The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-03

An End In Key WeSt-War Prep
arations Throughout Country.
Havana, March 2.-CVia Key West)-
Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of surmises, conjecture and
| prophecies concerning the finding OF
the court of inquiry, it is fair to say
that, as a 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 Maine
was caused by the explosion of float
ing submarine mine under the port side
Of the ship forward. Opinions differ as
to whether the 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 vessels
| 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 result
of carelessness or ignorance of Spanish
officers in charge of the mine station
keys when testing the circuit, but the
| latter superstition is felt to be prob
able. 1t is further regarded as settled
by the evidence before the court that
the port side of the hull forward was
completely blown TO pieces, and that
the only explosion on the Maine, ex-
cept of isolated cases of fixed ammuni-
ton, was that of 1000 pounds of salut-
ing powder, stored forward, and of
which no trace can be found.
VIEWS GATHERED FROM OF
FICERS.
These views are gathered from Of
ficers 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 authorized
to make statements in advance of the
final adjudgment.
A good deal of surprise was ex-
pressed by Americans here on learning
that the Spanish divers We're to be
permitted to make an examination of
the wreck of the Maine, especially, as
it was also said, American naval Of
ficers would give such divers all con-
sistent facilities and would throw no
obstacles in the way of a thorough
submarine inspection.
came to be later, that the Spanish
search was to be entirely Independent,
and while it was being made the Amer
lean investigation would proceed under
Captain Sigsbee'S supervision. AS I'M
derstood here, the Spanish request,
made Immediately after the disaster.
for joint investigation, was promptly
refused at Washington, but after a
cabinet consultation it was agreed that
the Spaniards had a moral and inter-
national right to discover the cause of
the wreck for themselves, if possible.
Therefore, permission for an independ-
ent examination was granted, on the
ground, as understood here, that it
could not be refused to a friendly
power in her own harbor That the
permission was not accorded until af-
ter the court of inquiry had finished its
work here and gone to Key West, is
regarded as significant. 1t opens a
wide field for speculation.
TWO POTENT REASONS.
Some assert that the court now has
no objection to a Spanish inquiry for
one of two reasons: Either the court
has sufficient evidence already of acct
dent or malice-evidence that cannot be
controverted by the Spaniards-or, af-
ter diligent search, the mystery re-
mains as deep as ever, and the court
does not think the Spanish will reach
a conclusion where the Americans have
failed.
OF course, all this refers principally
to inspection of parts of the ship other
than the hull. Until the guns, decks,
engines and debris of all kinds have
been removed, and the mud has been
pumped out of the hull, it cannot be
examined thoroughly by anyone Some
good authorities think it will be neces- |
sary to build a cofferdam around the
wreck, piles being driven, etc.
That any important testimony before
the court has found its way to the pub
lie is very unlikely.
Some of the witnesses have told GER |
tain correspondents of alleged testi- |
mony but in every case investigation |
has shown their stories to be wildly !
improbable and controverted by known |
facts. or else absolutely irrelevant |
Some of the correspondents have tried 1
to extract information from members of !
the court or from naval witnesses by |
putting clever hypothetical interroga-
tories. But the questioners were not |
experts in naval architecture and the |
questioned were.
So the results were unsatisfactory. |
Probably the court knew before it left |
Havana for Key West whether the ten
inch magazine on the starboard, for
bers gave no sign, and the divers. when
they talk at all. contradictAeach other.
DIFFICULT WORK.
Doubtless even the contractors for
the removal of the inner debris and the
raising of the hull do not fully appre-
ciate the difficulties to be encountered.
Certainly the tug Right Arm has been
IF little value thus far. her captain
not having sufficient authority until
Monday to employ the help or TO hire
he needed lighters.
While criticising the naval divers for
heir slowness, it must be remembered
hat theirs is grim, dangerous and
iifficult work. In muddy. foul water
through a mass of riveted STEEL bent
ron, shattered gratings and ladders,
,ver upturned matches, scattered am
guns chests, machinery and
electric wires, they must make or cut
heir intricate way. They must exer-
Use great care lest their air tubes will
De severed by sharp projectiles. Al