New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-18

COMPETENT NAVAL oFFIcERs-A POSI-
BrIIrY THAT THE RATTLE SHIP MAY
BE RAISED ANr PIT ~ SERVICE
AGAIN - EXCITEMENT srBsID-
ING ~ THE cAPIrAL
rsr TELEGRAPH TO rHr rsinuSEl
Washington. Feb. l7.-After another twenty
four hours OF open minded inquiry and conscien-
t,ous effort TO discover the true cause ~ Tues
day nights catastrophe in Havana Harbor. the
Administration finds reason 10 alter go origf-
nal view that the destruction % the Maine Is -
be traced to some Unforeseen and as yet mystsrf-
accident. At the Navy Department the
theory that the explosion was due 70 any
ternal agency has been almost generally dis
cardcd, and the further meagre details of the
tragedy which have reached Washington to-day
seem to confirm convlncngy the general belief
Of the coolest heads in the naval service that
the loss Of the Maine is not to be sscrlbed 10 any
hostile attempt from without on the Inflated
battle-shiD
RIGID INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE.
To determine as exactly as possible however.
the origin OF the explosion II the Names for
ward magazine. the President directed the sp-
pointment of a Roard ~ Inquiry. composed ~
raval officers of ACKNOWLEDGED merit and dis
tnction. whose immediate duty g. viii he to visit
the wreck Of the battle ship and report on ths
probable causes which led 70 its destruction.
The high character Of the Board chosen IL
guarantee that the work OF inquiry VIII be con-
Quoted with the utmost care and most marked
professional ability.
As chief ~ the Board the Secretary ~ the
Navy has designated Captain william T. samp-
son. now in command Of The battle-shp Iowa,
the largest and most formidable vessel In the
T-,,f,. I'm. Qrff.
tho list Of captains in the Naval Register He
was for six years the Chier Of the Ordnance
Bureau OF he Navy Department and is a recog-
nzed expert in ordnance II an sorts.
Second on the Board is Captain French +.
/ Chadwick in command of the armorei
cruiser New York. of ADMIRAL Slcard's squadron.
Captain Chadwick was for many years naval
attache to the United S-atc8 Mission in Lon-
don. and subsequently served a term as Chief
Of the Bureau OF Equipment In the Navy De-
partment here. Captain Chadwick is an expert
on all questions Of ships stores and on the metn'
ods employed for lighting ships hy electrlcity'
Lieutenant Commander william p Potter.
row the executive officer OF lhe New-fork' VIII
accompany Captain Chadwick as the third nern-
ber Of the Board He has been on staff duty
/ with several squadron and fleet commanders.
/ and was recently relieved from service ar an
/ Instructor at the Naval Academy.
Lieutenant Commander Adoiph Marx is me
! fourth memeber NJ the Board of Inquiry. He -
| the executive officer of the receiving ship YER
/ mont I'm New-York Harbor and was on duty
/ in Washington recently on The Billings court
/ martial He has had experience on many n'ar''
/ Of trial and inquiry. and will act as the Secre-
tarv Of the Commission which is 10 go To ha-
1 vaua 1t is not expected of course th'' 'h'
! Board can finish its duties and make even
! preliminary report for ~ least a week or Ten
/ days.
FLOOD OF INQUIRIES ANSWERED.
Tho chief energies of the Navy Department
voro bent to-day on relieving the suspense of
hundreds Of anxious inquirers from all parts of
tho country friends and relatives ~ those on
/ hoard the uulucky Maine During The greater
part Of the morning the telegraph wires Z" Key
! West refused to work. and great diihculiy was
| encountered in getting a complete ana h'u'a''
! list of those lost injured and saved. u was
| found both impractcable and IN c'nnict WIN
/ quarantine usares 10 attempt 20 bring nome th'
| bodies recovered from the harbor after the eS'
/ plosion. and the Department received WORD 'hi'
/ afternoon from Havana that at the snks s,ion
~ the municipal authorities. a public iunrial mao
been held and the bodies recovered had been
buried in q plot in one Of ;Ae cemeteries pto'ia'
+ ed AT the expense ~ tie city
No further changes I'm the disposition OF the
vessels now forming Admiral slcards sauao'
ron have been determined upon. secretar,
Long however. decided to-day to revoke the
orders about TO be given TO recall the double
,rrre,.d mentors Terror and Puritan from
I Vanutor Roads t. the Leogue Island Navy
Yard AZ Philadelphia The men on the mon''
tors were to be- drafted for service on other
ships lust coming into commission' but by to-
dav's decision both ships viii retain their pres
ent crews and remain on station on Old Point
Comfort
HOW THE AMMUNITION WAS DISTRIBUTED.
An accurate statement OF he distribution Of
| the Names ammunition IS Of the nrst in'por-
/ tance % experts who are studying the probable
/ causes of the explosion and this had. fortunate
T., been furnished to the Navy Department at
a cooparatiyely recent date by Captain sigsbee.
His official statement. which departs materially
from anv heretofore given, IS contained In an
/ official memorandum. dated at Hampton Roads.
June 30 1897. signed 10y Captain Sissbee. giving
"the amount Of ammunition of each size sto"ed
In various ammunition rooms, rs well as that
slowed outside IN the handling and passing
rooms. The amount given is the full allow ance
Of ammunition.
At the time the Maine went 10 Havana she
had her full ammunition allowance, ana az noth-
ing but salute powder had since been used the
| following statement shows the exact distribu-
/ ton Of her explosives last Tuesday night.
! Authorizations: B. l. T.. breech-loading rides.
! M nillimetre. pdr. pounder)
| FORWARD MAGAZINE. COMPARTMENT 4. 6 N
/ 80 Full charges for 6-inch B. L. X.
lG3 Reduced charges for 6-inch y l.. r
1i6 Common she'll. IN slngs FOR G-inch h. I. r.
loo Armor piercing shells In slings. FOR 6nch p.
l.. K.
"a shrapnel in slings. for 5-lnch B l. r.
FORWARD FINED AMMUNITION ROOM COM.
PARTMENI a. o NJ
15o Chests s-pdr steel shell 1872 rounds.
ll2 Chests 6-pdr. common shell. | ~ rounds
- Chests 6-pdr. blank shell ~, soo rounds