The Portland daily press., 1898-04-11
SUBMARINE EXPLOSIONS.
They Stun But DO Mo- Kill the
Fishes.

SUBMARINE EXPLOSIONS.
They Stun But DO Mo- Kill the
Captain George III. Blake has seen the
result of explosions in the waters in the
tropics and knows something of the way
in which the fish are affected by them.
What he says about it hastheTefore bear.
ing on the report of the Spanish court
of inquiry into the cause of the disaster
to the Maine, the court reporting that 1t
must have been an interior explosion,
because there were no dead fish found
floating on the waters afterWard, MI.
Blake said to PRESS man: Eight or
nine years ago when / was in SANTA
Domingo. there was work in progress
there to improve the harbor by blasting
away large amount OF rock which had
fallen into the water from the high cliffs
by which part OF the harbor is bounded.
The men engaged in the work lowered
the dynamite used in the blasting to the
bottom of the bay and it was then ex-
ploded, the force of the explosion being
sufficient to break the masses OF rock into
fragments sufficiently small to permit of
their being removed. 1 was watching
the work one day, and noticed after one
of the discharges that the surface of the
water was covered with fishes apparently
0Sctu w liCn L hEOhS W UIlt lOTtlIldu
it, he said that the fishes were not dead.
They were stunned by the force of the
explosion and would come round all
right This [ found5to be the case. The
effect of tine explosion which destroyed
the Maine in the light of what I saw at
Santa Domingo lnightinot have killed
any fish, and if they were stunned they
had plenty of time to resume their nor
NAL condition before daylight. "
PREPARING THE GUARD.
Adjutant General John L. Richards of
Gardiner. of the Maine National Guard,
was in Bangor ON Fricay noon on his re-
turn from Houlton, where he went on
Thursday to confer with GoYenor Powers
regarding the action to be taken with the
Maine troops in case of war and also.
during the present emergency.
Gen. Richards says that the results of
the conference are very satisfactory. 1t is
intended to have the Maine guard in con-
dlt1on to meet any emergency that may
arise. kGov. Powers gave him full au-
thority to enlist the Guard of the State to
the full limit allowed by law-69 men
and three officers per company. Impor-,
tant orders covering the plan evolved by
the Governor and Gen. Richards will be
issued within three or four days. The
guard is in a very satisfactory condition,
and it's equipment is fairly complete.
Gen. Richards has authority to proceed
to the arrangement of few details which
will make the equipment complete
Gen. Richards will continue the work
of preparation, as outlined in Houlton
Thursday night. with as little delay as
possible.
The increase in the strength of the
Maine troops means that $50 new men
will be added. and that arms and uni
forms must be supplied to them immedi-
ately Bangor Wing.
U. OF NJ. STUDENTS ACT.
On Friday morning the students of the
University of Maine attended the mass
meeting called after chapel to consider
the matter of rendering their services to
the govern ment in case OF war with
Spain. The meeting was an impressive
one. DR.. Harris, at the request of the
students, called the meeting to order
and America was sung. H. /. Libby
of Biddeford, was made chairman. and
remarks were then made by several of the
alumni members of the faculty, by Presi-
dent Harris and others.
A committee consisting of Messrs. S.
c. Dillingham;, of Portland, A. d. L.
Libby, of North Scarboro, and HI. L.
White, of Portland all Seniors and off.
GERS in the cadet battalion, was appointed
to circulate paper among the students
for signatures of all those willing to an
swer the call of their cou ntry in case of
emergency of this kind.
The committee will report at meeting
TO be held this morning. 1t is evident
\ xrySn lir nm a mo