The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-21
Why So Little Has Been
Accomplished.
LACK OF EXPERT DIVERS.
Evidence OF a Bursting Boiler Dis
closed by Pictures.
FINANCIAL ASPECT OF THE LOSS.

Washington, Feb. 21.--Captain Sigs-
bee was heard from Saturday night. but
the telegram was not delivered at the
navy department until Sunday morning.
His message goes to confirm the press
reports OF the events in Havana harbor
as far as they relate to the exploration
OF the wreck. 1t reads as follows:
"Only most experienced wrecking dive S
can do effective work on the Maine.
In the upper works 1 can use service
divers. Did some work today but with
little success. VIII do better tomorrow
Parts of Maine, especially the super
structure and connections, are one con-
fused mass of metal"
The statement relative to experienced
dive is explained at the navy depart
ment as no reflection upon the men now
engaged in the work. they being en-
listed men belonging to the navy. IL
Is che practice on board OF men-of-war
to assign few men, always volunteers
on account of the hazardous nature OF
the work, to duty as divers In connection
with their regular work The scope OF
their work is the exploration or the
ships bottoms generally. the olsen
tanglement of cables from the propeller
shafts, and sometimes the sea ch for
a lost torpedo or anchor. Such work
rarely carries them deeper than 20 feet
into the water. and IL is said that
for operations in deeper water, such as
would be involved in examination of the
Names bottom, their training has not
fitted them. They are also lacking in
that kind of skill necessary TO enable a
diver to grope his way safely through
the internal parts of a mighty ship like
the Maine, torn and dismembered as
she is, and this work is highly danger
Gus. Creeping through narrow iron
bound passages and cropping for the
doors Of the numerous water-tight bulk
heads which divide the hull into many
compartments. on Shiny floors and in
perfect darkness, requires the highest
experience and skill. and that is why
Captain Sigsbee with only his sailor
divers at command had not been able
TO do much SO far towards unravelling
the mystery of the Names untimely
end.
1t is to meet just this emergency that
the navy department is making every
effort to hasten the beginning of the
work of recovery Of goods and perhaps
the raising of the hull by professionals.
To that end Captain Lemly. the judge
advocate general of the department, was
at work Sunday in his Office with rep
resentatives of wrecking companies try
ing TO draw up contracts for the i'm
mediate prosecution of the work. 1t
is his purpose to have two OF the COM
panies combine their forces. They will
be paid on the scale OF days work, with
provision for bonus III they succeed
In raising the vessel, thus ensuring the
recovery of as much Of the valuable
equipment as is possible should IL not
be practicable to float the Maine again.
Great difficulty is expected In reaching
the big 10-inch turret guns, each worth
$4,000, owing not only to their own
weight $50 tons apiece without car
riages), but to the enormous turrets en-
closing them with hundreds of tons of
steel. 1t is doubtful If the tops OF
these turrets can be removed as was
al first supposed by cutting off the bolt
heads that fix them to the sides, as these
large bolts are probably countersunk
and the heads below the surface OF the
metal, while the confined space within
the turrets would make IL very difccut
to operate on the inside ends under
water. 1t is hoped that 1t may be feas-
ibe to raise the turrets entire with the
guns IL lifting apparatus OF sufficient
power can be applied.
The newspaper reproductions of pho
tographs taken OF the wreck were stud
led with much interest by naval officers.
Great surprise was expressed at the ex-
tent of the wreck, and the vast mass
OF steel and iron heaped in the forward
part of the ship was particular object
of attention. The experts who had
first ventured the theory of bursting
boiler as the cause of the destruction
Gain to find strong reinforcement in
the pictures for that belief The great
mass OF metal appears to be thrown up
ever the boiler space and not over the
forward magazine. while the forcing
apart of the forward body of the hull,
they say, might have been caused by the
enormous expansive power OF the high
pressure steam carried in these boilers
with their shells more than an inch
thick. AS to what caused boiler to ex-
plode. whether a disguised bomb in the
}oal, low water or faulty construction,
they do not now undertake to say.
Secretary Long said. after looking
over his telegraphic and mail corre-
Npondence. that IL contained nothing of
Importance beyond the dispatches above
given. He referred with satisfaction
TO the dispatch stating that the couft
OF inquiry would assemble at Havana
today. The plan had been for the
court 90 meet first In Key West and.
after doing such work as was possible
there. TO proceed to Havana; but Mr.
Long thought IL was desirable TO have
the court proceed 70 Havana at once.
where the inquiry could begin on the
actual scene of disastef. and where per-
sonal inspection would aid In an intel
llgent judgment. on this account. the
secretary sent orders for the court 60
proceed direct 20 Havana.
When MIR. Long attention was called
90 reports that he had taken official
cognizanoe Of Captain Sobral's criti-
cisms OF the American navy. the sec
rotary said TINT ha had laid tho eubfect