The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-20
Unmerfted Criticism OF President Nc
KinIey and officials of the
Navy Department..
ALLEGED CAUSE OF WRECK
CORRESPONDENT sCOVEL DISCOVERS
IT WAS A. SUBMARINE MINE.
Admiral ManterOIa's OpiniOn-Activity
in Navy and Army Circles Through
out the Country.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The contract
for the work of saving portions of the
Maine and if possible raising her was not
closed to-day, although representatives of
wrecking concerns were in conference with
Navy Department officials throughout the
day. Captain Lemley, who will frame the
contract, said that progress had been made
towards understanding the general plan of
| operation, but final agreement had not
been reached. Until to-day the Merritt &
Chapman Wrecking Company and the Bos-
ton Towboat Company have been alone in
the field. and the department understood
| they had combined their interests. This
| would have insured the government the
| facilities of these extensive workers, and
would have given them the contract. But
| to-day the Luckenbach Wrecking Com
pany, of New York city, entered on a COM
| petition for the work, and before the day
| closed it had made a bid. The other con-
| Germs did not bid to-day, but expect to do so
| Monday The plan proposed by them is to
| use the large wrecking tug Orion, of the
| Boston company in conjunction with the
| powerful cranes of the Merritt company. If
this plan is adopted the Orion will carry
| the wrecking material to Havana, and then
serve in transporting the heavy turrets,
| guns and detachable parts of the Maine
back to the Norfolk navy yard, where it is
proposed to assemble the remnants Of the
ship.
The Luckenbach Company proposes diff
| ferent plan. It's bid contemplates the use
of large barges, hauled by ocean tugs, in
bringing parts of the wreck to Norfolk. In
other respects the plan of operations of all
bidders is to assume the entire work of
furnishing appliances, divers, ETC., and de-
| livering such material is saved at Nor
folk government official is to make
a general inspection of the work as it pro-
ceeds. The Luckenbach Company claims
that the use of barges will cost one-fourth
less and will give better results. The tugs
drawing the barges make eight knots an
hour; the Orion makes ten knots. This
difference is said to be immateral, making
difference of only two days in the time
| of delivery at the Norfolk navy yard.
r. G. Packard, a wrecking engineer and
contractor was present at the conferences
and urged that the contract should be di-
vided into two parts, first the saving of
such parts as can be reached and second
the raising of the hull. He also made the
point that the removal of the Maine as an
| obstruction to navigation was a duty in
| cumbent on this government, and that the
| cost of that branch of the work would be
| one-half as much as the cost of saving por-
tions of the ship. The department is de-
sirous, however, of having the work done
as whole, and such bid as is accepted
probably will be on that basis.
| Nothing will be done in the House with
| the Senate resolution appropriating $500 900
! for the salvage of the wreck of the Maine
| because of the Mason amendment to the
resolution providing for the return to the
| United States of the bodies recovered from
! the wreck. Secretary Long and Captain
| Sigsbee both explained that the return of
the bodies would be impracticable, as many
of them were mangled beyond recognition,
and, moreover, that there might be sani-
| tary reasons why bodies from a fever in
fected country should not be brought to the
! United States. Chairman Boutelle, of the
House naval committee, said nothing would
be done with the Senate resolution, as he
had no doubt the Senate would promptly
pass the House resolution on Monday
| There is no abatement of the talk of the
| expediency of raising the Maine Chief
! Constructor Hichborn is one of the most
| earnest advocates of the resurrection of
the ship from both sentimental and practi-
cal considerations. He points out that the
ship lies in a landlocked harbor easy for
the wreckers to operate in, and that if
she can be rebuilt at "a cost of a million
dollars the government will save four mil
lions the first cost of such a battle ship
with all her equipment Great Britain, he
said, never abandoned a ship if there was
the least chance to save her, and has not
yet even abandoned the hope of raising the
ill-fated Victoria, sunk in collision with the
Camperdown, off the coast of Syria several
years ago.
Commander Francis w. Dickins. the act
ing chief of the Bureau of Navigation. and
Secretary Longs right-hand man in the
present emergency, said: "The Maine
must be taken to an American port if there
is enough of her bones holding together to
warrant removal, and in all likelihood that
will be done. If the explosion was more
disastrous than is now thought to be the
case, if the hull is so wrecked as to be be-
yond repair, then as much material as can
be secured will be brought home and placed
IN new Maine 1t is to be remembered
that great advances have been made in
ship building since the Maine was designed.
and finer ship to bear her name could be
built to-day, but 1t would take time and If
any considerable portion of the shio is
good, with modernized battery and i'm
provements in rebuilding the DESTROYED por-
tions. magnificent vessel can be quickly
secured"
Chief Engineer Melville has decided views
In favor of the proposition to rebuild the
Maine. Even suppose 1t cost 81, 1,0OO, ,0OO"
said he, "a new ship equal to the Maine
would cost nearly 5000, 600. The repairs
could be made and the ship put in service
again in a year at the farthest To build a
new ship Like her would take at least thraa