The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-17
WIDELY VARYING VIEWS
I'M GENERAL THE ACCIDENT THEORY
IS THE ONE ACCEPTED
Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama, and Some
Other Members of the House and
Senate Are Disposed, However, to
Ascribe the Terrible Explosion
to Some Act of Treachery.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Is. - Senator
Morgan, Of Alabama, a member of the
committee on foreign affairs, said to-
DAY: In the absence of definite in
formation as to the causes and results
OF the Maine catastrophe 1 would not
venture an opinion upon it. If it was
an accident, as the first dispatch seem
to indicate, it was most deplorabIe; if
1t was due to treachery, as some are in
ctned to believe it was most heinous
and no penalty would be too severe for
those responsible for it. But whether
the calamity was due to accident or
treachery, L should like to see intro
duced in congress a joint resolution
providing for the immediate construe-
ton of two battleships equal in size
and equipment to the Maine and cost
ing not dollar less than the Inflated
Maine cost. Action of that kind by us
would indicate to the world that when
ever or wherever one of our tentacles
was cut off two would at once grow in
its place.
1T seems almost out of the question
that it was the result Of an accident.
1t is usual for a. ship of the Names
class to carry her magazines in her
bow where the explosion seems to have
occurred? But l can say nothing of
that, now. l cannot guess and cannot
speculate 1t is an awful calamity
Let US wait the particulars"
Suspects Treachery.
Senator Perkins, Of California, who
has been navigator all his life and
knows thoroughly every detail in the
construction and handling of great
ships, said:
Il cannot conceive that such an ex-
plosion as that which is reported to
have wrecked the Maine could have re-
suited from an accident The chances.
1t seems TO me, are 999 in 1000 that the
calamity did not result from an acci-
dent. 1t has been suggested that the
explosion might have occurred while
ammunition was being handled, but
that is scarcely credible, as ammunf-
ton on a warship lying at anchor is
not handled at 10 o'clock at night
Then, too, the ammunition on a war
ship is fixed ammunition which is not
IN contact with anything at all likely
TO produce an explosion. Every cleo
trio wire and every spark of fire on
board the ship is far distant from the
magazines, and there Is no possibility
OF danger by those means being COM
municated to the ammunition"
The discipline of both officers and
men on the Maine, as well as on every
other vessel, is such that the explosion
could not have been caused by any ac-
ton of any one of them. The maga-
zines of the Maine and other ships of
her class, and the mechanism which
operates them, are constructed with all
the nicely of a watch. BY the simple
pressure Of an electric button any mag
aZine on board the vessel could be in
stantly submerged, and no fire could
gain such headway as to endanger any
of the magazines without discovery.
Il am firmly of the belief that the
horror in Havana harbor last night
was not due to accident. 1 can scarce
ly conceive either that it was due to
the treachery of Spanish officials, OF
was brought about by their cognizance.
However, the situation in Havana is so
critical and the Spanish feel so keenIy
what appears to many of them an
affront that the Maine should have
been in the harbor that it seems not
unlikely the catastrophe was due to
the action of Spanish sympathizers.
That it was not an accident 1 feel as
sured, and that it was due to treachery
am convinced"