The record-union., 1898-02-18
WAS 1T DONE BY A TORPEDO?
Report That Divers Found a Per-
cuss;on Hole in the Plates.

Report That Divers Found Per-
oussion Hole in the Plates.
KEY WEST Qla), Feb. ia cor
respondent of the Associated Press,
who has just returned from the scene
OF the wreck of the cruiser Maine in
Havana harbor on board the Olivetie,
says that divers who have been work.
ing upon the submerged vessel discov-
cred an eght-inch percussion hole IN
one of her plates.
Admiral Manterola has summoned
Captain Sigsbee to appear before Mill
tary Judge Peral to make the neces-
sary dispositions. All proofs of torpedo
work will be removed.
STORY DISCREDITED.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE Navy
Department absolutely discredits the
story from Key West. Secretary Long
says that there is no such thing as
percussion hole; that there is no eight
inch torpedo, and no other way il
n any such hole could be account
except that q shell exploded in
If the ship and pierced the outer
This can readily be revealed by
character of the angle and the con-
dition of the puncture
Secretary Long positively denies that
Captain Sigsbee has in any suppressed
telegram expressed the opinion that q
torpedo caused the disaster, or that it
came from an external cause. The Cap
tain said, on the contrary, that he could
not venture to express an opinion.
The Navy Department received a dis
patch this morning from Admiral ST.
card, in command of the North Atlantic
squadron, giving the detail of the court
of inquiry to investigate the Maine dis
aster. II is as follows: Captain Samp-
son, President of the court; Captain
Chadwick. Lieutenant Commander
Schroeder and Lieutenant Commander
Mark.
Captain Sampson is commander of
the battleship Iowa now at the Tortu
gas. Captain Chadwick is commander
Of the New York. at Key West. Lieu
tenant-Commander Schroeder is exeeu-
tive officer of the battleship Massachu-
sets, now at the Tortugas. Lieutenant
Commander Mark is executive officer
of the Vermont. He was formerly with
the Maine. as executive officer before
the detail of Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright who relieved him.
AT the Navy Department it is felt
that there is little to do at this mo-
ment, and it remains for the investi-
cation to be completed before further
action could be taken. Admiral Sicard's
board has ample authority to make the
most searching investigation into the
causes of the disaster.
The Fern and the Mangrove arrived
at Havana last evening, They are pro-
vided with diving apparatus, and as
every Warship includes at least several
expert divers, there will be no lack Of
men to make the necessary search
These men can be depended upon to
report the exact facts. They are ia
miliar with the bottom of a warship
of the type of the Maine. and are not
likely TO be led into the mistake of
supposing the outlet hole or piping in
terror to be a torpedo hole.
1t is believed that under the most
favorable circumstances this investi-
CATION cannot be made for several
days. Arrangements must be made for
the proper working of the diving out
fits, and the Board of Inquiry must de-
termine upon line of action. Be
sides, Lieutenant-Co Commander Mark.
who will be member of the Court of
Inquiry. has just been released from
duty with the Billings court-martial in
this city. He left Washington at /
O'Clock to-day, by train for Key West
and he is supposed to be assigned to
duty as Judge Advocate Of the court
Probably the board will be conveyed
from Key West to Havana by the Oil
vette, or by one of the light house ten
ders as it is again stated to-day that
the Navy Department has intention
of sending another man-of-war to Ha-
vana Immediately.
Lieutenant John J. Blandin of Balti-
more, one of the Names survivors, who
is at the Key West Hotel gave the
correspondent of the Associated Press
a succinct account of the disaster, say
ing that not until now has he been
able to recolect the sequence of events
in the awful ten minutes following the
explosion Tuesday evening Lieutenant
Blandin was on the Trenton at the time
of the disaster off Samoa in March.
1889. when American and German yes
sells lost pa men all told Lieutenant
Blandin says:
Il was on watch. and when the men
had been piped below 1 looked down
the main matches and over the side OF
the ship. Everything was absolutely
normal / walked aft to the quarter
deck. behind the rear turret. as I al
lowed after s O'Clock in the evening,
and sat down on the port side, where
remained for few minutes. Then,
for some reason / cannot explain to
myself now. ] moved to the starboard
side and sat down there. / was feel
ing a Bit glun. and in fact was so quiet
that Lieutenant j. Hood came up and
asked laughingly if I was asleep.
said. No / am on watch
Scarcely had / spoken when there
came a dull, sullen roar. Would to