The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-18
TORPEDO IDEA REJECTED
Navy Department is Chief Among the
Skenfics

navy Department is Chief Among the
Skeptics,
washington, Feb. 1.-THE navy depart.
ment absolutely discredits the story from
Key West that divers have found an eight
inch percussion hole in the bottom of the
Maine. Secretary Long said: There is
no such thing as a percussion hole; there
Is no elght-inch torpedo and there is nc
other way in which a hole could be ac-
counted for 1t is, of course, possible that
a shell exploded in side of the ship pierre
ed hole of that kind in the outer skin.
but that would be readily revealed by the
character of the angle al whether or not
the skin was bulged in or out around the
puncture. 1t is more likely if there is any
hole at all of the kind that it is simply
the outlet of oneof the numerous pierces
of the inside of the Maine"
Secretary Long positively denied that
| Captain Sigsbee had in any suppressed
| telegram expressed the opinion that a
! torpedo caused the disaster, or that it
came from an external cause The can
tain said, on the contrary, that he could
not venture to express an opinion.
THE INVESTIGATION.
Facts We're few but theories plentiful at
! thenaVy department today so far as the
! NAMED isaster was concerned Outside or
| the action indicated by Admiral Sicard in
the appointment of the court of inquiry
and the adoption of further measures for
the disposition of the wounded and dead.
the department officials felt that there
was little to do at this moment and that
1T remained for the investigation to be
nj hafO
taken.
Admiral Sicard's board has ample au-
thorlty TO make the most searching in
Vestlgation into thee auses of the disas-
ter. The Fern and the Mongrove report
ed arrival at Havana last evening. They
are provided with diving apparatus and
as every warship's company includes at
least several expert divers there will be
no lack of men TO make the necessary
search. These men can be depended upon
20 report the exact facts. They are ia
miliar with the bottom of a ship of the
type of the Maine, and they are not like
ly To be led into the mistake of suppos-
ing the outlet hole or pipe from the in
terror to be a torpedo hole.
1t is believed that under the most IA
vorable circumstances this investigation
cannot bemade for several days Ar
rangements must bemade for the proper
working Of the diving outfits and the
board of inquiry must determine upon a
line of action. Besides. Lieutenant Com
mander Mark, who will be a member of
the court of inquiry has just been re-
leased from duty with the Billings court
martial in this city. He left Washington
az
West. and he is supposed to be assigned
TO duty as judge advocate of the court.
Probably the board will be conveyed from
Havana TO Key West by the Olivette or
one Of the lighthouse tenders. as it is |
again stated that thenavy department has |
no intention of sending another man-of- !
war to Havana Immediately.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY.
General fear is expressed by the old I
officers al the navy department that the 1
destruction OF the Maine has been COM /
plete' at least in the forward portion Of .
the snip where the explosion is believed 1
TO have occurred, that it viii perhaps be
impossible 10 find sufficient evidence in
the wreck OF the hull TO be able to de-
clare with certainty the cause of the dis
aster- The reports coming from Havana /
and printed this morning descriptive Of
the big turret guns. the overttfrnirr or
the deck forward. all seem to indicate
that an enormous destruction has occurr-
ed below Il may be said. however. that
nothing has Yet developed in the news
from Havana as 10 the appearance Of the
wreck or il the conflicting stories Of the
survivors, 10 change the opinion OF the
majority Of the officials stationed in the
navy department that the Maine sunk as
the result OF an internal explosion.
COAL BUNKER THEORY.
As to the origin OF the explosion there
Is sin Z wide difference OF opinion. but
the coal bunker tho-y now ands many
more strong supporters than any other
theory. This theory = based on the sup
position that spontaneous combustion in
0ne % the bunkers. which on the Maine
are separated from the magazine for
ward b single thin partitions % iron
gnited the magazine and caused the de-
struction % the vessel Proofs Of similar
5res on other vessels OF the navy are be-
ng produced in profusion al the navy de-
parJment- It is said that on the battle
snip Indiana that 10 less than seven fires
have occurred IN the coal buakers- The
has had a, least one within
ne past year. while n the case % he
-agship Of the North Atlantic squadron.
ne New York. The department w2s obllE-
q 70 order the dfsconJinuGnce % the Use
Il The magazine in the centre % the ship
because CO danger from this cause. AID :