The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1898-03-04
LOOKS BAD FOR SPAIN
WIRE CklNG OF THE MAINE
PROBABLY INTENTIONAL.
All the Evidence Points that Way, and
the Naval Court of Inquiry is Said To
be Convinced-The ships Bottom Plates
Blown Upwards-Forward Magazine Is
Intact.
No Longer Any Doubt.

| HAVANA, Feb. 26-tNew York
| World Cablegram). The naval board
of inquiry is completely satisfied now
by the evidence of divers in regard to
the origin of the explosion which de-
stroyed the Maine. The divers went
down into the wreck this morning
again and got evidence to confirm the
suspicious aroused by the findings of
yesterday. The court may not leave
for Key West for day or two as it
has found many more witnesses to
examine.
Hitherto the navy divers have been
at work for the purposes Of investiga-
tion. From now on the wrecking
steamer Right Arm will proceed Wig
orously with it's task. It's divers were
busy today down forgard. 1t is eX-
pected that all the remaining bodies
will be recovered within three days
Lieutenant Commander wainwright
has charge of the work Gunner
Charles Morgan, the warrant officer of
the cruiser Newark, probably will di-
rectly overlook the divers. Chief
Gunner's Mate Olsen of the battleship
Iowa is doing splendid work. The
officers say that they have never seen
better diver than he.
Poor Holzer was the man VINO. dy-
ing in horrible agony, said to Cap
tain Sigsbee: Captain, l am sorry l
can't shake hands with YOU His
hands were swathed in bandages. Il
am sorry you've lost your ship and
your comrades" He ought TO have a
monument.
Yesterdays disclosures of the div
ers prove finally full international
fact. that the Maine was blown up
February Is by an outside explosion,
probably Of q large tOrEedO. The
board of investigation has ceased in
vestigating the remains of the for
ward magazine. The members are
satisfied that it did not explode. From
the first glance everything has point
ed that way. 1t is known now that
the divers found under the flooring
of the big forward starboard maya
Ein twenty-five tons Of powder intact,
while the sides were completely de-
stroyed It is an absolute imDossi-
bility that a part of its $50 powder
filled cylinders should not have ex-
true that no explosives aboard the
ship could, unaided, have so mangled
and blown away and broken in two
the battleship Maine. Something
elese must have done it.
Naval experts cay a big torpedo
placed under the port side of the bot
tom just next to TIE reserve magazine
would easily have caused the observed
damage if it were assisted by the
1000 pounds of the quick burning
saluting powder known 70 have been
in the reserve magazine. 1t is not
likely that mines exist inside the
closed Havana harhor. nor likely that,
if known to the government, mine
would be placed in the position most
seldom occupied bv ship anchored to
the buoy rs in the Names position. It
is most likely that if such mine had
been built it would have been b1dly
out of order. like most Spanish naval |
affairs, if. indeed, it had ever con-
tanned explosives for whicn the Span
iSh government paid.
AS was cabled, one of the Names |
bottom plates has been blown from left |
to right and upwards. Originally it |
was under water Oh the port side |
about opposite the forward turret
1t now prOtrudes four feet out Of |
water, fifteen feet inside the proper
line of contour of the vessel. as is
shown by the uLdamaged rear two
thirds The Names bottom plates
were painted, am informed with Nc
Guinnes' green anti-fOuling paint This
plate is thus painted on it's port side
On its other side ii is plastered with
the cement only used IN the Maine on
the inside of the bottom plates. The
cement is gathered thick IN the COR
neTs Of the angle irons On the star
board side of the plate.
This would be sufficient proof even
without the divers magazine discov-
ery. or the ten-inch shells thrown to-
ward the starbcard side: or the main
deck being doubled back to starhoard
and port; or the living men who slept
near the big magazine; or the dead
bodies near it mangled; or the for
ward funnel thrown to right and rear;
>r the cement hurled aboard the Wash
ngton; or any other of the many
proofs already cabled. Anyone was
Indicative; all together are stunningly