Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-02-20

lars, Which Would Be Saving
of Four Millions Bigger Ships
Than the Maine Have Been Raised
and Under Much More UnfavOr-
able Conditions Than Surround
the Maine.
! Washington, February 19.-Com-
mander Francis w. Dickins, the acting
chief of the bureau of navigation and
Secretary Longs right hand man in
the present emergency, said The
Maine must be taken to an American
, port if there is enough OF her bones
holding together to warrant removal,
and in all likelihood that will be done.
! Il the explosion was more disastrous
than is now thought to be the case,
ii the hull is so wrecked as TO be be-
yond repair, then as much of the ma
! terial as can be secured will be brought
home and placed in a new Maine. 1t
is to be remembered that great ad-
vances have been made in ship build
finer ship to bear her name could be
built to-day, but it would take time,
, and if any considerable portion of the
snip is good, with a moderniZed bat
terry and improvements in rebuilding
the destroyed portions, magnificent
vessel can be quickly secured"
Chief Engineer Melville has decided
! views in favor of the proposition to re-
build the Maine. Even suppose this
i, costs 100000" said he, "a new ship
; equal to the Maine would cost nearly
: S., 0G0, coo. The repairs could be made
and the ship put into service again in
; year at the farthest. To build new
ship like her would take at least three
} years. With regard to the practicable
ity of raising the vessel, it is to be re-
marked that larger vessels have been
raised which were at sea, where they
were exposed to waves, while the
Maine is in a perfectly quiet harbor,
one end resting in the mud and part OF
the other end above water.
"The Maine is in a shallow spot, as
: PROTECTED AS A MILL POND
f! ana she is only six thousand ton
/ ship, The British armor clad Howe,
/ OF ever 10 Geo tons, was raised off Fer
roll Spain, in the open oc an, and H.
| M. S. Sultan, of over 5000 tons, was
raised and saved after she sank in the
| Comino channel"
| Chief constructor Hitchborn is one
| of the most earnest advocates of the
| resurrection of the ship, from both
! sentimental and practical considera-
| tions. He points cut that the ship
! lies in land locked han Dor easy for
/ the Wreckers to operate in and that
/ if she can be rebuilt at cost of a
! million dollars the government will
! save four millions, the first cost of
| such a battleship with all of her equip
! ment. Great Britain, he said, never
| abandoned a ship. if there was the
/ least chance to save her, and has yet
/ even abandoned the hope of raising
! the Inflated Victoria, sunk in collision
! with the Camperdown off the coast of
/ Syria, several years ago.
! There was a good deal of talk among
! the officials of the need of speedy re-
! lief measures for the benefit of the
! families of the victims Of the explo-
! sion Under the treasury rules the
/ allOtments of portions of pay to mem
! bers
OF THEIR FAMILIES
! made by the men who persisted IN the
! wreck must stop at once. II is not
I doubted that Congress Will do as in
j the case of the Samoan disaster-pro-
vide for a years pay to the families
/ of the sailors who died at their posts.
| The difficulty, however, is that such a
measure cannot be passed at once and
meantime some of the families of the
dead sailors will be in great distress.
The subject has been taken up by Mrs.
! Long and has called a meeting for
/ Monday to initiate the movement.
1T happens that by the rare chance Of
I An unexpected change Of paymasters re-
/ Gently. very little Of the savings Of the
Names sailors went down in the vessel
/ About two weeks ago Paymaster Little
! field, Of the Maine was relieved by Pay
master Ray. The former came 10 Wash
| iugton and has settled the accounts Of
| the ship up to the time he left The rec
! ord shows that Paymaster Ray had on
! hand IN his safe only about 5000 in cash,
/ probably gold. and a check for 81. Ol
which Of course il safe enough wllnout
his endorsement against loss.
Since the spontaneous combustion
! theory has come so prominently TO the
! front as accounting for the disaster the
( officials have been looking over the rec
/ ortls to find
! A PARALLEL CASE,
as near as may be. The flagship New
/ York was discovered to be on fire March
+ q 1896. Smoke was issuing from her ms II
magazine This was cleared Of powder
safely and it was found that the wood
/ work had been charred deeply. The cause
was not at first perceptible. but 1t was
=. soon discovered that an adjoining coal
bunker was burning. When the bunke =
was opened the coal on top was not hot
but as the men dug down into the mass
it was found to be red hot inside There
was no manifestation Of heat on the top
of the bunker nor on amy save the one
side next the magazine. That startled the
I naval officers and the constructors MADE
" considerable air space between the
bunkers aud the hagazlne.
/ In the designing OF the new battleship
now on the docks. the lesson was kept
i ia mind ana everything possible was done
To insulate the coal bunkers from he
magazines.
Secretary Long has given orders that
| with the expiration of this day there need
4 be observed no longer the order to Hill
ships ana commands To display the ma
tional colors at half mast
orders have been issued for the enlist
ment IF 900 men for tho navy to fiji the
vacancies caused by tho destruction Of the
bsttleship Maine and 70
COMPLETE THE LEGAL QUOTA.
The new men Will be sent to receiving