The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-02-24

Washington. Feb a-The arrival Of the
mail In Washington from Key West this
afternoon. bringing several private letters
from naval officers lately attached To tho
Maine. caused q wave ~ excitement To
run over the department, and capitol, for
there were all sorts OF rumors as 60 the
contents of these lcltrrs, very Few OF
which rumorn. In point ~ fact had any
sound basis. The only feature 30 far as
could be- discovered of real Importance
as throwing any light on the cause oG the
explosion. contained IN ihc letters was
the statement that the two after boilers
In the after boiler space and all or tho
eight boilers OF the Maine were under
steam at the time OF the explosion. This
fact had negative value for II disposcu
at once u the theory that boiler cN.
plosion had caused the wreck. Experts
all say that by no possibility could bho
after boilers explosion have wrecked the
forcparI OF the Maine and left the other
part unharmcd.
Much interest was shown In the dis.
patch received shortly before o'clock
from Admiral slcard giving the recon-
mcndations OF Captain Sampson, Of tho
court of Inquiry. as TO the raising OF tho
wreck The view Of the naval Office was
that Captain Sampson and his associates
were giving this advice, not as tho court,
but as officers In n position TO speak as to
the best methods TO be adopted for
wrccking the Maine. Various intcrpreta-
tIons were put on the expression forward |
half completely destroyed" This was re-
eardcd as the pcrtial confirmation OF tho |
theory that the forward magazine had |
exploded, as that is one OF the most Inn
Tortant portions OF the forward half OF
the ship Al the same time II was held
by some Of the naval authorities that the
destruction OF the forward half OF the ship |
did not necessarily mean that the for
ward magazine had exploded as this
might stlll be intact though part of the
general wrcckago, In the absence OF an
explicit statement as to the forward mag
aElne there was disposition not to ac-
ccpt any implied statement as to Its de-
structlon.
The clause of the contract ltemlzes the
to he paid for each branch of
the wrccklng work, viz;
WreckIng tug Underwater, $3.50 per day
Wrccklng steamer Jones, 5000
Lighter Seymour, S5,
Derrick Chief, S5,
Barge Lone Star, $50
wrecklng tug Right Arm, 500,
Wreckm0ster, S5,
Wreckers $3.50 each,
Divers, $40 each
Evidently the president of the court OF
inquiry IL fearful of the cffcct upon tho
public of the ill-judged attempts to ac-
count for the destruction OF the Maine,
for this afternoon he telegraphed seore-
tOry Long, doubtless having in mind GER
tain publications of this morning, as
follows:
Havana, Feb. %, An newspaper re-
ports OF Interviews with divers are un-
true. Every precOution is taken"
This brief statement disposcs of all the
that have been made pro ana |
con as to the blowing up of the forward
officers here are still thinking OF Cap |
tain Sigsbee's request OF yesterday to be |
furnished with plans of the Malne's sec
tion through the magazines and coal |
bunker pockets. The request, besides |
may show that Captain sgsbee is not
yet satisfied as to the cause of the eX-
plosion, Notwithstanding tho expressions
attributed to him by unauthorized per-
sons,