Evening star., 1898-02-21

Effective System of Explosives There
Despite Unprotected Appearance.

Effective System of Explosives There,
Despite Unprotected Appearance.
The New York Herald's correspondent
wires from Havana: / have learned from
the highest authority that, no matter what
may have beer the cause of the terrible
catastrophe to the Name the harbor of
Havana is, and has been for long time,
filed with submarine mines and torpedoes.
While this fact has been suspected, but a
few army and navy officers have any defin-
lite idea of the loCa ton or number of these
mines. Before the present insurrection
broke out, visitors to the Notifications,
now closed to all excepting the army, were
informed that most effective system of
mines had been planted. and that they
could be exploded by means of electric
connections from stations on the shore.
AT the outbreak of the war the greatest
secrecy WAS imposed upon those having
these mlEeS under their supervision, and
their presence was forgotten by the public
IN general. When it was rumored that q
United States war vessel would be sta
toned in the harbor the attention of one
of Gen. Weylers aids-de-camp was called
to the fact that all of the large shore bat
teries guarding the entrance to the harbor
could only be directed against an enemy
in the open sea, and that if a warship sue
ceedcd in running past the forts and en-
teripg the harbor the entire city would be
at its mercy.
HarbOr Apparently Unprotected.
trusted with the most recent fertilization of
the harbor had fully considered this ques-
tfon and had arranged that If vessel ever
did enter the harbor she could be blown up
at once. This explains the seemingly un-
protected condition Of the bay and harbor.
/ am satisfied that my information is cor
rect.
All information about these mines was so
carefully guarded that Lieut.. Jenkins. she
Inflated intelllg ,nce officer Of the Maine,
vas really uncertain as to their presence.
and SO expressed himself to several friends
in Havana.
There is no disposition here TO jump at
Conclusions, and even those VINO hol1 the
opinion that the Maine was blown Up by a
mine do not believe the authorities were a
party in the most remote way TO the dia-
bolical act. Th,y do believe, however, that
if their worst fears prove true it ill be
found to be the work Of a fanatical Wey-
lerite who had two purposes in view: First,
to strike blow at the United States; sec
ord, to esnbarrass Gen. Blanco. Many of
those who formerly held the secrets Of
the submarine mines were strong partisans
of Weyler.
Organized Recent Disturbances.
They were the ones who recently organ
lied the disturbances in Havana against the
cretly circulating small transparent cards
upon which is printed the portrait of Wey-
Ter and when held to the light show the
picture of Don Carlos. They are not only
traitors to their king, but bent upon any
kind of mischief that will overthrow the
existing government and restore Weyler to
power.
OF course there are all sorts Of rumors in
Havana about what Spain would do in
case of war with the United States, all
based upon the vaporings of rabid Weyler-
ism. One is that Mexico would be will
ing ally of Spain so far as to permit the
landing in that country of Spanish army
to invade the United States. Many of the
lower class Mexicans in this city are
avowed enemies of the United States and
openly boast of their country's sympathy
for the Spanish cause. Another wild scheme
has been put in pamphlet form and ex-
tensively circulated. 1t draws a vivid pic
ture of the Spanish army In the interior
of Cuba resisting every assault by the
United States forces. 1t admits that the
Spanish navy might be destroyed, but con-
tends that Spanish army could hold the
island indefinitely. Just what the insur-
gents would be doing all this time is no
related.