Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-08
MINE MANUFACTURER TELLS,
MAKES OUT A STRONG CASE IN THEORY.
Tells of the shipping of Mines TO Havan,
and Gives the Detail of Causing an
Explosion Under "a warship.

New York April S,-Joseph Paul Lib
bons, the electrician who supplied sub
marine mines to the Spanish govern
ment, cables from London to the
World.
The only submarine mines which
have been supplied to the Spanish gov
eminent since 1ss6-s1 were manufac-
tured under my patents.
l then supplied them with hfty-slx
ground mines, twenty-five buoynnt
mines. each with charge of 500
pounds OF yun cotton, and fifteen cleo.
tro-contact, mines. exploded either on
contact or by service from shore each
containing II charge of 100 pounds OF
gun cotton
The mines sent to Havana would
still retain full effectiveness. They
Will last under water for an indefinite
period
In 1867 the Spanish government or
dered fresh supply of my patent
mines Whether they went to Havana
or not is immaterial
one Of the mines supplied in 1886 Is
still capable of causing the destruction
OF the Maine.
In fact, am convinced from all sur
rounding circumstances that no other
agency could have caused it,
In direct contradistinctlon of the as
sertions of the secretary Of the Span
ish legation at Washington and of
General Weyler that there are no sub
marine mines in Havana harbor, alb
solutely affirm that I shipped the above
mines for Havana and Ferrol In a
Spanish ship, the property OF the Span
ish government and differed by Span
fish naval officers, with two captains.
at the West India dock, London.
My mines are In electrical connection
with the shore and 1t is quite inpossl-
BILE that they could be exploded ex-
cept by design.
am convinced also that the explo-
sion of the mine which destroyed the
Maine was the work of one or two
men, for these reasons:
First-A vessel swinging. either an
chored or moored, upon striking the
a shutter on the keyboard on shore.
warning the officer in charge that she
was In contact with the mine.
Second-Before the officer is in n
position to fire the mine he must OBJ
tain one of two keys One is generally
kept by the commandantth the other by
the officer in charge of the firing sta
tion.
He then must unlock the glass door
over which the shutter has fallen and
insert a red danger plug In the insult
ated switch.
al, Ia, t,a
switch of the firing battery earthplate,
Fourth--The firing key hammer must
be pressed on to the contact anvil to
complete the circuit that eNplodes the
detonator, by which the mine In turn
is exploded.
have not the slightest hesitation
in saying that the Maine was deliber-
ately destroyed with Il 500 pound
ground mine as invented and supplied
by me.
There Is consensus of opinion that
the first explosion was Internal. This
was established on the following
grounds:
The forward magazine contained $500
mounds of gun powder. which might
blow up the decks but It is problem
atlcal whether II would be capable
of ignlting the $500 pounds of powder
in the middle magazine. Even II II
did. the explosion of both would he
quite incapable OF decorating the 5000
hounds of wet gun cotton In the after
magazine. Had that quantity OF gun
cotton been detonated, not yestlge OF
the Maine would remain
The only practical way OF discover
ing The mine that sunk the Maine Is
by UNDERMINING the cable from shore
to the junction box, and from thence
UNDERSTANDING each Individual cable
to the mine. until one was FOUND With
out a mine attached.
am satisfied that the explosion was
caused by ground mine-not by a
buoyant mine-for Havana harbor Is
90 shallow To admit Of the use OF the
latter. 49,.
| am prepared to satisfy by demon
stratlon any jury OF reasonaple msh
mat this is n true explanation OF the
destruction OF the Maine.