The record-union., 1898-03-04
WRECK!EG Of the MAINE.
DIVERS BELIEVE 1T WAS AN
EXTERNAL EXPLOSION.
Said That Their Examination of
the Hull Of the Vessel Leads
to That Conclusion.

NEW YORK. March "A dispatch
to the Tribune" from Havana says:
The leading facts of the Maine dis
aster are all now in the possession OF
the Naval Board The divers have con
tinued their work during the absence
of the board at Key West. They have
discovered nothing to change the ev.-
dence first gathered, which showed. ap-
pGrently, that the explosion was cN-
ternal. Their examination this week
has extended alongside the plat es. ana
they have penetrated forward well into
the bow. All they find is. merely con-
firmatory of what was previously dis
covered
Captain Sampson and his associates
We're especially anxious to await fur
Their work by the divers to determine
whether or not mistakes had bee. made
i. any particular Nothing has been
found to indicate a mistake. On the
contrary, the more thoroughly the hull
tx examined the more convincing ap-
pears the original evidences of eXplo
sion from without How long the board
will take to formulate its conclusions
on this point can be better judged i'll
Washington than in Havana.
Notwithstanding the permission given
by the United States Government for
Spanish divers to examine the wreck,
the investigation by the Spanish au-
thorities of the. condition of the ship as
ii lies in the water proceeds slowly.
They seemed to be in no hurry TO learn
the facts about the hull, magazines
and other matters, which We're first to
er gage the attention of the Naval
Board. The Government has, however,
taken considerable testimony of per-
sons who We're in the harbor on the
night of the explosion. 1t gives much
weight to the testimony of those who
say they saw flames issuing froia the
Maine before the ship was wrecked by
az explosion.
The understanding in Havana is
that the naval board will be emphatic
in generating Captain Sigsbee and the
officers of the Maine from the implicd
ton of negligence. lack of discipline or
responsibility for the disaster.
The board will be able to go further,
and show not only that there was no
accident which could have been pre-
vented but also no basis for the the
cries of the accident from an unknown
cause. How far it viii go in the as
sertion of positive proof that the Maine
was blown up is for the present a
speculative question. The prevalent i'm
preston is that the board has evidence
of the deed without the means of find
ing out who committed it, 1t is in
tumbent on the Spanish Government
to find that out.
The denial credited to Senator Du-
bosie in Washington that mines exist
in Havana Harbor does not receive the
weight that would be given to an OFF,
cial declaration from Captain-General
Blanco or Premier Sagasta on the
same subject In official circles here
it is the evident purpose TO combat
the finding of the naval board, but not
aggressively.
The Spanish attitude seems to be that
an accident was probable. and that the
United States is not justified in making
a demand for reparation when the
proof Of foul play is not positive. The
assumption Will be that the two Gov
ernments, after taking evidence, We're
unable to agree in their conclusions
However, there has been nothing in
the nature OF a joint investigation.
From the present outlook, Madrid
and Washington are the places where
the consequences of the Maine eXplo-
sion will oe determined Little moro
than is already known can be learned
here. The wreck promises to remain
in the -harbor for an indefinite period.
The wrecking companies Will be able
10 raise the guns of the Maine. Any
hull is an asset of no value to any
Government.
The temper of the Spanish classes
toward the United States finds some
exhibition at present, but not in the
form of hostile demonstration. 1t is
rather in the shape Of fervent protests
and actions of loyalty to the mother
country.
The arrival of the warsnip ViZcaya
has caused an outpouring of the loya,
spirit though it was not exactly spon-
taneous, for the demonstration was
arranged in advance. Apparently a
large proportion of the populace are
gratified to see the ViZcaya anchored
not far from the wreck OF the Maine.
They believe that with the other war
ships which are to come. and with the
torpedo fleet. Havana and the ports of
Cuba are safe from an American fleet.