The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-17

The Wrecking Of the Warship Results in
the Destl Of Two Officers and
Three Hundred and Fifty
Six Of The Crew.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1G.-After a day
of intense excitement at the Navy De-
partment and elsewhere growing out Of
the destruction of the battleship Maine
in Havana harbor last night, the situa-
ton tonight, after the exchange of a
number of cablegrams between Wash
ington and Havana, can be summed up
in the words of Secretary Long, when
asked as he was about to depart for
the day whether he had reason 10 sus-
an enemy. replied:
I do not. In that l am Influenced
by the fact that Captain Sigsbee. has not
yet reported TO the Navy Department
or the cause. He is evidently Mating
to write a full report. So long as he does
not express himself / certainly cannot.
/ should think from the indications,
however, that there was an accident
that the magazine exploded. How that
came about. l do not know. For the
present at least no other warship will
be sent to Havana
The appalling nature of the disaster
and the gravity of the situation that
would arise should investigation give a
basis for the undercurrent of suspicion
Of treachery and foul play that ran
through all minds had a SOLDERING effect
upon public men of all shades of po-
litical opinion.
The fact stands forth, and is little less
than remarkable, that not a single reso-
luton was introduced or a single speech
made in either house of Congress. save
one of coincidence with the families OF
the killed. offered by Mr.. BoutelIe. and
adopted by the House. Public men eX-
pressed their opinions with reserve when
approached, but everywhere there was
a demand for an investigation and full
details in the light of which the horror
may be justly viewed.
Secretary Long undoubtedly summar-
lied the general opinion of the majority
OF the naval experts in finding it i'm
possible just now to state the cause of
the destruction of the Maine. There are
a great number of theories. but most of
them are OF character that makes it
easy to prove or upset them by a single
investigation by a diver.
Secretary Long has taken immediate
steps 10 make this full investigation.
Late this afternoon he telegraphed to
Admiral Sicard at Key West to appoint
Of
once to Havana, employ divers and gen.
orally to make such inquiries as the reg
ulations of the Navy Department de-
mand shall be made in case of the loss
of a ship. 1t is expected that this work
Will take some time, and while there are
officers who say that in their opinion
II viii not be possible, owing TO the prob
able disrupted condition OF the huh OF
explosion. the opinion of the majority
is that the question win be easily set
tied by a simple observation of the con-
dition of the ships hull plates in the
neighborhood of the hole which sank
her, whether or not they are buged out.
as would be the case If the explosion
came from the inside or whether they
were driven in, as would result from the
attack OF a torpedo or the explosion of
a mine beneath the ship.
The large majority of naval officers
are Inclined 10 the belief that the explo-
sion resulted from spontaneous combus-
ton of a coal bunker; the over heating
of the ice partitions between the boilers
and the magazine, or from the explosion
OF boiler, though the last theory finds
little support.
The list of survivors that came TO the
Navy Department this afternoon IN
answer 10 kilograms was inaccurate.
and made out the loss of life eight more
than TIE summary originally given by
Captain Sigsbee IN an earlier telegram.
so Secretary Long telegraphed fo- am
other corrected list, and also one that
should show who were and who were