Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-18
BOYNTON SAYS TORPEDO.
As He Has Done Similar lob. He Has an Idea
Of the Subject

Willirnantic. Conn. Feb l7--Capt.
Paul Boynton believes implicitly that
the disaster to the Maine was due to
a cartridge, which was exploded by the
Spaniards
For some time he and a trusted lieu
tenant. William l.. Gallagher, have sat
around billiard room each day watch
ing the papers closely and conversing
in low tones.
AS soon as night came they would
visit a machine shop at Windham.
When the news of the Maine disaster
came Boynton dispatched a message.
Upon receiving message he hastily
packed n rubber suit and other para
phernalia.
IT will he remembered that when the
Russian ship Strelock was anchored in
the North river the British Warship
Garnet was closely watching every
move The Garnet had out her torpedo
Spars.
Hoyntou, dressed in his rubber suit,
attached a dummy torpedo to the Car
nets anchor chains.
Capt. Eoynton says that the blowing
up of the Maine would have been an
easy matter He would have procured
q fishing boat. innocent looking, and all
the necessary appliances. About mght
he would pretend to he at anchor FISH
inE and then drop down on the Maine
in his rubber suit, towing the torpedo
which would he suspended from iioat
or log, . feet under water.
"Ou the night Of the attack would
4 IA, n
From the small boat would step
uuisclcssly into the water and drop
down To- the anchor chain, where
would fastcn the end line, the other end
Of which would he fast to the torpedo.
Upon reaching the anchor cham l
would make fast the line with suflieieht
slack To allow the torpedo to come Gus
to the vessel. and would then gnu
silently away. with nothing put NY
face visible. passing the vessel stei"
and get out of the way of the nyihs
pieces when the explosion occurred.
AS a bomb would use,eithera time
torpedo. or one of my own invention
which perfected in the Peruvian-CNh'
can war. :,
In case | had no rubber suit Wou'u
use the method which, from what Ca"
learn. was used i'm the blowing up Vi
the Maine. .,,
~ would take long line. wtith WI
Ice fastened to tn" torpedo at one '' ~, "no
10 u piece of plank AZ the other ~
would lac placed in the current 'tu e.
lowed to drift the width of the Ilno 'pdas
until IN. line struck the anchof c"aih,
the torpedo passing one side ana ,a
plank the other, where they "ou'u ,r
main until the current struck Wy ,, ~
pedo. rcvolyed ii rapidly ana II "o"'"
piodc,' ,,.;,,o had
The captain thinks that the M ~ No rx-
her head against the stream. ihu .',rcdn
plosion occurring al the bow ,he ~ w. Two
might have been placed th'ie
ways. "a roupds
one weighing from 100 to i9V p poo Of
could have been attached 10 ~ III the
driftWood and noated down to%d," do
boat. The distance could have DE- ~ an
termned from the point wheic nart of
Choir chain left the water TO ahs
the boat following the water INC no,tel
The torpedo could have pee" All at
from a skim with line ana Il '''o
tsched to the torpedo. -. chain.
That would stop in tht 'h' ,.,acbnd to
Then by passing out the III. ~ had al
the torpedo the distance thd. ,bc an
ready been determined hetwten tnrpedO
Choir chain and the boat, ,he iJa the
col,ld have been brought a'oHe
fContinncd on page -
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