The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-12
THE WRECK!kG OF THE MAINE.
CAPTAIN PERAL TALKS OF THE
DISASTER.
Does Not Believe It Was Due to an
Outside Explosion, but to
Some Inside Accident.

HAVANA, March 11-To-day Cap
tain Peral, President of the Spanish
Naval Court of Inquiry into the cause
of the Maine disaster, granted an in
tervieW to the correspondent of the
Associated Press, when he authorized
him to say it was the first and only in
terview he had given any newspaper on
the subject of the inquiry With him
in the naval court is Lieutenant Salas.
He has power to call in for consultation
any army or navy engineer or expert
in explosives or marine building, and
| he has twice called in such.
Captain Peral said: Our divers are
hard at work examining the hull Of
the Maine. Great difficulty is eXper-
fenced, owing to the deep mud III which
the Maine is buried and the condition
of the wreck forward of amidships.
The whole forward part of the ship is a
mass of iron and steel debris. We
have hoisted up much of it, but in the
mud it is not always possible to tell
what parts of the ship, armor, decks,
beams or StanchionS are found the
explosion so changed their position.
we think we have located the ram
or prov, but not in the position sup
posed The forward turret. mounting
two large guns, was blown clear Of the
hull into the water on the starboar,V
We shall continue our work and try to-
examine the huh forward down to the
keel 1t is probable that We may pro-
pose to the American authorities to
raise the hull by means of the float
ing hull brought from England. and
now in Havana harbor
We cannot believe there was an ex-
ternal explosion OF a torpedo for the
following reasons:
"A torpedo following the line of least
resistance must have blown a great
hole in the mud III the bottom of the
harbor. No such hole was found. \
torpedo must have thrown large mass
of water into the air if exploded at a
depth of only twenty-five feet or so. or
at least have produced a wave reach
ing the other ships and the shore Of
the harbor. We have examined every
one on shipboard or shore who saw the
explosion. but no one can be found
who remarked any unheaval of the
water or big wave A torpedo ex-
plosion always kills fish in the vicin-
ity. No fish We're killed by the Maine
disaster, as fishermen who have known
/ TINS harDor FOR many years testify
10 produce the effect noted in the
wreck, a torpedo would have had to be
OF enormous size, fully 100 or 300 kilos.
am, therefore. Of opinion that the
explosion occurred within the ship.
Know and respect Captain Sigsbee anl
beileVe the American regulations af-
fecting naval conduct. which / have
read and found admirable. We're care
fully observed. But some things which
cannot be foreseen are bound to hap
pen in any navy l have been reading
of the explosion in the English shin
Dolera. which the English believe. was
caused by chemical combustion in the
paint used for quick driving. I have
also read an English account of shells
thai were found burst onen because
of hardening points that split and pro-
duced heat, thus flashing the powder
IN the interior of the shell.
las have said. | do not believe There
was any carelessness on the part Of
the officers of the Maine 1 do be-
lieve this was an accident which colI|d
not possibly have been foreseen Such
is my judgment at present. with the
49, Aue't s'l1 III Tie POSSESSION OF the
court. When our court OF inquiry
finally decides. the decision will be. in
accordance with the best evidence that
can he produced We are having pians
diagrams and drawings of the wreck
made as fast as the divers are able
10 give US definite information
Captain Peral was most courteou,
during the entire interview. He Illus
/ trated some of the points he made by
sketches on the desk before him. He
spoke as Judge would whose mind
was ready to weigh any eviden e
brought before the court over which
he presided.
Captain Peral requested the CORE
spondent to make it known that be
had granted the interview in his I'M
official capacity. and not as President
of the Spanish court Of inquiry, which
the law forbids him to do.
The court of inquiry did little to-
day. spending much of the time watch
ing the wreckels at work Commander
Converse and Captain Sigsbee We're in
consultation with the court, though
not officially.