Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-12
THE SPANISH SIDE.
Capt. Peral of Naval Court Gives
His Views,
Maine Explosion Could Not Have Been
External for Several Good Reasons.
He Thinks.

! Havana, March 1t.-Today Capt. Pc
raj, president of the Spanish naval
court of inquiry into the cause of the
Maine disaster, granted an interview to
the correspondent of the Associated
Press. whom he authorized to say it
was the first and only interview he had
given any newspaper on the subject of
the inquiry. Capt. Peral speaks excel
| lent English. With him in the naval
court is Lieut.. Salas. He has power to
call in for consultation any army or
navy engineer or expert on explosives
or marine building, and he has twice
called in such and will do so again
when necessary.
Capt. Peral said: "Our divers are
hard at work examining the hull of the
Maine. Great difficulty is experienced,
owing to the deep mud in which the
hull Is buried and the condition of the
wreck forward of aunidships.
1--WE think we have located the ram or
PROV but not in the position supposed.
The forward turret, mounting two large
guns, was blown clear of the hull into
the water on the starboard. We shall
continue our work and try to examine
the hull forward down to the keel. 1t
is possible that we may propose to the
American authorities to raise the hull
by means of the floating dock brought
from England and now in Havana har-
Dor
I'VE cannot believe there was an ex-
| ternal explosion of a torpedo, for the
following reason: A torpedo following
the line of least resistance, must have
| blown a great hole in the mud at the
bottom of the harbor No such hole
| was found. A torpedo must have thrown
| Io,sg of ,S.,,, f,4t. q
| exploded at a depth of only % feet or
| so, or at least have produced wave
reaching to other ships and the shore of
| the harbor. We have examined every
one on shipboard or shore who saw the
| explosion, but no one can be found who
remarked any upheaval of the water or
| a big wave.
fish in the vicinity. No fish We're killed
by the Maine disaster, as fishermen
who have known the harbor for many
years testify. To produce the effects
noted in the wreck torpedo would
have to be Of enormous size, fully $50
or 200 kilos.
Il am therefore of the opinion that
the explosion occurred within the ship
l know and respect Capt. Sigsbee, and
4 believe the American regulations af-
fecting naval conduct. which l have
read and found admirable, were care
II tully observed. But some things which
cannot be foreseen are bound to happen
in the navy. l have been reading OF
the explosion ON the English ship Dol
erel, which the English believe was
caused by chemical combustion in the
paint used for quick drying. / have all
so read an English account Of shells
that were found burst open because oS
| hardened points that split and produced
| heat, thus flashing the powder in the
interior of the shell.
"As [ have said, do not believe there
| was any carelesSnesS on the part of the
officers of the Maine. l do believe there
was an accident which could not posi-
bly, have been foreseen. Such is my
| judgment at present, with the facts that
are in possession Of the court. When
our court of inquiry finally decides, its
| judgment will be in accordance with the
best evidence that can be procured. We
are having plans, diagrams and draw
| ings of the wreck made as fast as the
divers are able to give us definite infor-
nation
Capt Peral was most courteous dur
ing the entire interview. He Illustrated
some of the points he made by ink
sketches on the desk before him. He
spoke as a Judge would whose mind
was ready to weigh any evidence
brought before the court over which he
| presided.
| It should be borne in mind that this
I is the first and only interview he has
given any one Capt. Peral requested
this correspondent to make it known
that he had granted the interview in
his unofficial capacity, and not as pres
ident of the Spanish court of inquiry,
which the law fOrbids him to do