Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-03-05
EXPLOSION FROM BENEATH
CONFIRMED BY THE DIVERS.
Evidence That the Magazines on the
Bnttleship Maine Had Nothing to
Do With the Initial Explosion,
and Played Small Part in the
Affair.
New York Feb. ga dispatch to the
Herald from Havana says:

4
There is no longer any reason to doubt
that the explosion which wrecked the
Maine came from underneath the vessel,
and that the magazines had nothing to do
with the initial explosion and played IL
much smaller part in the great disaster
than was at first supposed.
| The evidence that has served to con-
vince the board was obtained by Ensign
!! Powellson, an officer attached to the Fern.
Mr.. Powellson was formerly in the con-
struction corps and took two years spe-
cial course in the Glasgow school of naval
architecture. He is therefore competent
witness.
What he discovered was that the for
ward part of the keel of the Maine. with
its ribs and plates, was stove upward so
far that parts of the shattered double bot
tom show out of water, and in places see
tions of the green painted outer hull are
visible
Corroborative of evidence given by Pow
ellison. and of equal significance and i'm
portance, is the result of the close exami-
Ma ton made by the divers. What they
found indicates that the explosion came
from point beneath the keel. A plumb
line dropped from point just forward Of
the coming tower would have laid the
lead exactly on the spit where the explo
sion occurred that hove keel and plates
and ribs almost to the surface. The main
force of the explosion seems to have been
exerted slightly on the port side of the
vessel.
This is consistent with the facts hither-
to ascertained. Collectively these now in
dicate that the contents of the reserve six
inch magazine were exploded by the i'll
itial blast and that there was no explosion
in either of the other two. In the reserve
magazine was slowed 25OO pounds of pow
der in copper tanks, each Of which con
tanned 200 pounds. Several of these tanks
have been found by the divers all in
crushed and shapeless masses.
1t is important to note that in the six
inch and lO-inch tanks recovered the eX-
celsior used for packing the charges shows
no injury from flame or gases. The pow
der stored in the six-inch reserve maga-
zine was used for saluting purposes only.
The magazine itself appears to have been
utterly destroyed, only a few traces being
left to show where it was once located
The under part of the lO-inch magazine
is wholly inaccessible to divers. In the
upper part is tightly wedged mass of
powder cylinders too heavy for the divers
to extricate, but apparently containing
unexploded charges of powder. The Dow
torpedo tube of the Maine has been To-
Gated in the wreck. It lies in the debris
forward submerged several feet under wa
ter.
The hull is now embedded in the mud to
the depth Of eight feet The divers sink
to their armpits in the mud and have the
greatest difficulty i'll prosecuting their
work Those engaged on the forward part
Of the ship are under charge OF Gunner
Charles Morgan, an officer specially detail
ed from the flagship New York for that
purpose.
No Doubt Remains.
| New York. Feb 26--The Mail and EX
press prints the following. dated at Ha-
yana
While of course the members of the
court of inquiry will not talk for publica-
ton, am informed on the highest author
| ty that the evidence of Diver Morgan as
to the condition of the Maine shows almost
beyond the possibility of doubt, in the
opinion of my informant, that the Maine
was blown up by an outside agent Fur
thermore, Morgan's opinion is verified by
other American divers who descended to
day.
| The court will finish its work here to-
morrow and proceed to Key West to take
testimony of the survivors there. 1t has
been decided not to return to Havana, all
! information as to the cause of the disaster
having been secured.
Spain Wants War.
London. Feb. 26-According to special
dispatch from Madrid the reports received
there from the United States to the effect
that public opinion in the latter country
! is becoming more excited owing to the inn
preston that the Maine disaster was not
due to an accident, are "restirring popular
feeling here lin Madrid), and the convic-
ton is increasing in ministerial circles
that the worst must be expected Con
tinuing, the dispatch says:
:'The government has no choice if the
United States adopts threatening atti-
tude, for the prospect of war is popular
with all parties, and the more eNcitable
newspapers are already urging the gov
ernment to take measures to enable Spain
to strike the first and decisive blow"
Denies Presence of Mines.
New York, Feb GA dispatch to the
World from Madrid says: Admiral Terry.
chief of staff of the minister of marine,
says: "The harbor of Havana contained
no submarine mine in the vicinity of the
place where the battleship Maine and the
Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII were anchor
ed
Fitxhugh Lees Opinion.
Chicago. Feb. 27.-A Times Herald
i Washington special says:
Consul General Lee has made formal
report to the president that it is his opn-
ion that the Maine was deliberately de-
stroyed Every effort has been made to
keep this information from becoming pub
lie. Even where privately circulated the
friends of the administration are trying
to minimize the Importance of the report
by saying that it is only an expression d
opinion by the consul general, unaccom-
panied by evidence. The fact that Gen,
eral Lee has never made mistake III
Cuba, however, adds much to the import
ance of his report and has increased the
general concern among public men.
Imparcial Is Distrustful.
Madrid, Feb. 27.-lmparcial warns
Spain s'to distrust the pacific speeches ol
President Mckinley and of General
Woodford at the recent banquet here,
adding: America is actively preparing
for war, which is inevitable if the re
bellion in Cuba is prolonged beyond
May"