The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-17

no made to get at the real truth OF the catas
trophe. But some otioers think that the divers
will notNbe able to throw any light on the mys'
terry.
"Divers cant see under WATER said one Of
acor. They can feel, and may be ablo to find
whether the plates and frames are bent out or
In. II tho plates are bent outward that VIII DO
pretty good evidence that the explosion came
from inslde.'
To get the best expert opinion aS to the cause
OF tho disaster Secretary Long II
number OF officers familiar with ordnance mat
ters to his Office to-day. There was no actual
decision reached. but tho Secretary was
Influenced in the belief Expressed In the
remarks quoted that there was an explosion
In tho forward magazine. One OF those present
was Commander W.. s. Schley. who had a thrill
ing experience while commanding tho cruiser
New York. He told THE SUN reporter that
hro had started from spontaneous combustion
In the coal bunkers OF the vessel which
smouldered from U O'CLOCK In the morning
until 1 o'clock In the afternoon without being
discovered. 1t was near a magazine puikhead
when finally checked. lie expressed the opin'
ion that a similar state OF Affairs was responsi'
BILE for the Maine uisaster.
1t 10 obvious thas the explosion occurred In or
under the forward part OF the battieship. whore
the magazines contained os.ooo pounds OF pow
der. This consisten OF oo.ooo pounds or Drown
a ln --.. Ll-I A.
prismatic ana s'ooo pouhds OF oiack po"aer. An
tno =. ss
ton to the amount stored niue magazine unuer
~ y. 80 49, -. -
presence y" .no 49, s.Sn 49,
o"n y = o".~
~ "e". 30 - -. t."os ~. ~.
msis'n.'' :" ~
Nnlno - -. - sam..s 80, ~
oro"h w m ~.
inch guns. Ihls powder VIII not Durn
IN ~ ~ "oNptouu
~. - 80. 49, ~
m"Ne - 40
., - --SNNuNN
Il wv " p 80 ~ sSS.r v"
oas1s' ana q " - 80
No vs -. . - 800
ie snl'o W. VI y
Tnniennnh.i|
w ~ Al oonneoton win
"s,saiss TER 40. pnsn.n" uoo'
~ ~ - n1oiy .na' II aisss'
. ""e IL -" "ootuon IN one'i 'no
'' .ne ""ai
"a
sonu'u " w" Wv Nnu"n prrs"atio
po"uof wnnou o"ue,hs VI eApioS'oh. fowaer
y - ~ oe.Umo . y mneh
- ""k"A,ne. ineFe
~ ~ ioapo. " that u reeu'ations ior
.no tnopoeeio" ', "hae'nihos "efe fiRioiJ ao-
:, |
nish1 ihspeotioh ."keS Pi"ce ate ociocR'
aess 'na" Two houFS oeioro the explo-
s,on' ~ may DO accepted as certain
tnns AZ inSpectioh was maoe at tnst hour. ltis
quite certain hi oapt' eieeoee ana MS omcers
"ouio not nave oeoh IN tnoir quarters In the
eteer paFt ot Inc snip IL anything unusual mad
poem discovered In inc MAGAZINES. IL the coal
ounkers next tho forward ammunition COM
partments were empty o nre might have
Khluc BuIuClenL nCAQWAY In IOD9 than Two |
hours 70 reach tue powder. out this 10 not prob
eoie' ana there Is no evidence that tho ounkers
were empty. An additional precaution against
tno possibility OF hre gaining headway without
discovery was tho presence OF tho customary
sentry near tne entrance 10 the magazines.
one theory ID that In preparation for an emer-
gencS at havana the gun cotton on the Maine
was rearranged ana not properly replaced. re-
suiting In Its ignition from spontaneous COM
oustion. Another Is mat some illuminate for
use IN nr1ng torpedoes might also have exploded
from tho same cause. 1t ID certain. however |