
ties will probably give all the aid and .
assistance possible in the prosecution of
that work, for any other course would
be practically an admission that the .
Spaniards were parties TO the crime or
feared to permit the truth to become
public
One prominent member of the commit /
tee. in discussing the case yesterday aft
ernooH. said that, had the Maine thrown
out her torpedo nets. the accident prob
ably could not have occurred. in the way
public opinion now holds that it did oc-
cur. but. at the same time. he admitted
that to have done this would proba bly,
have been construed by Spain as an af-
front. The battleship went to Havana
presumably on a friendly mission She
was anchored at the precise spot indi-
Gated by the local authorities, it being
we'll known that the representatives of
the home government always assign the
berth to be occupied by visiting war
ship. In this case the Maine is supposed
il the torpedo theory is tenabIe, to have
been placed directly over portion OF
the submarine mine with which the har-
Dor is known 10 be protected. A visiting
going into a harbor as did the
Maine, controlled by a government with
which the American Government is ut
peace, was not supposed to take more
than ordinary precautions for the well
fare and safety of the vessel. 1t was
incumbent upon the Spanish authorities
to protect the visitor against all comers
and if the accident was due to an at
tack from the outside, whether the Span
Ish government was q party TO that at
tack or not. il is claimed by some Sem
ators that Spain is responsible to this
Government for the damage done
1t is probable that as soon as the in
vestigatiou is over this Government will
make demand upon Spain for instant
and for exemplary damages for the loss
Of men. Should this demand be not com
Dlied with, more serious results will prob
tbly follow. IT is well understood that in
the event the investigation shows the ex-
Dlosion was caused by u torpedo. the
spanish government will dissvow the act.
but If the policy to be pursued by in
luential men in Congress prevails this
iisavowal will by no means end the mat
er. The dispatches from Havana show
hat there have been ali sorts OF threats
made against the battleship and against
Americans generally. The location of the
'hips in the harbor.i is pointed out, bears