The record-union., 1898-04-06
NEW LIGHT ON THE MAINE
HORROR.

If the dispatch published in yesterday
mornings Record Union concerning
recent disclosures in London as to the
sale of submarine torpedoes to Spain
for use in Cuba is verify, then it is the
most important of recent news regarding
the awful tragedy that resulted in the
destruction of the Maine and her men.
1t is new light that makes clear some
things before involved in doubt.
From this London account it appears
that an electrical engineer makes pub
lie that he has made and sold submarine
torpedoes to Spain for some years, and
that the last was towards the close Of
1896. Some of these mines he declares
would produce precisely the effects
They were made in special way, with
electrical cables, any small part of which
he could recognize. These cables were
related in triplicate form to complicated
switch boards on shore of a peculiar
character, and so adjusted that no one
alone could possibly discharge a mine,
since the combinations or keys to the
lines were in possession of three distinct
officers whose concurrence and joint
action with the cipher would be neces-
sary to effect a discharge.
Some Of these mines had bulbs at
tached so that explosion would result
from contact by a ships bottom, but
the most destructive had no bulbs and
We're to be set off by the electrical de-
vice. He thinks none of the bulb order
would be used in so shallow a harbor as
that of Havana.
We have all along thought it very
strange that no reference has been made
in this Maine inquiry to the fact that if
there We're mines in the harbor they
would be related to the shore by cleo
trical cables and not subject to discharge
by contact except in case of actual war.
That in the nature of things the keys to
these cables would be under Govern
mental control and most solicitous
watch and ward by picked officers &c
insure against injury TO SPANS own
ships in any harbor where such mines
might be anchored. This very fact has
appeared to us to go far in fixing upon
Spain the responsibility which we be-
lieve should be laid at her door.
Assuming then that there were mines
in the harbor of Havana, and it appears
these missiles were made for that har-
Dor, it must also be assumed that the
means of discharging them were under
sole control of Spanish officials. It is, as
this electrical engineer well puts it, that
they were so arranged as to their shore
connections that they could not be acct
dentally discharged. 1t follows then
logically, that if one of them was fired
it was done by those having charge Of
and guard over the electric wires, the
switch boards and keys connecting the
mines with the batteries.
The conclusion therefore must be thai
Spain did not exercise the precaution sh'
was bound to take to prevent damage
to a ship Of a friendly Power. Here
But why the board Of inquiry did no
make reference to this reasonable lin'
of probability in it's report must be ex
planned on the theory that it was de
barred from ascertaining any facts il
sole possession of the Spanish Govern
ment regarding the secret Of electrical
lines leading to hidden mines in the har.
Dor. It was a board not Of speculation
but for record Of facts ascertainabl,
through means at it's command.
The London dispatch it will be noted
is very explicit. 1t deals in many detail:
and gives in full the names and ad
dresses of firms which made harbo
mines for the Spanish Government, tn,
character of the mines and the consti
tuents of their explosive contents. 1t il
said that the drawing plans of the char
acter Of mine that probably blew up tn,
Maine are exhibited by this new witness
who appears to have been discovered b.
the American Embassy at London L
is added that American Naval Attacha
Lieutenant-Co Commander Colwel has in
vestigated the new testimony, and ha
communicated the facts to the Wash
ipgton Government. 1t is further addet
that the firm Of Lattimer, Rhodes {
Clark made submarine mines for Spain
in 1887 IS, and that the work was unde
direction of certain Spanish officers
whose names are given, one being at tn
head of the Spanish torpedo school.
These mines contained gun cotton am
were of the order of such as would pro
duce the effects noted in the wreckage o
the Maine The mines SO made woul
last for fifty years submerged, and wer
divided into four consignments, one o
which went forward to Havana. TIL
mines were of the order known as tn
Gibbons, made after the patent Of J.
Gibbons and described in Siemens' worl
OH torpedoes. Mr.. Gibbons, it is added
has furnished to Lieutenant-C Command
er Colwen a written statement of tn
facts recited in the dispatch, and we as
sumo therefore that he is the electrica
engineer mentioned in the outset Of tn
report, but not then named.
Gibbons was Superintendent Of tn
firm which made the torpedoes and h
sets out in his statement his theory Q
the destruction of the Maine, and jus
boxv one of his giant weapons of deaf