New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-13
PERAES VIEWS CRITICISED.
AN AMERICAN TORPEDO EXPERT CON-
flutes THE SPANISH OFFICERS
CONCLUSIONS.

THE WAVE THEORY THE HOLE IL THE MUD
AND THE ABSENCE OF FISH ALL DIS.
cUssED-wEAK POINTS OF THE
SPANISH INQUIRY.
Havana via Key West. Fla. March 12.-It is
impossible I, send direct from Havana anything
In rcfutation Of Captain Perals statement Of
yesterday Of the views Of the Spanish Court Of
Inquiry regarding the Maine disaster. How
ever, an American officer VINO is an expert.
says in effect. and his words are worthy OF all
weight as he knows absolutely ~ what he is
talking:
II am n graduate Of the torpedo school, and
have studied the effects Of torpedoes or mines
from observation and experiments 4 torpedo
exploded at a depth Of six feet would throw
column Of water 100 feet into the air; at T.
feet deep 10 fee; in the air. and al 50 feet deep
would barely raise a small wave dc;onator
Of gun cotton in the open air makes a mark its
own size in steel or blows stone TO fragments
In the water a torpedo itself would not he felt
at any great distance. 1t 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 or boats in the har-
bOr"
THE HOLE IN THE MUD.
As to the hole In the mud the expert in ques-
ton makes the important statement ha he vbg
Maine drew % to 80 feet at the time OF the
explosion. and had about ten feet Of water be-
low her bottom to the surface OF the haroor
mud. on the port side. where the United states
divers are now at work. there is at present
forty-seven feet Of water. May not this be a
hole asks the expert. which Captain Peral says
could not be found? If IT is the hole was more
than seven feet deep when the explosion took
place and has geen greatly filled with mud
since.
As TO the finding Of dead fish. the United
States Court of Inquiry has made careful IN
vestigation Not a single diver has seen a soil
tarv fish since he began work on the wreck
The bodies recovered from the Maine have not
been touched by fishes. Some Of the fishermen
in Havana testified that there were no fish in
side the harbOr. the waters being too foul Tor
them. though sometimes they come part way
in during the day. but all go out at night
Further. as to the alleged discoveries Of Span
ish divers reported to Captain Peral, five Ar1er-
icar divers have been working the port side
Of the wreck an average Of seven hours each
dav for nearly three weeks in n space fifty feet
long and twenty feet wide The Spanish divers
have never been inside the wreck a. all. neither
have they ever been on the port side devotng
the short hours which they have spent under
water 70 tho starboard side forward and outside
the hull Recently 10 their own surprise. they
brought up two cans OF ammunition for the IL
inch guns. not exploded. They dropped them
back when the light Of the surface showed they
were unexploded and what their nature was.
Further. the Spanish divers often only go down
long enough 10 wet their suits and then come
UP and hide behind a blanket on the barge,
and then 20 ashore and report that they cannot
see ANYTHING in the mud and water.
They could not have found the ram Of the
Maine since they have not been down In the
locality Of that part of the wreck. They have
not located the turret, with the lO-inch guns,
though the spot has been pointed out by Captain
Sharp in charge Of the wreckers, where there Is
only sixteen feet. and should be twenty six -eet
This spot Is outside the hull on the sarb >ard
side II is probable that the turret is there.
partly buried in the mud.
WHAT BLEW Up THE MAINE
All Of these facts are known by the United
States Court Of Inquiry, having been elected
in the examination Of those in a position to
know. The expert expresses the belief that the
Maine was blown up by what is known as
Newport Torpedo Station torpedo. or something
Of the same nature. This engire Of destruction
Is the Joint product Of the labOrS OF Commander
Converse Of the Montgomery. Lieutenant Com
n,ander Mclean, now in command of the Tor
pedo Station at Newport, and Senior Lieutenant
Holman, ordnance officer Of the Maine at the
time Of the explosion. The Newport torpedo
bc planted from small boat. and the expert be
Neves that this one exploded by being
struck by the port side Of the Maine forward Of
anidships as she swung her moorngs. He
thinks this more likely than that wires We're laid
ficm the shore as the wires, II laid for any
length Of time would sink deep in the loose har-
lor mud. II would be singular If it should
rtove that the Maine blown up by tor
pedo In the invention of which one of her prin-
Cipal officers. Lieutenant Holman, bore a DOta-
be part.
All the above statements Of fact and surmses
come from authority upon which the Court de-
pends for much Of its evidence. and is given 10
the correspondent without reservation except as
to the name and rank Of the giVer. The expert
made up of four torpedoes of thrty-six pounds
each Of wet and dry gun cotton or IA pounds
in all. This amount is ample to blow the entire
forward part Of the Maine clear over 10 star
board has undoubtedly been done.
a story is current here. but is not con-
frmed. that Captain Sampson has been advised
from Washington that President Mckinley is
ready al any time % receive the Courts report,
and that Captain Sampson replied by a long
cipher cable-dispatch 10 the Secretary Of the
Navy.
TORPEDO FLOTTLLA STILL At CADIz.