The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-13
an EXPERTS TALK ON EXPLOSIVES.
Four Torpedoes Of Thirty-six Pounds
Each Were Used.
BOARD IS READY TO REPORT.
Rumor Current That captain snmp-
son Has Been Ordered 10 Report.
TO Disarm the volunteers.

anything IN reputation OF captain Ihil-
lips statement OF yesterday regarding the
| views OF tho Spanish court of inquiry re-
garding the Maine disaster. However, an
American officer, who IS an expert. says
in effect and his words are worthy OF ell
weight, as he knows absolutely of what
he Is talking;
| ~ anu a graduate of the torpedo school
| and have studied the effects OF torpedoes
| and mines from observation and expert
ments. torpedo exploded at a depth of
six feet would throw column OF water
| 100 feet into the air; at twelve feet, ten
| feet In the air and at thirty feet depth
would hardly raise small wave. A de-
tonation of gun cotton in the open air
makes mark its own size in steel or
blow stone to fragments. In the water
torpedo itself would not be felt at any
| great distance. IL requires the resistance
OF a solid body and would be dissipated
IN water or mud. This disposes OF the
| wave theory. and the affecting Of the shore
OF boats in the harbor."
| AS to the hole in the Maine, the expert
III question makes the most important
| l0ul tEp Nlt,lUc uTtW lWGuIy
| eight TO thirty feet at the time of the
ea plosion and had about ten feet of water
beloW her bottom to the surface OF the
| harbor mud. On the port side. whore the
| United States divers are now at work,
| there IL al present forty-five feet of water.
| May not there be the hole which Captain
| Peal says could not be found: Ii 1t Is,
the hole was more than seven feet deep
when the explosion took place aud had
been greatly niled with mud since.
AS 10 the finding OF dead fish. the United
States court of inquiry has not seen a
| solitary fish since work began on the
| wreck. The bodies recovered from the
! Maine have not been touched by fish, Some
of the fishermen testified there were no
fish inside the harbor. the waters being too
| foul for them. Sometimes they come part
OF the way In during the day but all go
out at night Further, AZ to the alleged
discoveries of Spanish divers reported 10
Captain Peral, Ave American divers have
been working on the port side of the
wreck an average OF seven hours day
each for nearly three weeks In space
fifty feet long and twenty feet wide.
The Spanish divers have never been IN
side the wreck at all neither have they
eyer been on tho port side. dpvoting the
short hours which they have spent under
water to the starboard. forward and outside
n tft nun. RepcnIiS. 10 tntlT oWu sHll'ilSp
Il they brought I'M two cans OF ammunition
Tor tho six inch guns not exploded. They
| trunped them back when the light oil the
1 surface showed they were uneNnioded
and what their nature was Further the
Spanish divers often 20 down only long
enough to wet their suits and then come
up and hide behind a blanket on the barge
where they sleep or rest for couplo OF
/ hours and then 20 ashore and report that
they can not see anvthing in the mud and
water. They could not have found the ram
ur the Maine since they have not been
down in the locality of that part OF the
wreck
They have not located the turret with
tne ten-inch guns. though the spot has
/ been pointed out hv Captain sharp in charge
OF the Workers. where there is only twenty
Nix feet OF water and this spot is outside
OF the hull on the starboard side. II is
probable that the turrot is there buried in
the mud. All of these facts are known
bv the United States court of inuuiry. hav-
Ing been elected In tho examination of
those in a position to know.
The expert interviewed bv the corre-
.rondent EXPRESSED the relief that the
Maine was blown up nv what liz known as
a Newport stationary torpedo or something
of the same nature. These engines OF de-
struction AFRO the ioiut product al the labors
Of Commander Converse OF the Montgomery
Lieutenant Mclean. now In command NJ
the torpedo station at Newport. and Lieu
tenant Holman. ordinances officer OF u
Maine at the time Of tho explosion The
| Newport torpedo can be planted from a
small boat and tho expert believes this
was exploded bv being struck on the port
side of the Maine, forward OF amidships.
! as she swung on To her moorings. He
| thinks this Is more likely than that wires
we're laid from the shore. as the wires
II laid for any time would sink deep in
the loose harbor mud. II would be sinGn-
lar IL IL should prove that the Maine was
blown no nv torpedo. the inyenton of
| which one Of her PRINCIPAL officers. Lieu
i tenant Holman bore d notable plrt.
All OF the above statements OF facts and
surmises come from authority upon which
| the court depends for much OF its evidence
and was given to the correspondent without
reserve except as TO the name and rank OF
the giver.
The expert further believes that the de-
stroying agent was made up of four torpc-
does OF thrty-six pounds each OF wet and
dry gun cotton. or l4i pounds In all, This
amount would have been ample 10 blow the
entire forward part OF the Maine clear over
to starboard as undoubtedly was done
In the Judgment OF the correspondent the
United States court OF inquiry Is fully
aware Of the views which the Spanish court
viii promulgata and has also mnde n care
ful Investigation on the same lines so as
to be able either to refute or TO confirm the
Spanish statements.
story " current here. hut II Is not con-
firmed. that Captain Sampson has been ad-
visod from Washington that President Me-
KInlcv Is ready at any time to receive the
courts report aud that Captain Sampson
replied by long cipher cahiegram to the
secretary Of the navy.
A perpetual watch IL kent on board apd
about the Nruiser Montgomery, but the Of
flcrrs OF that vessel say no such ne, Won,
,, vigilance Is shown as is DISPLAYED by the
!, V'rssrr r'sa nnuenio. hnth ~ which the
moored The Spanish ships constantly hays
a nairnl watching them.
Senior SaTnsta, the Spaniih tsemier MS
wrs'cn letter to an intImate friend
! which was r"nd ~ meeting OF conssrya.
!. t,nes hero lest Thursday In this lst,ar
, ~. rremlsr says that the dissrmins ~ IVA
-c'nr'@rrs hos hsrn determined mos h.,
~ wss r~emature ~
) IRE general government is usiny stro,g