Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-02-24
COURT OF INQUIRY.
Work Of Investigating the Maine
Disaster Began To-Day.
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF THE WRECK
nspests Claim TO Nee Strong Grounds for
Believing the Bursting Of Boiler
Caused the Wreck Isachs's
s4 Commander Talks

j gate the Maine disaster Will ocgiu i1n
work at Havana to-day. This news
came TO the navy department yester-
day morning from Adm. sicard at Key
West He simply telegraphed as fol-
lows: 1.-THE court OF inquiry sail for
Havana Goth by lighthouse steamer
Mangrove. Mark arrived to-day"
\ This prompt action is undoubtedly due
70 the express direction OF Secretary
Long to have the investigation begin
/ ct the earliest possible moment Capt
GiQsbee was heard from late Saturday
night, but the telegram was not deliv-
cred at the navy department until yes
terday morning. His message goes to
confirm the press reports OF the events
Of Saturday in Havana harbor so far
y they relate to the exploration OF the
wreck. 1t read as follows:
HAVANA, Feb 10 Only most experienced
Wrecking divers can do effective work on the
# Maine In the upper works can use service
divers Did some wort yesterday but with
little success viii do better to-day Parts
Of tho Maine, especially the superstructure
md connections are one confused mass OF
metal
The statement referring to ex-
perienced divers is explained at the
navy department as no reflection upon
the men now engaged In the work,
they being enlisted men belonging to
the navy. 1t is the practice on board
81 men-of.war to assign few men,
siwavs volunteers, on account OF the
hazardous nature OF the work, to duty
q divers, In connection with their
regular work.
The newspaper reproduction OF pho
tographs taken of the wreck were
studied with much interest by the ma
wi officers here. Great surprise was
expressed at the extent OF the wreck
and the vast mass of steel and iron
heaped in the forward part OF the ship
f was particular object of attention.
The experts who had first ventured
the theory OF bursting boiler as the
4 cause Of the destruction claim to find
strong reinforcements In the pictures
for that belief. The great mass OF
metal appears to be thrown up over
the boiler space and not over the for
ward magazine, while the forcing
apart Of the forward body Of the hull,
they say, might have been accom-
plished by the enormous expansive
power Of the huge pressure steam car.
ried In these boilers with their shells
more than an inch thick, As to what
caused n boiler to explode; whether q
disguised bomb in the coal, low water
or faulty construction, they do notn
undertake TO say
Secretary Long said yesterday after
noon, after looking over his tele-
graphic and mail correspondence, that
II contained nothing Of Importance be-
yond the dispatches above given. The
secretary referred with satisfaction to
the dispatch stating that the court of
inquiry would assemble at Havana to-
day. The plan had been for the court
10 meet first at Key West and, after
doing such work as was possible there.
TO proceed to Havana But Mr.. Long
thought 1t was desirable TO have the
court proceed ut once to Havana, where
the inquiry could begin on the actual
scene OF disaster, and where personal
inspections would aid in an intelligent
Judgment On this account the secre
tary sent orders for the court to pro
coed direct to Havana and the response
Of Adm. Sicard is in accordance with
these orders.
Referring to GEN Miles recent order
to Gen. Merritt, commanding the de
partment Of the east TO Immediately
detail men and officers TO all coast de
tense points where modern guns art
& mounted, it was said at the war de
partment that, while the order was is
sued as reported, 1t was nothing more
than following out the plan OF the wal
department formulated several year
ago when the present system of coas
defense was inangurated.
Capt. Sigsbee yesterday sent tw'
kilograms to the navy department OF
the subject of interviews with him
The first merely said ~ have con
sistently RETAINED from expressing
any opinion of the Maine disaster
Later in the day he wired mo news
paper divers have been used on tn
wreck Of the Maine, One man EN-
gagged by me was subsequently bough
up by newspaper. | declined hi
services. Subsequently on his bein
Internationally released, | might hav
used him in charge of an officer in re
covering bodies, but decided not to d
so. ANY interviews with me, II printec
are untrue"
A report from Capt Forsythe at Ike
West said: maine survivors all /
good condition. Surgeon report
wounded doing WE'LL
THE BACnE's COMMANDER TALKS
HAVANA, Feb. 81. Lieutenant Con
mander Barnett, of the survey boa
Bache, said to correspondent OF tn
Associated press yesterday:
You want the factss l can tell you there ~
W chances out Of 100 that the investigation VI
show that the forward magazine OF the Mali
did not blow up first, Il it exploded at all, ai
that It was not the cause Of the terrific cons
quences that followed The condition Of d
wreck when first studied and later caref
scrutiny make this an almost absolute ee
talnty
state Railways for Switzerland.
BERyF. Switzerland. Feb. 9l.-Tl