The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-09

New York, April s.-Joseph Paul Lib
bons. the electrician who supplied sub
marine mines TO the Spanish govern
ment. cables from London to the
World:
The only submarine mines which have
been supplied to the Spanish govern
raent since ISS6-S7 were manufactured
under my own patents.
! then supplied them with SO ground
mines, Is buoyant mines, each with a
charge of 500 pounds of guncoUton, and
10 electro contact mines, exploded either
or contact or by service from shore.
each containing 4 charge of 100 pounds
OF guncotton.
The mines sent TO Havana would
still retain full effectiveness. They win
last under water for an indefinite per-
led.
In 1861 the Spanish government or
dered a fresh supply of my patent
mines Whether they went TO Havana
or not is immateri2l-
FULLY CONVINCED.
one of the mines supplied in 1856 is
still fully capable of causing the de-
struction of the Maine.
In fact l am convinced, from all sur
rounding circumstances, that no other
agency could have caused it.
In direct contradiction of the asser-
tiers Of the secretary of the Spanish
legation at Washington and Of General
Weyler that there are no submarine
mines in Havana harbor, ! absolutely
affirm that I shipped the above mines
for Havana ard Ferrol il a Spanish
ship. the property of the Spanish gov
eminent, and Differed by Spanish naval
officers, with two captains, at the West
India dock, London.
Ny mines are in electrical connection
with the shore. and it is quite imDos-
sible that they could be exploded eX-
cept by design
l am convinced. also, that the eXplo-
sion of the mine which destroyed the
Maine was the work of one or two men,
for these reasons:
SOUND REASONS.
First-A vessel swinging. either an
chored or moored. upon striking the
circuit closer case, would merely crop
a shutter on the keyboard on shore.
warning the officer in charge that she
vas in contact with the mine.
Second-Before the officer is in a pc
sition TO fire the mine, he must obtain
enc of two keys. One is generally kept
by the commardant. the other by the
officer in charge of the firing station.
He then must unlock the glass door
over which the shutter has fallen, and
Insert a red danger plug in the insu-
lated switch.
Third-He must insert a plug in the
switch of the firing battery earthpl2te.
Fourth-The firing key hammer must
be pressed on to the contact anvil to
complete the circuit that eXDiodes the
detonator. by which the mine, in turn.
is exploded.
GROUND NINE DID 1T.
I have not the slightest hesitation in
saying that the Maine was deliberately
destroyed with a 500-pound ground
mine. as invented and supplied by me.
There is Il concensus Of opinion that
the first explosion was internal This
was established on the following
grounds:
The forward magazine contained $500
pounds of gunnowder which might
blow up the decks, but it is prOblemat-
ical whether K would be capable of
igniting the $500 pounds of powder in
the middle magazine. Even if it did.
the explosion OF both would be quite
incapable of decorating the $500 pounds
of wet guncottOn in the after maya
zine. Had that quantity of gUncotron
been detonated, not vestige of the
Maine would remain.
HOW TO DISCOVER.
The only practical way of discover
irg the mine that sunk the Maine is
by undermining the cable from shore
to the junction box, and from thence
undermining each individual cable to
the mine, until one was found without
a mine attached.
am satisfied that the explosion was
caused By a ground mine-not by a
buoyant mire-for Havana harbOr is
too shallow 20 admit Of the use of the
latter.
am prepared to satisfy by demon
stration any jury OF reasonable men
that this is a true explanation of the
destruction o. the Maine.