The herald., 1898-02-26
THE NAMES MYSTERY
COMMENTED ON By ADMIRAL
ERBEN
NO TORPEDO WAS EVER MADE
Capable Of Doing Such Damage-The
Ship Must Be Raised to Reveal
~ the Truth
Associated Press Special wire

AsSocihteQs EFess opeclal wire ..
NEW YORK. Feb. 25.-Regarding the
ten-inch loaded powder case and the
empty one, smashed and burned, recoy-
cred from the wreck of the Maine, Rear
Admiral Erben said to World reporter
Il should certainly take the first as an
Indication. that the magazine containing
the ten-inch ammunition did not ex-
plode. agree thatif the empty powder
case had been exploded there would have
been nothing left OF it-absolutely moth
Ing. At is more than likely that the emp
ty case was one Of those returned to the
nagaEine after target practice. u
In the absence Of other information
than that in the newspapers we cannot
tell anything definite about 1t, but IL the
magazine did not explode, what kind OF
torpedo could do it? Let them tell us
that. No torpedo that ever heard of
could do that amount of DAMAGE"
Continuing, the Admiral said; while
DO not think much of the theory of an
accident by spontaneous combustion, the
statement that spontaneous combustion
could not have taken place because the
coal was only three months old need not
be considered. I have seen the same
kind of coal lying right out in the navy
yard shed catch fire of its own accord in
two weeks after it was put there.
Il have said from the first, and re-
peat It now, that they will never find out
what sunk the ship until 1t Is raised, and
the sooner the wrecking companies
divers get to work the better. 1t Is dan
gerous work down there in Havana's s
dirty bay. Ships divers are amateurs
at the business and no good results can
be expected of them. Those professional
men go at IT in systematic way and
they are as a rule fearless men,
Regarding the moorings Of the Maine
In Havana harbor, Admiral Erben said:
Il understand that the Spanish flagship
when she was last in Havana was
moored at the same buoy at which the
Maine anchored We do not know
whether the harbor Is laid with mines
and we probably never shall know
We have no right to question it any
more than the Spaniards have right
to know whether this harbor is laid with
mines. II 1t were known that there
were mines laid, 1t would be an invita-
tion for some crank to lay some on his
own account. The pilot that mooredi
the Maine was under orders from the
Spanish admiral and the admiral Is re-
sponsible for her safety, just as we are
responsible for the safety of the Vizcaya
while she Is in our harbor."
WASHINGTON.F Feb. eb.25.-Undouhtedly
there is quieter feeling manifest at the
Navy Department over the Maine at
fair as time passes. This Is the tenth
day since the noble warship was de-
stroyed, but the officers are willing to
wait In patience. with the admonition of
the President and Secretary Long, un-I
til the facts relating to the explosion are
fully developed They are fully on their
guard against the acceptance of un-
authorized statements Of the conditions
at Havana and the daily Developments,
being aware of the efficiency Of the pre-
cautions adopted by the Court of In
Quiry to prevent the premature disclo :,
sure OF the proceedings. Therefore, the
statement that the explosion has been
demonstrated to be of exterior origin
by the discovery Of the upheaved bot
tom Of the Maine, did not cause much
stir, because the officials could not con-
ceive that the alert members of the
Court of Inquiry and their assistants In
Havana had overlooked fact so i'm
portant as this, notwithstanding it be-
ing perfectly apparent for a week to
anyone who came near the wreck.
Captain Crowninshield turned up at
the Navy Department today and took
the helm in the Bureau of Navigation,
relieving Captain Dickens, who has dis
tinguished himself and earned the
thanks of the Secretary for the undying
vigilance which he has manifested in
the many details Of the Maine affair that
have fallen upon the Navigation Bu-
reau, and of the newspaper men, for
the p@ssence and frankness with which
he has met their many inquiries.
Captain Crowninshield's absence has
been made the basis for the conjecture
that he has been ON secret service for the
Navy Department in Cuba, and color
was lent to this impression by the fact
that 1t was not possible until late hour
yesterday to SECURE from any of the off,
cials a statement of the nature of his
business in the south, for 1t was known
that he had arrived in Tampa on the
Montgomery from the West Indies THE
officer himself was not very communi-
cative as to the details of his trip but
he did say that he had been in San
Domingo. He had gone there, on the
Brooklyn with his son when the ship
started for st. Thomas. While in San
Domingo he received news of the dis
aster to the Maine and took advantage
of the opportunity presented by the
presence of the cruiser Montgomery to
make his way back to the United States !
and to Washington.
There was no word from either Cap
tain Sigsbee or Consul General Lee at
the Navy and State Departments
The monitor Terror Is lying In Hamp-
ton Roads and IL said at the Navy De-
partment to have no orders as yet. The
impression Is that she will remain in
tnat place, which ID Of great strategic
value in case Of need, at least until the
monitor Puritan Is ready to take her
place. The Puritan Is almost as big as
the Terror, being q 6O00-ton vessel. verv
little less than the Maine In size. She
carries 12-inch guns in her turret.
against 10-inch guns for the Terror. and
is altogether the most formidahle
double-turreted monitor in the world IN
smooth water. This qualification does
not mean that she is unable to keep the
sea. put only that from her great breadth
and light draught she Is so susceptible
10 the wave motion that 1t Is difficult IL |
make good work with her guns in q,
sea way. She Is now having new fur |
naces lifted to her boilers at the Nor |
Iolk Navy Yard, the crowns Of the fur
naces having come down some time ago.
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