The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-17

said that this was evident for the reason
that the ship was ahoat for an hour after
the explosion. Had a torpedo been fired
| under the battleship she would have sunk
almost Immediately and thefact that she
| had not done so was conclusive evidence
of the firing of the torpedo was not the
cause of the disaster.
ADMIRAL BROWN.
Indianapolis, Ind, Feb 16.-Rear Ad-
miraI Brown, who was the highest officer
in the navy until his retirement last year.
was informed of the naval casualty in
Havana harbor The admiral was exceed
ingly surprised to hear of the disaster of
the Maine, and from the meagre news
was loath to venture any explanation Of
the affair.
Il can offer nothing but vague conjec-
ture as to the probable cause of the de-
struction of the Maine although il would
seem to me at this time that when an in
vestigation is made it will be found that
an explosion occurred on the vessel"
The admiral was asked if it was pos
sible that a torpedo lying in the harbor
could have been accidently exploded I'M
der the ship. He did not think this could
the explosion it must have been sent from
shore, for torpedoes are not lying around
loose in Havana harbor, where hundreds
of ships are in and out.
Il am sure no official had anything to
do with it if torpedo was responsible
OH no." said he, there could have been
no explosion of a torpedo by the drag
ging of the Names anchor or anything of
| that sort. Nor are there any submerged
mines in the harbor. I don't recall any
similar affair in the history of the United
States navy. either in time of peace or in
time Of war"
COMMANDER SPEYERS.
New York, Feb. I6.-Lieutenant Com
mander Speyers, of the United States ma
Wy. was aroused from his bed at the Navy
club and told of the Names destruction.
Il cannot understand how such an ex-
plosion occurred in the ship" he said.
with the accent on the lin" at am not
however, familiar with the location of the
magazine in the Maine. Sometimes there
are magazines both fore and aft in a war
ship and it is barely possible that the for
ward magazines of the Maine exploded.
But do not understand how any ammu-
milton in the magazine could have ex-
ploded at this time. There is no reason
that l know of why anybody should have
gone to the magazine then. The keys OF
the vessels magazine are always kept in
possession of the captain, and when the
captain leaves they are turned over to the
officer left in command. Not having full
informa ton / cannot express any opinion
on thed isaSter''
ADMIRAL KIRKLAND.
Vallejo, Cal, Feb. 16.-Admiral kirkland
says that the accident theory is untenable
if the explosion occurred in the forward
end near the mems quarters and not near
the main magazine.
COMMANDER WAINWRIGHT.
Havana, Feb. 16.-Lieutenant Command
er Wainwright believes the explosion was
due to the short-circuiting of the dynamo.
AN EX-CONFEDERATE
Chicago, Feb. 16.-Commander ]. E.
Montgomery, once of the United States
navy, a commanding officer of a Con-
federate fleet during the civil war and the
man who raised the frigate. afterwards
the ram, Merrimac, was very emphatic
today in declaring the sinking Of the bat
suit of treachery and an act without par
allel in the worlds history. In his opinion
was must inevitably follow:
when the divers go down and examine
the hull of the vessel" said Commodore
Montgomery, cit will be found that it was
stove in by torpedo exploded under the
bow with diabolcal intent. To be sure,
an accident may occur ON shipboard-a
magazine or a boiler may explode. But
consider all the circumstances. and you
Will not entertain the theory of accident
In the history of our navy there never
has been such an accident. Why should
the first one occur in so perfectly equipped
a vessel as the Maine and under so capa-
BILE a commanding officer as Sigsbee. Why
should it occur in Havana harbOr, where
the vessel was at the mercy of an enc
nv capable of trea cherry, as we know the
Spaniard is and has been as long as he
has figured in history? Why should it
follow so closely the recent exposure of
the Spanish minister to the United States
as a despicable time-server who wore an
affable demeanor in Washington while
giving vent to his hatred of our chief eX-
ecutive and our people in private letters
to compatriots? The combination of facts
is too strong to leave doubt l miss my
guess if restitution will not be swift"
Commander Montgomery is familiar
with Havana harbor. 1t would be COM
paratively easy, he says, with small boats
or otherwise. TO set torpedo 10 destroy
the American vessel This is his theory
of how the Maine was wrecked.
EX-PRESIDENT HARRISON.
Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 16.-When eX-
President Benjamin Harrison was asked
bv the Associated Press for a statement
regarding the destruction Of the battle
ship Maine, he said: The occurrence is
most terrible and shocking one. II is to
be hoped that an investigation may leave
no doubt that it was an accident. II
there should be any room for suspecung
foul play 1t would be very unfortunate
SHIPBUILDER SCOTT.
San Francisco. Cal, Feb. 16.-Irving NJ.
SOFT 1-fca president and general manaS-