The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-17
INTFRNAL ORIGIN.

Captain Sigsbee's brief report as we'll
as General Lees dispatch. indicate that
they now incline strongly to the belief
that the explosion was of internal orr
gin Both agree that the force Of it
was in the forward part of the ship,
and this is borne out by the escape of
the majority of the officers, whose quar-
tiers are aft. and the heavy casualties
among the crew, sleeping forward.
Probably in the latter case the death
list would have been even larger but
for the fact that the Maine had a su-
perstructUre forward on the main deck.
4 portion OF the crew were quartereG
there, and so escaped the greater vio-
lence of the explosion as felt on the
berth deck below them.
The Maine had three magazines. The
one forward was used for the storage Of
ammunition. Weighing 5000 pounds.
This quantity Of explosives is so large
that the naval officers here can scarcely
believe 1t was possible for any human
being on board to have escaped had
this magazine exploded entirely.
KEYS IN CAPTAINS HANDS.
In its vicinity a sentry stands on duty
continually The doors are closed her
metically, except when the ship is
cleared for action. At o'clock every
night the temperature is taken and the
keys Of the locked door are placed in
the captain MINUS lOl the night. Inc
records Of the navy department show
that 81 degrees was the maximum tenn
perature in the Names magazine dur
ing the past month, a very low and safe
temperature These facts make it ex-
tremely difficult 10 account for the ex-
plosion.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.
The department within recent years
has been Greatly troubled with reports
Of spontaneous combustion of coal in
the ships bunkers. which have endan-
sered the lives of the crews and the
safety of the ships.
The Cincinnati twice, at least, has
been obliged to flood her magazines to
prevent their blowing up during fires
of this kind, and the cruiser Boston has
been in the same condition. In some of
these cases shelving in the magazines
which separate the powder charges has
been charred by the heat caused by the
burning coal in the adjacent bunkers.
Although the bunkers are inspected
under the regulations at frequent inter-
walls, so numerous have been these
cases OF spontaneous combustion that
the navy department only recently had
the special board investigate the sub
ject. with the view to applying proven
tive measures.
UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE. |
Unfortunately this board was pre-
vented from making the thorough in
vestigation necessary because no funds |
We're applicable 10 the purpose. Even 4
empty bunkers have exploded. In the
case Of the Atlanta, some years ago. !
the bunkers exploded with great vio-
lence, and the only explanation that
could be given was that il probably /
was caused by the igniting of the vap- |
ors arising from the new paint applied /
to the lining of the bunkers.
The theory advanced by the Spanish ]
authorities that the disaster might have |
been caused by the explosion of the /
boiler. is accepted at the navy depart !
rient as within the bounds Of credibil- |
fty. The Names boiler was separated /
from the powder magazines at the !
nearest point by a space Of about four
feet. usually filled with coal. At least /
one boiler undoubtedly was kept under 1
almost full steam, in order 10 run the {
dvnamos and move the ship in case of /
need. The explosion Of such a boiler /
might easily drive through the bulk
head and fire the magazine.
TORPEDO THEORY DOUBTED.
Inasmuch as suspicion exists in some /
quarters that a torpedo was used I
against the Maine. it may be said that /
the majority Of the naval officers be
lieve that the character of the exDio-
sian was hardly such as could be at /
tributed TO a torpedo. The latter,
charged with about 100 pounds of pow
der or gun cotton. ii is believed. would /
have torn a large hole in the bottom or
side of the Maine, but was scarcely /
likely to fire the magazine, which is not
near the bottom.
II IS said al the navy department that
there is no lack o. precedent for SUCH