The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-22

around the p~uncture. 1t is more likely
if there is any hole at all of the kind
that it is simply the outlet of one of
the numerous pieces from the inside of
the Maine.
Secretary Long positively denies that
Captain Sigsbee has in any way by a
suppressed telegram expressed the
opinion that a torpedo caused the dis
aster or that it came from an external
cause. The captain said on the con-
trary that he could not venture to eX-
press an opinion.
The Key West bulletin regarding the
finding of the hole in the bottom of
the Maine and referring to the work
of a torpedo was sent to the White
house by the Associated Press n was
shown to President Mckinley. His
only m was that it was the
first he had heard of it. The president
does not wish to make any statement
concerning reports that come regard
ing the disaster, but he permitted the
fact to be known that the administra-
ton had no advices tending to confirm
the Key West report.
THE COURT OF INQUIRY.
The navy department received a
despatch this morning from Admiral
Sicard, in command of the North At
lantic squadron, giving the details of
the court of inquiry to investigate the
Maine disaster as follows: Captain
Sampson, president of the court; Cap
tain Chadwick, Lieutenant Command
ed Schroeder and Lieutenant Com
mander Mark. President Sampson,
the president of the court, is command
er of the battleship Iowa, now at the
Tortugas; Captain Chadwick is COM
mander of the New York, at Key
West; Lieutenant Schroeder is execu-
tive officer of the battleship Massachu-
sets, now at the TOrtugas; Lieutenant
Commander Mark is executive officer
of the Vermont. Gle was formerly with
the Maine as executive officer before
the detail of Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright who relieved him). Ad-
miral Sicard'S board has ample au-
thority to make the most searching in
vestigation into the cause of the dis
aSter.
The Fern and the Mangrove reported
arrival at Havana last evening. The
former is provided with diving apparat-
us n as every Warship's company in
cludes at least several expert divers
there will be no lack of men to make
the necessary search. These men car
be depended upon to report the exact
facts. They, moreover, will be subject
to orders of the court of inquiry in
every particular, and as they are ia
maliar with the bottom of a warship
of the type of the Maine, they are not
likely to be led into the mistake of sup
posing the outlet hole or pipe from the
interior to be a torpedo hole. 1t is be-
| lieved that under the most favorable
circumstances this investigation can
not be made for several days.
| Lieutenant Commander Mark, who
| will be a member of the court Of in
quiry, left Washington at II O'Clock
4~I 49,, 1910 g.. -, W.T. 1~I l.
is supposed to be assigned to duty as
judge-advocate of the court. Probably
the board will be conveyed to Ha-
yana from Key West by the Olivette or
one of the lighthouse tenders, as it is
again stated today that the navy de-
partment has no intention of sending
another man-of-war to Havana i'm
mediately.
SURMISES AS TO THE CAUSE.
General fears are expressed by the
older officers at the navy department
that the destruction of the Maine has
/ been so complete, at least in the for
| ward portion of the ship where the ex-
plosion is believed to lave occurred,
that it would be perhaps impossible to
, fluid sufficient evidence in the wreck
of the hull to be able to declare with
! certainty the cause of the disaster. 1t
may be said, however, that nothing has
, yet developed in the news from Ha-
vana as to the appearance of the wreck
or in the conflicting stories of the sur
VivOrs to change the opinion of the ma
jority of the officers stationed in the
navy department that the Maine sunk
! as the result of an internal explosion.
AS to THE origin Of this explosion there
is still a wide difference of opinion,
but the coal bunker theory today finds
very many more strong supporters
than any other theory. This theory is
based on the supposition that sponta-
neous combustion in one of the bunk
ers, which in the Maine are separated
from the magazine forward by a single
thin partition of iron, ignited the mag
aZfne and caused the destruction of the
vessel. Proofs of similar fires on other
vessels of the navy are being produced
in profusion at the navy department
today.
Captain Royal Bradford today pro-
duced the quarterly report required by
regulations to show exactly the state
of the Names Goa supply and the
quality of the oal AT the end of De-
cember the vessel had fifty-two tons
of coal only in her bunkers. This was
made up of Pocahontas and New River
coal. Captain Bradford said hat Po-
cohontas is the standard naval coal
and is rated at 100. New River fol-
lOWS next dIfu IS set uOWIl dl SU per
cent. These are semi-bituminous
Goals of a quality closely approaching
| that celebrated Welsh navigating coal.
the British naval standard. In the
| opinion Of Captain Bradford neither OF
| these Goals is particularly subject to
spontaneous combustion. Since the
Maine has been in the Gulf of Mexico,
however, she probably consumed a
| good part of this coal and replenished
her stock from the naval store at the
Key West station. The coal there TAX
en- on was anthracite, which Captain
Bradford said lis no more subject to
spontaneous combustion than a pile of
stones" The Maine took on $50 tons
of this coal in December, and in jan
loaded up with 271 tons more. This
coal at Key West is kept behind a
picket fence very much exposed to
any evil minded person who might de-
sire to conceal a bomb therein: some
thing which could only be effected With