Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12
OF COURSE nE DOES not.


Havana, March 11.-Today Captain
peral, president OF the Spanish naval
court of inquiry into the cause of the
Maine disaster, granted an interview to
the correspondent of the Associated
Press.
Captain Peral said: "our divers are
hard at work examining the hull of the
Maine. Great difficulty is experienced
owing to the deep mud in which the
huh Is buried. The whole forward part
of the ship Is n mass of iron and steel
debris. We have hoisted up much of
1t but in the mud 1t is not always pos
siblc to tell what part of the ship.
armor decks, beams or stnnchions are
found, the explosion so changed their
position.
1--WE think we have located the ram
but not in the position supposed. The
forward turret, mounting two large
guns. was blown clear of the hull into
the water on the starboard. We shall
continue our work and try to examine
the hull forward down to the keel. 1t
is probable that we may propose to tho
American authorities to raise the hull
by means of the floating dock, brought
from England and now in Havana
harbor.
1--WE cannot believe there was an ex-
ternal explosion of "a torpedo, for the
following reasons: A torpedo follow
ing the line of least resistance, must
have blown great hole in the mud at
the bottom of the harbor. No such hole
was found. a torpedo must have
thrown large mass of water into the
air IL exploded at a depth of only TWEEN
ty-fve feet or so, or at least have pro-
duced n wave reaching to the other
ships and the shore of the harbor. We
have examined every one on ship
board, on shore who saw the explosion
l.t,t lao ~ltA 4.
any upheaval of the water or a big
wave. A torpedo explosion always
kills fish in the vicinity No fish were
killed by the Maine disaster, as fisher
men who have known this harbor fol
many years testify.
80 produce the effects noted In the
wreck, a torpedo would have had to b,
of enormous size, fully 100 or 200 kilos
I am therefore of the opinion that tn,
| explosion occurred within the ship
| know and respect Capt Sigsbee. and
| know the American regulations affect
ing naval conduct. which | have reat
| and found admirable. were carefully
| observed. But some things which can
not be foreseen are bound to happen In
| any navy. have been reading of th'
explosion in the English ship Dolera
which the English believe was caused
| by chemical combustion In the pain
! for uulsk drying. I have also read al
| English account of shells that weri
found burst open because of hardening
points that split and produced heat
thus firing the powder in the interio
! of the shell.
AS have said. do not believe Their
was any carelessness on the part %
the officers of the Maine. do bcliev
this was an accident. which could no
possibly have been foreseen. Such 4
my judgment at present with the fact
that are In possession of the court
When our court of inquiry finally de
oides. the decision will he In accordanc
with the best evidence that can be pro
cured. We are having plans. diagram
and drawings of the wreck made n
fast as the divers are able to give u
definite information"
Capt. Peral requested the correspond
ent to make 1t known that he ha,
granted the interview in his unofIicia
capacity and not as president of tn
Spanish court of inquiry, which the Law
| forbids him to do.