Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-24
LOOKS wARLIke.
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versant with molcrn explosives than
their elders and superiors. We're at the
bottom of the disaster. if there was any
out side agency.
Ii is pointed out that it would not Ne
impossible to plant mine of wet and
dry gun cotton near where a foreign
war vessel was directed to to anchor,
such a mine communicating with an
electric battery on shore 1t is regard
ed as an interesting point that the
Maine, for the first time during her
stay in the harbor, lay at the particu-
lar spot where she was at the time of
the catastrophe and it is said though
not officially verified, that the Main"
VAS the first foreign war vessel that
anchored to this particular buoy since
troubles in Cuba grew acute.
All stories as to lax discipline on the
Maine are without a shadow of truth.
ON the contrary, Capt. Sigsbee was
complained of by some for the rigiditN
If his rules and the striCtness with
which he enforced them. Moreover the
Maine has been in commission for
years and never had a serious accident
until anchored in this quiet harbor.
In reply to question put 10y this
correspondent to a high American otli-
cial as to what the outcome would he
if it We're proved chat The disaster was
due to an outside agency. the official
in question said: Sir the American
people could not be restrained. | mean
war. Sull | doubt whether it would
he Necessary to fire shot. Admiral
h., h. In
dianna. the Massachusetts and the
New York outside Havana harbor to
prevent the ingresS Of the food supplies
without which the city could not exist
for a fortnight Cuba is Il waste IF
ashes and desoation Even the hotels
and cafes here in Havana live from
hand to mouth on supplies brought
from the United States.
IF Admiral Sicard demanded the sur
render of Havana. giving q hours for the
removal of the women and children. sur
render would follow. The forts are old
structures and could be demolished by
SiX-poundcr. Such new guns as have been
mounted are short of ammunition ana
have never been tried. If Gen. Blanco
should decline to surrender, the Spanish
merchants here. who represent ~ per
cent. of the property and pay 20 per cent:
of the taxes of the island. would compel
iliil 10 dtce"c - <f"iilii' ~ ''iN'iu :
As Tor the volunteers, Ihe men are io'
the most part the employees of these mer-
chants, ana the volunteer ollcerS are
largely their sons or their Junior partners.
at is We. to look these things in the
face. At the same time il is well for the
Americans to restrain themselves until
there Is some PROOF OF an oulSla' aSHncH
u, in,'r, '.i,., th,t ,r bo,. x3iteI
80 long we could not wait AFTER it had
once been proved that the Maine disaster
was ne result ~ q u'E ulH r,"'' ~ -
~ ',t '"'ii i,jf ,it tEi,, rms
would overcome us in a few weeks but
the Cuban merchants have no such delu-
Sons ana theE cohlr"I tn' S.t"%' III }i
Annric,n ri,n viii he Hecnssarv'
rh..o .on,ir,ou,s fairi,. ron,csont thos,.
Of the best informed Arcmicans here. Any
moment, however may chroni'l% ulS-
a. o,1r re- ~, ,i'r, nf inn'i7
who convcrsrd with this correspondent
today, strongly deprecated amy pttma-
lurt rNploS,on or ~ t" WIN.
States until it was proven that the lis
astcr resulted from some otner cause
man a'Tiueh' V|it''HNi!rNS ~ ~ .0t ~,
,x,.it mont in th" Initrd states over tn,
explosion may divert attention from the
needs of IN" STRIVING rr'onC%n'ranoS ana
, and me- nnT of thr int'rior titi"s ana
those sent to the seahoard can scarcely
be cNAeEtrAtrn II! rlrin'ntS 9I horror.
,,,,l - ,oiit Id sent frm In, lFni,1
States direct to Matanz14, where Consul
Bricc describes the conditions as SIMPLY
''pp,'''i''s
me explosion continues ''l' ii"I'
''p'' III an N''''N3' ,','''
American. 1t IS useless to deny that
bpIlbNf OlltSIutA agency.