The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-17
N DENSESI MYSTERY
Continued from Third Page)

be borne in mind that the discipline upon
American warships is usually, TO English
ideas, rather lax.
Another possibility is that the disaster
was produced by the explosion Of sub
marine mine or torpedo. caused accident
ally or otherwise This suggests the
thought that the outrage was committed
by a Spanish conspirator. or by Cuban in
surgents incensed against the United
States"
London. Feb. 1e-The Globe this after
noon. commenting on the disaster 10 the
United States battleship Maine. says:
at is impossible to refrain from the
suspicion that the explosion may have
been caused by foul means. Although
anchored, the Maine would have had
steam up in one Of her boilers for the dy
namos and auxiliary machinery. II an in
formal machine had been hidden in the
coal and thrown into the furnaces obvi-
ously there would have been an explosion
of the boiler, and. as a result. of the mag
azine. That this terrible event should
have occurred in the harbor of Havana
renders a solution of the mystery of in
ternational Importance
The last serious disaster of this nature
occurring in peace time was in 1881. when
her ma jesty's ship Petrol was blown UP
in the straits of Magellan. The verdict
OF the court was that il was caused by
the formation Of coal gas. another sug-
gestion being that a substance called xer-
otine a siccative. slowed in the paint
room. was responsible. Upon this occa-
sion there were two distinct explosions,
and 10 cut of a crew of 80 persisted.
In the following year an explosion on
board her majesty's ship Triumph killed
three men. In this case the disaster was
traced to the use Of the xerotine sicca-
tive
The headlines of all the London news
papers hint that the disaster points to
treachery, either Cuban or Spanish, and
the papers allude to the excitement and
resentment at the Names dispatch to
Havana The newspapers also publish
long descriptions of the Maine, with the
names of her officers. They describe
Captain Sigsbee as an eminent officer and
publish accounts of his cereer.
ARMY OFFICERS.
Denver. Feb. 16.-While army officers of
the department of Colorado were not dis
posed to express for utilization any opin-
ion concerning the disaster to the cruiser
Maine. there was a strong undercurrent
of feeling at headquarters today that the
explosion was probably caused by foul
means.
Colonel c. C. Hunt said the evidence did
not warrant the inference that the cruis-
er was blown up by a torpedo and he
could not believe that any opportunity
had been given for a visitor on board the
vessel to have caused an explosion in the
magazine
THE first hasty conclusion of the pub
lie in this country" said Major z. w. Hal
ford. paymaster. who was private secre-
tary to President Harrison, may be that
there has been foul play, but Captain Sigs
bees suggestion that public opinion be
suspended until the facts are known is
eminently proper"
BLANCO.
Madrid, Feb. 16.-The captain general OF
Cuba General BIanco. has cabled the au-
thorities here and sent similar message
to Washington. saying that the disaster
to the Maine was indiputably due TO an
accident.