Evening star., 1898-02-16


had done good deal to destroy the balance
of power theoretically between the navies
of Spain and that of the United States, for
we have now left only six serviceable IRON
clads. as against seven in the Spanish fleet.
Every confidence is felt at the depart
ment in the commander of the Maine,
Capt Sigsbee. and until it is really estab-
lshcd otherwise there is every disposition
to charge the accident. if accident it was
that destroyed the Maine, to some cause
beyond the usual range of human discre-
ton.
Many Similar Disasters.
1t IS said at the Navy Department that
there are many precedents for such acct
dents as that sustained by the Maine, all
OF which can be traced to accidental
causes. In 1885 the United States man-of-
war Missouri. then lying at Gibraltar, was
totally wrecked by the explosion of her
magazine. Another case famous in naval
history Is that of her majestys ship
Doteral. In 1887 she was lying at anchor
off Puenta Areneas in the Straits of
Magellan An explosion wiped the ship
from the face of the waters and left al
most none of her crew alive. This was
another case of magazine explosion, though
it may have originated in the coal bunkers
or boilers.
Commander PendletOn's View.
Commander Pendleton. superintendent of
the ordnance department at the navy yard,
when spoken to in regard to the explosion
Of the magazine on the battle ship Maine,
said: From the meager details that l
have at hand 1 should Judge that it was
caused by spontaneous combustion. While
l am not positive that the coal bunkers
and magazine are adjoining, l am Of the
opinion that they are. The matter of prop
erly storing coal away has always been a
very serious question. A coal pile may be
perfectly cool on top and yet at the bot
tom be red hot and heat the metal bulk
head, and as there is a magazine on the
other side of the bulkhead there is no way
of stopping an explosion"
Danger in the Coal Bunkers.
According to the naval theory, If the
bunkers were not entirely empty they un-
doubtedly contained within themselves ele-'
ments of danger that might account for
the explosion. The department has within
recent years been greatly troubled by COM
plants from spontaneous combustion of
coal in the ships bunkers. which have
endangered the lives of the crew and the
safety of the ships. The Cincinnati has
twice at least been obliged to food her
magazines to prevent their blowing up
during fires of this kind, and the Boston
has had similar experience. Although
the bunkers are inspected under the regu-
lations at frequent intervals, so numerous
have been these cases of spontaneous COM
bustion that the department only recently
the general subject with a
view to applying a remedy.
Boiler Explosion Theory.
The theory advanced by the Spanish au-
thorities that the disaster might have been
cepted at the department as within the
bounds of credibility. The Names boiler
was separated from the powder magazines
at the nearest point by a space for about
four feet usually filled with coal. At least
one boiler undoubtedly kept under
almost full steam in order to run the dy-
namos and move ship in case of need The
explosion of such a boiler might easily
drive through in the bulkhead and fire the
magazine.
A Submarine Torpedo.
ILasmuch as suspicion exists in some
quarters that torpedo was used against
the Maine, 1t may be said that the majority
of naval officers believe that the character
of the explosion was hardly such as could
be attributed to a torpedo. The latter
charged with about 100 pounds of gunpow-
torn large hole in the bottom or side of
the Maine, but was scarcely likely to fire
the magazine. which is not near the bottom.