The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-17

| are inclined to the belief that the eX-
| plosiOn resulted from spontaneous COM
| bustton of a coal bunker; the overhead
| ing Of the iron partitions between the
| boilers and the magazine or from the
| explosion Of a boiler, though the last
| theory finds little support
PitifuI Appeals.
The list Of survivors that came to the
navy department this afternoon, in an
swer to kilograms, was inaccurate, and
made out the loss of life eight more
than the summary originally given by
Capt. Sigsbee in an earlier telegram. so
Secretary Long teIegraphed for another
corrected list, and also one that should
show who were and who were not
wounded of the survivors.
II was found necessary to do this
owing to the great number of pitifuI
appeals for information as to the
| SAFETY of some unfortunate on the
Maine, that came from all parts of
| the country.
The naval constructors. in the light
OF the dispatches thus far received, say
IL is by no means certain that the
! Maine cannot be raised and again
carry the flag. They say that, while
she is big ship, others as large have
| oeen raised, and at Havana the new
| noat1ng dry dock would receive her, If
she could once be gotten above the
water
Capt. Sigsbee evidently is taking an
interest in the future Of the ship. for
he sent telegram to Commander For
sythe at Key West, that was promptly
transmitted to Secretary Long. sug-
gesting that a lighthouse vessel, or
some such small craft, be stationed in
Havana 70 watch over the wreck The
latter, even if beyond resurrection.
contains valuable ordnance and other
! property that doubtless can be secur-
ed by divers.
1t is said at the navy department
/ that this disaster is the greatest of the
kind in naval history since the sink
ing of the big British warship Vic
toria by collision with the Camperdown
in the Mediterranean off Malta June,
1893. BY that accident the British ad-
miral commanding, twenty-five officers
and 1856 men lost their lives
Spain Sympathetic.
The Spanish legation was early ad-
vised of the horror by Capt. Gen. BIan-
CO, who expressed his profound regret
and added that that the occurrence was
chance accident, the undoubted cause
being an explosion of the boiler of the
dynamo. This was the only specified
cause assigned from an official source
during the day
called at the state department to ex-
press his profound regret, and the en-
tire Spanish staff left their cards at
the navy department as mark of
personal coincidence. At all of the for
eign establishments there was the
deepest interest and solicitude over
the affair, and during the day Ambas-
sador CambOn, of France; Sir Julian
Pauncefote, of the British embassy.
and other foreign representatives call
ed on the president or at the state
department to express their regrets.
The disaster is remarkable that only
two officers lost their lives, and these
of the junior grades. They were Lieut.
Friend W. Jenkins and Assistant En-
gtneer Darwin R. Merritt. The former
was unmarried, but leaves a mother
and sister. The latter, it is thought
also was unmarried but the depart
ment was unadvised concerning his
family.
Naval Status.
Both Secretary Long and Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt called a consuIta-
ton in the forenoon of all of the chiefs
Of the navy departments, and several
of the officers of high rank not directly
attached, like Commodore Schley. pres
ident Of the lighthouse board, who has
brilliant reputation as a gallant Off
Ger and is possessed of great discre-
tton. The purpose of these conSulta-
tions was to secure the best expert
testimony as to the probable cause of
the disaster. while at the same time
ascertafning to what extent the naval
situation has been affected by the loss
of the Maine
A good deal OF disquiet was exhibited
when it was shown that the loss of
this fine battleship had done a good
deal to destroy the balance Of power,
theoretically, between the navies of
Spain and the United States, this coun-
try now being left only six servfcabIe
ironclads as against seven in the Span
ish fleet.
Every confidence is felt at the de-
partment in the commander of the
Maine, Capt. Sigsbee, and until it is
really established otherwise, there is
every disposition to charge the acci-
dent, if accident it was, that destroyed
the Maine, to some cause beyond the
usual range of human discretion
The coast survey steamer Bache is
now lying at Key West. The superin-
tendent of the survey lost no time this
morning in inviting Secretary Long to
make any use of the vessel in this
emergency that he might desire. The
invitation was gratefully accepted, and
the Bache has been ordered to proceed
at once to Havana with Wreck1ng par
aphernalia.
Flags at HaIf-Mast.
The president has ordered that to-
morrow and until further notice the
flags at all navy yards and on naval
vessels, at posts, army headquarters
and on all public buildings shall be
half-masted.
Late tonight the following dispatch
from Capt SigSbee at Havana ad-
dressed to Secretary Long, was receiv-
ed:
All men whose names have not been sent
as saved probably are lost. Have given I'D
jenkins and Merritt lost Bodies are still
floating ashore this afternoon. l keep nine
officers, private and Gunners Mate BuI-
lock here with me.
A dispatch from Capt Philip, of the
Texas. now at Galveston, states that
the drafts of twenty-one apprentices.
which they carried from New York
for the Maine, are still on board the
Texas.
The following resolution is that Of
Mr.. BoUtelle, which was unanimously
adopted by the house at its session to-
day:
Resolved. That the house of representa-
tives has learned with great sorrow of the
calamity which has caused the destruction
of the United States battleship Maine and
the appalling loss of more than $50 lives
and the wounding of many others of the
gallant defenders of our flag and that the
house expresses its sympathy for the iniur-
ed and its sincere condolences with the fam
lilies Of those who have lost their lives in
the service of the nation.
Weary Waiting.