Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-10
DYNAMITE FOR GEN. WEYLER,
Al Order Filled for the Captain Gen
eral by New York Company.
Carried by a Spanish Ship-It Was
Said to Be Weyler's Purpose to
Surround Havana With a Masked
Barrier of High Explosives-The
transaction May Have Some Re-
lation to the Maine Disaster.

Dutmar Powder Company, of New
York. is in this city. When asked
about the report that his company had
sold dynamite to Gen. Weyler's agents.
he said:
Il sold to Weylers agents 5000
mounds of dynamite in November. 1896.
Al the same time $50 miles of rubber
covered insulated copper wire were
purchased and sent to Cuba on the
snip carrying the dynamite This
might have been used in the destruc-
ton Of the Maine three weeks ago, as
u was pretty we'll established that
Weyler was using this powerful explo-
sive 10 form the most terrible naval
destroyers of modern times
New York. March 9.-The cargo of
dynamite sold to Weyler agents left
this city by steamer Ciudad Coudal
November 20, 1896. 1t was a sample
order. as explained by Weylers agents
10 the Dittmar Powder Company, and
was to be followed by an order for
400 tons Of dynamite and 500 miles
Of submarine wire"
one morning late in October. 1896,
the mail brought letter to Captain
Hamlin. which, at the moment excit-
cd little interest. 1t was a briefly
w0rded request for quotation of 200
pounds of dynamite, a Victory bat
terry. 80 exploders and some submar-
inc wire The letter was signed II.
d. Williams of 119 South Fourth
street. Philadelphia" AS no reply was
made, Mr. Williams, two or three days
later. asked Mr. Hamlin
OVER THE TELEPHONE
to meet him in this city A confer
ence followed. in which Williams said
he was acting for a Mr.. Selwyn, and
that the goods must be shipped to Ha-
yana without delay. Captain Hamlin
replied it would be next to impossible
TO get a steamer TO carry such a cargo
to Cuba and the deal was not closed.
The next day Williams reappeared
at the Astor House and Mr.. Hamlin
let out the secret of his mission. He
explained that Selwyn was an English
engineer who enjoyed confidential re-
latons with the Weylerites in Havana
and had come to this country to pur-
chase explosives for the Spanish gov
eminent. 1t was Weyler's plan, he
explained, to surround Havana with
Io, OF ;oro vy1n
Furthermore, Selwyn had been in
structed to procure at once the best
quotations upon 100 tons of dynamite
and 500 miles of submarine wire.
The shipments, seemingly impossi-
BILE to arrange, was in reality the
easiest matter in the world said Will
liams. Then he handed a slip of paper
to Capt Hamlin, and explained that
upon its presentation at the offices OF
the "Compania Trans-Atlantica Es-
pamela the proposed shipment would
be more favorably regarded That slip
OF paper was cablegram from Ha-
yana, addressed to De Lone, the Span
ish minister at Washington. 1t was
written in Spanish. When Capt. Ham
lin presented the cablegram to the
steamship company he was ushered
into a private office and the proposed
shipment Of dynamite was accorded
respectful consideration. The CONF
pany is the one distinctive Spanish
line that links Cuba with this port.
Every officer on its steamers is a
member of the Royal Spanish Naval
Reserve The agents of the company
before accepting the cargo demanded
direct orders. Finally such orders
came from Havana, and the cargo was
accepted for the Cindad Coudal, al
though it necessitated the cancelling
of
THE PASSENGER LIST
CT the vessel.
Nj. Williams occupies offices at No,
lI9 South Fourth street, Philadelphia,
and lives in good style at st. Davids,
a fashionable suburb He is well
known in Philadelphia as an energetic
man of business and identified with
many enterprises, notably street rail-
reads. Directly under his name on
The office door appears the following
sign; m. S. Selwyn, electrical and
mining expert" Mr. Williams said:
Ii is true that | purchased this dyna-
mite and expioders from the Dittmar
company and for the Spanish authorl-
ties at Havana. | did this for my
friend Selwyn, an Englishman, who
mad lived for years in Havana. He
came to me here in Philadelphia, eX-
planning that the Spanish authorities
IN Havana had empowered him to pur-
chase dynamite and submarine wire
When he asked me to help him in the
matter | consented. Why not? 1t
seemed to be an opportunity to make
an honest dollar in strictly legitimate
trade.
Charles Dittmar. son Of the founder
OF the powder company, said of the
transaction: "A sale to the Spanish
government at that time was legiti-
mate and no one could have foreseen
Spanish treachery and the destruction
OF an American warship. Mr.. Will
lams made no secret of Weyler's pur-
pose l personally met him on one of
ms visits to this city He told me
mat Weyler had planned to encircle
havana with dynamite. The cable
elam from Havana to De Lone was
N Spanish, and none of us could de-
CIPHER 1t. | forget the signature, but
H worked like charm on the Spanish
steamship company. We did not have
N IN our possession long. OF course.
We We're all pledged to secrecy, but in
View of recent developments my pa
'llotlsm viii not permit me to remain
rfNr-