The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-03
BELIEVE In A MINE.
Naval Officers Agree on Cause OF
the Explosion.
WAS TREACHERY OR CARELESSNESS
None Doubt the Existence of the
Submarine Nine.
pLACED IN POSITION BY SPAIN
And Near the Point Where Foreign
Vessels Anchored.
A FULL RESUME OF THE SITUATION
Sent Out by the Official Corresponds
cnt of the Associated Press
at Havana.
A FULL RESUME OF THE SITUATION
Sent Out by the Official Corresponds
cnt of the Associated Press
ut Havana.

MdiNu MY wis.,
without adding unnecessarily to the flood of
conjecture and prophecy concerning the find
ing of the court of inquiry 1t is fair TO say
that, 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 dis
| aster to the Maine was caused by the expio-
sion of a floating submarine mine under the
port side of the ship forward Opinions differ
as to whtehtr this mine was made of high eX-
plosives such as wet and dry gun cotton or OF
ordinary gun powder.
Opinions agree, not only as to the existence
of mines In the harbor, but that this one
was purposely near the buoy where foreign
war vessels were obliged to be moored and
was worked from battery shore.
II is believed barely possible that the cx-
plosion which destroyed the Maine was the
result of carclessness or ignorance OF Spanish
officers in charge of the mine station keys
when testing the mine, but the latter sup
position is not felt to BIO probable.
1t is further regarded as settled by the evil
dence before the court that the port side OF
tho hull forward was completely blown to
niecos and that the explosion on board the
Maine, except by fixed cases of ammunition
was that OF 1000 pounds OF saluting powder
stored forward and OF which no trace can be
found.
These views are expressed by officers who
! talk with great reserve and only upon the
assurance that their identity will never be
revealed The fact remains that only the
members of the court of inquiry know all the
testimony elected and no one is authorized
to make anything public t. advance OF the
final judgment.
good deal of surprise was expressed by
| Americans here at learning that Spanish
divers were to be permitted TO make an ex-
um,nation of the wreck OF the Maine, espe-
cia!ly as it is said American officers would
give such divers all facilities and would throw
no obstacles in the way of a thorough sub
marine inspection. II was not at hrst urder-
| stood as IL came 10 be later, that the Spanish
search was to be entirely independent ana
that while 1t was being made the American
investigation would proceed under Captain
sigsnee's supervision. AS understood acre.
the Spanish request, made Immediately after
the disaster. for Joint investigation was
promptly refused at Washington, but after n
| cabinet consultation 1t was agreed that the
Spaniards had moral and international right
to discover the cause of the explosion Tor
themselves II possible. Therefore permission
for an independent examination was granted.
OH the ground--as understood hcre--that 1t
could not be refused TO friendly power in her
owl, herbor. That the permission was not ac-
corded until after the court of inquiry had
finished it's work here and gone TO Key West
is REGARDED as significant. Ii opens wide
field for speculation.
Some assert that the court nov has OBJ
joction to a Spanish inquiry for one OF two
reasons: Either the court has sufficient evil
denc+ already OF accident or malice--evidence
that can not be controyerted by the Span
ards after n dilgent search--or the mystery
remains as deep ever and the court does
not think the Spanish will reach conclusion
where the Americans have failed
OF course all this refers principally to in
spection OF parts OF the ship other than the
hull Until the guns. decks. engines ana
debris of all kinds have been removed and
the mud has been pumped from the huh, 1t
can not be examined thoroughly Some good
I authorities think 1t viii be necessary to build
a cofferdam around the wreck, piles being
driven. etc,
mat testimony before the court has found
It's way 10 the public is very unlikely. The
witnesses before the court have told differ
eut stories ana have been coptfadictcd by
Known facts Some OF the correspondents
have tried to extract information from mem
beers OF the court OF from naval officers by
putting up what wop.a be considered clever
Hypothetical heterogeneous. But the ques-
TONERS were not experts Ia naval architecture
and the questioned were silent
Probably the court knew before II left Hay
ana fol Key West whether the ten-inuh maya
zine ON the starDoaTd forward did or did not
explode, but the members gave no sign and
the divers will not tell at all.
4 Doubtless the contractors do not fully ap
preciate the difficulties TO be encountered.
Certainly the tug ~tiglI Arm has been OF ut
tie value thus Tar. iitr captain not hseng
sufficient authority until Monday to employ
the necessary help OF TO hire the needed
lighters.
Mhllc 'crItlcising the naval divers for their
lslowness II must be remembered that thers
Is grim, dangerous and difficult work. In
muddy, foul water, through mass OF riyen
steel, bent iron. shattered sratings ana lad
idtrs. over upturued hatches. heaped up coal.
scattered ammunition, guns, machinery and
electric wires they Elust make or cut their
intricate way, They must exercise great care
list their air pipes be severed by sharp pro-
iettlons. AiIsady many have had bad falls
in the unceita tain light and difficult PASSAGES
Nofhipg need be retracted. however. from the
fcJiner statement that all haste possible Is
greatly 10 DO desired. The huge weight Of
the wreck causes II 10 sink daily deeper into
the soft mud OF the harpor. niaking the tack
OF raising IL the more harculean.
i lie .t,sef AR le ali xodo m ~ rffc