The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-24
CONVICTION GROWING
That the Muine Mss BlouA Up W
EAtcrual Means.
a VERY SIGNIFICANT CIRCUMSTANCE
Is That The Ship Was Anchored It
. Particular Spot.
YOUNGER SPANISH OFFICERS
Mould Most Likely Be the Responses
Bile Parties.
II WAS A MINE, NOT A TORPEDO
which MIA the Awrul work, II II
Proves to Have Dccn nm Act Of
Trrnchcry.

Havana, Via Key West, Fla, February %.
The situation which may be changed at
any moment by fresh discoveries. may be
summed M when this dispatch Is sent this
afternoon. substantially MS follows; Tho
divers have discovered the cases Of brown
hexagoual powder for tie tcn-inch gums
uncSploded and II is believed that other
unexpfodcd ammunition viii DO found In
the ten-inoh magazine on the. starboari
side forward, the conviction grows that this
magazine did not blow up. II this be sos-
aud many have insisted from the flrst TINT
\ L is--the further conviction IL forced that
the explosion; which wrecked the Maine
came from the outside on the port bow.
the wreck, as seen from above and not
| from below. was blown 10 starboard. Tho
highest American officials here are con-
ident that General Bianco and other high
| Spanish officials had no knowledge, direct
| or indirect, of the construction or oxecu-
tion OF a plot TO blow up the Maine, II such
| q plot existed but they believe The Junior
Spanish officer who from the natare Of
things, arc more conyerSant with modern
explosives than their elders and superiors.
were al the bottom Of thc disaster, IL there
| were any outside agency. II Is pointed cut
| that II would not be Impossible to plant a
l'a friendly gaip was detained to anchor.
such iniao rommpnlea'lng wiss an elec-
trio battery or shore. II is regarded as an
Interesting point that the Maine for the
first time during her stay in the harocr
lay ut a particular spot twhcrc shc was at
the time OF The cntosuophe) and IL Is said
though not officially yerifed-that the
Maine was tho .arst foreign war vessel
moored 10 the spar buoy since the troubles
In Cuba grew acute.
All stories as TO the lax discipline on the
Maine are without a shadow of truth, On
the contrary Captnia sgsbec was COM
planned of by some Of the rigidliy OF his
rules. Moreover the Maino had been IN
commission for years aud never had II seri-
ous accident until anchored In this harbor.
ONE THING SEEMS CERTAIN, If THE
MAINE WAS BLOWN UP BY AN OUT
SIDE AGENCY. THE AGENT WAS
NINE AND NOT A TORPEDO. AS NO
TORPEDO KNOWN COULD HAVE Pho.
D0eED SUCH RESULTS.
Officers OF tho court OF inquiry, during
their inspection of the wreck today. dis
covered. 1t Is said. that the armor plates
projected from the water forward near the
bcw were from the bottom OF the ship.
There Is good deal OF speculation Us TO
what caused this. many oontending that
The position OF the plates shows that the
big magazine forward did not explode. The
divers. 1t is believed BY many. will find
very little OF the structure OF the ship for
ward OF the ten-ineh magazine.
The oliyettc's passenger list for Key
West today was larger than usual,
Objects 10 Iropn'a G0nxfcrntioR. W.
Mobile. Ala. February x,,-Tlc standing S
committee Of ths Episcopal church Of the do.
cess OF Alabama. In scssion here, refused =
piye it, consent 10 The confederation u ftey.
william, Henry Brown o; Ohio as bishpp co.
adjutor OF the diocese OF Arkansas.