The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-03-03
A FLOATING MINI D|DIT
Sold On GOOD AuhNi|y Thl Will
Be !he C0uI|'s Finding.
NINE WAS LAID PURp0StlY NEAR THE BUOY
The Port side of. tho EEull Forward
Was Completely Blown TO Pieces
Tho Only Explosions on The
Maine We're Isolated Cases OF FIX
&C Ammunition for S"'uting.
NINE WAS LAID PURPOStlY NEAR THE BUOY
Havana. via Key West,
Nlnnnh o 1909

March 9, 1885,
Without adding unnecessarily 10 the
prophecy concerning the findings Of
the court of inquiry, it is fair to say
mat, as a matter of fact, most of the
naval officers here and at Key West
incline to the opinion, that the court
Will find that the disaster to the Maine
was caused by the explosion of a float
ing submarine mine under the forward
port side OF the ship. Opinions differ
as-to whether this mine was made of
nigh explosives, such as wet and dry
gun cotton or ordinary gunpowder
Opinions agree. not only as to the
existence of mines in the har6or, burt
also That this one was laid purp3sely
near the buoy where foreign war yes
sells were directed to moor and WIS
flred by flash from an electric battery
on shore.
III Is believed barely possible that the
explosion of the mine was the result
ol me carelesSness or ignorance of Span
lsh officers in charge Of the mine sta,
.ion Keys when testing the circuit. but
the latter supposltion is not feH to be
prclbable. 1t is further regarded MS set
tied Dy the evidence before the court
thaf .he port side of the hull forward
Was completely blown to pieces. and
mat Fhe only explosives on the Maine
except of isolated cases of fixed nm,
lnunitioh was that of 1000 pounds Of
saluting powder stored forward and OF
Wnlch no trace can be found
I,hese views are gathered from ON
GERS who talk with great reservn ona
only upon the assurance that their
ruentlty VIII never be revealed The
i'ct i'ct remains that only the members of
.he court Of inquiry know all the ice.
tiihohy elected and no one is authorized
10 make public matter in advunca of
'he final Judgment.
Soou deal OF surprise was aynrnssad
s tiiSficans here at learning th,t
,,I,.ls' n's' oiFers were to be permitted 10
"NI ,h, an examination of the wreck of
thot h",iIc' especially as ii was also said
'''t american naval officers har.
WOULD give such divers all copsisten,
lacHi'!eS ana would thlrw no nb-
ntacies IN the way Of thorough submor-
me inspection. il was not ar frst un
uerstood. as 1t came 10 be later M.
ne spanish search was TO bc on,iraJv
independent. ana that while II w,c la
ihs made the American investir,tinn
would proceed under CAPTAIN Slesbna,s
"rv!Nis!oh' AS understood here The
"rah'Sh request made Immediately af-
tot JOINT inVcstig lion
WIS promptly refused at WASHINGTON
Dut after a Cabinet consultation !, wa.
aS.eed that the Spanlards had n neral
anu anu international right to discover tho
c""Sr Oi the wreck for themselves II
p'",SSpi+. hercforc permission for an
independent examination was rran,nl
on the ground, as understood hnrn ,ha
II could not be rnr,.--, To y rrinr<1i,
power IN their own harkar. Tho, no
lSFmiSSion was not acco ded until n rtar
me court of inquiry had finished its
"orh ana gone to Key West is regard
ed as significant. 1t opens wide field
for speculation
some assert that the court now has
no objection to 4 Spanish inuuirv for
one OF Two reasons: Either the court
mas sutlic!cnt evidence already of 40
cident or malicc-cvidencr that co,no+
be controver:ed by the Spaniards-or
after n dil!gent search the mystery re-
mains as deep as ever. and the court
does not think the Spanish will reach
4 conclusion where the Amcr;cons
have failed
OF course all this refers princ;no,Iv
TO inspect son OF parts Of the shin
other than the hull. Until the ruus
decks. engines and debris of all kinds
nave been removed and the mud has
been pumped from the hull II cannot
nc examined thoroughly by any one
Some good authorities think II will hn
necessary TO build Il Golfer dam around
the wreck, piles being driven. ctc
That any important testimony he
fore the court has found its way IN
the public Is very unlikely. some of
the witnesses have told certain corrc
spondcnts of alleged testimony, but in
every case investigation has shown
their stories 10 be wildly improbo bio
ana controvertcd by known facts or
else absolutely irrelevant. Some of
the correspondents have tried 10 ey-
tract information from members of
the court or from naval witnesses by
putting what were deemed by the uucs-
TONERS clever hypothetical interroga-
tories. But the questioners were not
experts in naval architecture and the
questioned were. SO the results were
knew before it left Havana for Key
unsatisfactory. Probably the cour,
West whether the ten-inch magazine
on the starboard forward did or ala
not explode, but the members gave
no sign, and the divers, when thcv
talked at all, doubtless even the con-
tractors for the removal OF he innrr
debris and the raising of the hui. do
not fully appreciate the difficulties To
be encountered. Certainly the tug
Right Arm has been OF lltur vaiue
thus far, her captain not having sutli-
cicnt authority under Monday to en-
ploy the help or to hire the needed
lighters.
(Continucl on Sixth poco>