The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-03-04

(NOW Beng IOWeQ 10 ttaNand-D
The wrecking company expects from
now on to keep four expert divers at
work.
Two Spanish divers were at work
about the wreck Wednesday and it is
understood they will report to the
Spanish board appointed to inquire in
I to the cause of the disaster. Capt.
Peral is the president of the Spanish
board of inquiry.
1t is reported that Capt Sigsbee does
not expect to find any of the dead in
the zones of the explosion, but he still
believes bodies will be recovered from
portions of the wreck as the divers re-
move the debris. The divers, who are
working steadily forward, are en-
| cOuntering continual difficulties, and
| it is certain the new tugs, additional
men and complete apparatus will
hasten the work of salvage.
The officers of the Vizcaya paid
ceremonial visits Wednesday morning
to Adm. NaterOla and Capt. Cen Blan-
co. Crowds of people view the cruiser
from the points of vantage ashore and
| those who are permitted to do SO go on
board.
The barge brought with the wreck
ing tug l. J. Merritt is proving of
great value in carrying away debris
and in the course of few days much
of the wreck above water will be re-
moved No bodies were found We'd
nesday and there was no salvage of
| any value.
Senator Proctor and his party re-
turned to the city Wednesday night
after spending the day at Matanzas,
where they were shown every atten-
ton by United States Consul Brice
| The members of the party expressed
the deepest sympathy for the suffering
Cubans, of whom they saw many.
Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of surmises, conjecture and
prOphesy concerning the finding of the
court of inquiry, it is fair to say that,
as matter of fact, most of the naval
officers here and at Key West incline
to the opinion that the court will find
] that the disaster to the Name was
caused by the explosion of a floating
| submarine mine under the port side
| of the ship. forward. Opinions differ
as to whether this mine was made of
| high explosives, such as wet and dry
gun cotton or ordinary gun powder.
| Opinions agree, not only as to the
| existence of mines in the harbOr, but
also that this one was laid purpOsely
near the buoy where foreign war YES
sells were directed to moor, and was
fired from an electric battery on shore
1t is believed barely possible that
| the explosion of the mine was the re.
suit of the carelessness or ignorance
of Spanish officers in charge of the
mine station keys when testing
the circuit, but the latter
suppOsition is not felt to
be probable. 1t is further
regarded as settled by the evidence be-
fore the court that the port side of the
hull forward was completely blown tC
pieces, and that the only explosion on
the Maine, except of isolated cases of
fixed ammunition, was that of 1000
pounds of salutin powder, stored for
ward and of which no trace can be
| found.
These views are gathered from Off
GERS 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 testi-
mOny elected and no one is author
lied to make public matters in advance
of the final Judgment.
KEY WEST, Fla, March 3.-The
United States court of inquiry into
the loss of the battleship Maine re-
sumed it sessions here at 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning. Ten more en-
listed men were examined by the full
board, and Commander Forsyth, the
hrst OF the witnesses not on the list of
the crew of the Maine was called. 1t
is understood that he gave testimony
regarding the coaling of the battleship
at the navy yard here.
The torpedo boat Ericsson left here
Wednesday morning with mail matter
for the fleet at Totugas. She was ex-
pected back Wednesday afternoon.
KEY WEST, Fla, March 3.-The sail.
ors and officers of the Maine have tes-
titled before the board of inquiry. As
one man they have said that the ex-
plosion was from the outside. Each
was heard separately.
NEW YORK, March 3.-The Press
Wednesday printed a tip from Key
West that the board of inquiry will
decide that the American battleship
was destroyed by design; that she was
blown up by an agent of the Spanish
government; that none other than an
accredited agent could have carried
out that crime