The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-04-21
THE FATAL MINE
That Blew Up the Maine Was Laid BY
Order Of Can't. Gen. Weyler



CHICAGO, April 15.-The Times. Her
aid says:
Charles A. Crandall, alias Emanuel
Escadaro, who, acting under the per-
sonal orders of Capt. Gen. Weyler,
planted the mines and torpedoes in the
harbor of Havana, had been run t.
earth in Chicago. Thursday night
he was in the custody of three
United States secret service agents,
who are taking him to Washington,
where he is expected to give informa-
tion to prove beyond any possible
doubt that the Maine was blown up by
mine and her 266 officers and crew
murdered designedly by agencies
known to the Spanish officials. He was
run down by Cuban spy
Crandalls statements are substan-
tiated by letters in his possession from
officials of Gen. Weyler's staff and from
Weyler himself.
His story is as follows:
"My name is Charles A. Crandall I
am an American by birth. and former.
ly lived in New York City. l served in
the United States on the cruiser San
Francisco. under Capt. Sampson and
Adm. Brown. 1t was while in the
United States service that l made
study of mines and torpedoes.
II left the army and went to Lima
Peru, where / entered the eml 10y of
Grace & Co., of London. in their nitro
beds While at Lima l met many
Spaniards One of til, m, Emil Castillo
an agent of the Spanish government,
induced me to go to Cuba as an expert
on coast defense for Gen. Weyler.
II was given free transportation to
the island. and when arrived there
met Antonio Marco Diaz, who assig a.i
me to harbor work for tori edo a.i.i
mine anchorage. There werl num.
Der of mines and torpedoes stored at
the navy yard, and others were on
their way from England.
II began laying the mines and tor
pedoes early in the spring of 1896, and
finished about a year later. My work
was performed at night. was assist
| ed by five Italian laborers and two
Spanish boatmen. In all II mines and
ten torpedoes were placed. The mines
were made in England and the torpe-
does in Italy. The work of laying them
| was slow, because it was ordered that
l should not work on moonlight nights
for fear of creating suspicion.
"When my work was completed Gen.
Weyler ordered me to place an addi-
tional mine near buoy No. 4. which
made complete chain of mines about
the harbor from side to side, from the
mouth of the harbor to the last anchor.
age.
"On one occasion Gen. Weyler sent
for me to visit him at the palace, with
the directions that should appear in
| the uniform of an officer of artillery,
a uniform being sent me for that
| purpose.
"When l went to the palace Gen.
| Weyler asked me if it were possible for
ship to enter the harbor or leave it
with the chain of torpedoes and mines
there. He wanted it to be made abso-
| lutely sure. showed him my rough
chart, and he personally directed sew.
eral changes, especially in the chan.
nels opposite the navy yard.
''When my work was done and his
artillery aid had approved of the
| plans he handed me my passport to
| Key West, and assured me that
would not receive pay until the first
mine or torpedo was used. remained
in Havana until February 10, when
went to Key West, where stayed un-
til March 8. on which date received
my first Spanish gold from Havana
from the hand of Spanish messenger.
| ''Aftcr the Maine was blown up !
kept in hiding with q colored family
near Ft. Taylor, or the BARRACKS, and
rs soon as received word to skip out
left as a stowaway on the first
steamer for Miami. The Maine was
anchored at the identical buoy that
Gen. Weyler ordered me to place the
additional mine, being officially known
as buoy No. T.
"These mines were anchored by cable
and chain. There were two sets that
could be fred Observation-Disclosures is,
the chain at the mouth of the harbor
and the others in the interior circle.
From Miami l went to Nashville,
where l received the following letter
from Havana, dated March l, 1898:
destroy all evidence. Go to New
York. Ticket for London awaits you
there. DIAZ."
II did not 60 to New York, but
| went to st. Louis, and from there
came to Chicago. was in hopes there
would be war, SO might be on hand
to play an active part, and use the
mines and torpedoes upon the Spanish
boats
"The mines and torpedoes can be
fired either from Moro Castle, Cabanas
or the navy yard. 1t would have been
impossible for any one other than a
Spanish officer to have fred them, and
no one but Weyler and his adjutants
knew where they were or where the
firing galleries were located"
Crandall AYERS that he was directed
to assume the name of Escadaro by
Gen. Weyler. He has several letters
from Weyler regarding his work, and
q general military pass from that Off.
Ger. permitting him and five others tc