The herald., 1898-03-03
DIVERS DISCOVERIES
SHOW THE NAMES BACK TO BE
BROKEN
NO EXPLOSION FROM INSIDE
Gould Possibly Have Caused the Con-
dition Of Things Positively
Alleged to Exist
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, March "A dispatch te
the Herald from Havana says: TIL.
Names back was broken. Latest dis
coveries made by the divers not only
support the information printed by tbs
Herald concerning disclosures of para.
mount Importance, by Ensign Powell
son, but convince those in charge of the
submarine investigation beyond al
doubt that a mine rent the United States
battleship asunder. The keel of the
ship has been found in two pieces, the
nearest ends of which are now separated
by distance of from two and one-hali
to three feet. The sections are on longer
lying on one straight line, but show the
effect of a force executed from port tc
starboard.
1t is evident from the discovery of the
present condition of the keel that the
section of the bottom found twenty
nine feet from it's natural position was
wrenched from the keel by the first ex-
plosion and driven upwards. The keel
itself was forced in the middle until 1t
was broken in two and then collapsed
in two sections, which fell in the posi-
tloH III WHICH the UlVeTS lOuHu tHeln
yesterday.
Reliable persons familiar with the re-
suit Of high explosives and with the
wreck above and under water, say that
the breaking Of the keel as now disclosed
could not possibly have been done by
an inside explosion alone.
In fact, this last discovery of the man
ner in which the Names back was brok-
en-, taken together with earlier inclos-
ures, has convinced the men working
about the wreck that further investi-
CATION as to the manner in which the
ship was blown up is perfectly useless,
and they consider the question solved
beyond doubt.
The Court of Inquiry viii, of course,
hear evidence of the wrenching apart of
the keel. Divers and officers in charge
will testify. The feeling among Ameri-
can officers in Havana is that, beyond
the recovery Of the dead remaining in
the wreck, all useful work in connection
with the Maine wreck has been done.
Letters have been sent from here to
Representatives and Senators in Wash
ington warning them against voting for
appropriations for raising the Maine,
saying the work would not only cost
millions, but would not add anything
to the information regarding the ma
ture of the explosion. A photograph has
been taken. 1t shows the Names dog
standing on part of the wreckage still
above water. The fact is that the plate
on which the dog stands came from the
keel of the ship and was the lowest part
of the tremendous mass of material
thrown upward and starboard
CAN BE FLOATED
LONDON, March 2.-Commentinr on
the letter written by Sir James Reed, for
merly Chief of Construction of the Brit
ish Navy, which appeared in the Times
yesterday. expressing the opinion that
the battleship Maine could be refioated
for tithe of her cost Messrs. Clark and
Standfeld the designers of the floating
dock recently sent to Havana for the
Spanish government, have written to the
Times, saying that the dock is "per-
fectly capable of dealing with the Maine.
even in the waterlogged state it would
be in when first raised"
Lifting the ship, therefore, reduces
itself merely to a question of placing COL
lision mats over the rents in the bottom
and a temporary timber and canvas bull
work, raised above the decks, sufficient
to keep out the water while towing her
across the harbor to the place where the
dock is moored.
BUY A NEW SHIP
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, March 2-Ten|
days ago little Dan Wallingford. aged
z years, son of c. A. Wallingford of this
city, took from his savings bank As cents
all it contained-purchased postage
stamps and forwarded them to Secretary
Long with the request that the money
be used for building a new battleship. to
replace the Maine.
Secretary Long has replied as follows:
MY Dear Little Patriotic Lad: II
have your letter and twenty-four two
cent postage stamps enclosed with it, |
which you have so generously taken
from your spending money and given to |
your country. There is not so much |
need for help in building battleship as
there is for the relief of the poor suffer-
ers on the Maine. have therefore
given the stamps to Mrs. Edwin Stewart, |
1916 New Hampshire avenue, Washing |
tor, d. c., who Is Treasurer of a society |
of ladies who are collecting money for |
the benefit of those sufferers, and have |
asked her to send you a letter of ac-
acknowledgement. l am sure little seven
year-old who begins by showing so |
much interest in his country, will grow
up to be an honorable and useful citi-
zen.
SPANISH HOPES
MADRID, March 2.-The Spanish gov
ernment on Monday received report
from the Spanish authorities at Havana
saying that the explosion which wrecked
the Maine was due to internal causes,
adding that it was believed that the
United States experts will admit this
without reservation of any kind.
NOT CONFIRMED
LONDON, March at is impossible to
verify the report that Spain has raised
The necessary funds for the purchase Of
three Gillian warships which are said
TO have been on the market for some
time. The Spanish government natur-
ally will not admit that it has ever lacked
the funds to purchase necessary ships
and nothing is known here officially or
IN shipbuilding circles. The Armstrongs,
Who are building the battleships, have
neard nothing of the report.
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SUBJECT To TTpEr