The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-02-26
THE SPANIARDS MUST WAIT
MAINE EXPLOSION INQUIRY
The United states Authorities VIII
Make the Initial Investigation-
Request Respectfully Declined
Captain sigsbee VIII Direct the
Operations.

Washington, Feb. 2O.-Secretary Long
and Assistant Secretary Day of the state
department, had an interview with the
president yesterday lasting nearly All
hour. Mr.. Day read a cablegram from
Consul General Lee at Havana transmit
ting request from the Spanish outhori-
ties in Cuba that Spanish officials be per
mitted TO join with our people in making
an investigation into the cause of the dis
aster TO the Maine.
The matter was discussed at considera-
Bile length and the conclusion reached,
and Lee will be 80 notified, that while this
government is willing to afford the Span
ish authorities all reasonable facilities for
conducting the investigation, yet it is
thought best that the first inquiry shall
be made by our own commissioners The
request of the Spanish authorities, there
fore, will be respectfully declined.
The apparent difficulty of sending down
divers TO the Maine was relieved, if not
entirely removed, by the statement by
Senior Dubosc of the Spanish legation,
that complete and harmonious under
standing between Captain Sigsbee and the
authorities at Havana had been reached
on the matter of divers. and that the
Spanish authorities viewed the Maine as
part of the sovereign territory of the
United States the same as the United
States legation situated in foreign terri
tory.
The waters of Havana harbor are, of
course, Spanish territory and some con-
fusion has been aroused by the idea that
this jurisdiction over the waters attached
also to the wreck in its present helpless
condition at the bottom of the bay.
Captain Sigsbee will be recognized as
the one to direct the operations and to
send down the government divers for
such inspection as he sees proper to make.
Senior DubOsc feels assured, however,
that Sigsbee will extend equal facilities
to the Spanish divers so that the inspec-
lions may proceed together.
Expert Opinion.
Washington, Feb 2O.-The opinion of
one of the leading experts in the use of
high explosives, Professor Agler of the
ordnance bureau. was today asked as to
As to the question of the cause of the
Names explosion. we know that no tor
pedO such as is known to modern war
fare can of itself cause an explosion of
the character of that ON board the Maine
We know of no instances where the ex-
plosiOn of torpedo mine under a ships
bottom has exploded the magazine with
in. 1t has simply torn great hole in
the ships bottom. through which water
entered and from which the ship sank.
Magazine explosions on the contrary, pro-
duce effects exactly similar to the effects
of the explosion on board the Maine. In
seeking the cause of the explosion of the
Maine magazine, we should naturally look
not for improbable Or..unusual causes, but
those against which we have had to guard
in the past. The most common of these
is through fire in the bunkers Many of
our ships have been in danger at various
times from this cause, and not long ago
a fire in the Cincinnati's bunkers actin
ally set fire to fittings, wooden boxes,
etc. within the magazine, and had it not
been discovered at the time it was. it
would doubtless have resulted in catas-
trophc on board that ship similar to the
one on the Maine. ! shall again empha-
size the fact that no torpedo exploded
without a ship has ever produced or ac
cording to our knowledge can produce
an explosion OF magazine within
Fatality in the Disaster.
Washington, Feb. 2O-The navy depart
ment has compiled the following sum
mary showing the total results of the
Maine disaster from available official in
formation up to tonight: Total mum
Der OF officers and men on board tn,
Maine, 355; total number of officers, 90
total number of men, 329; total number o
officers saved, "a; total number of officer
lost, ,; total number men lost, 246; tota
number officers injured, none; total mum
her men injured, 81; total number mel
saved 76; doubtful (men), :.
The seven men appearing as doubtful
probably represent that number or les
whose lives have been saved, but who ca
not he identified at present on account Q
errors in transmission of kilograms. TIL
81 appearing as injured are included j
the 20 appearing as saved. Two men +,
ported as having died in the hospital al
included in the total of 246 appearin
above as having been lost