New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-17
100 rcRApH TO TIE rRrRr-Nr.l

,,.D,,-+or Feb l6-The loss Of the battle
-,,. Maine last night In Havana Harbor. with
I .cro hundred and fifty Of her officers and
w.. ,s-,a ike a stunning blow to the Admin
,l.-,.,,, and 70 all branches Of the National
l...~-r,ort 50 startling disaster has not
,...r., the Navy IN many years, and the rec
- che Department since its creation may
10 searched in vain for a catastrophe
- ss-ious and more deplorable Even the
,pa Trenton and the Nandalia at Ap'a
80 vsars ago-One u the most notable
.,-.o-s which have overtaken the Unitea
-... Navy IN recent times-dwarfs IN slshlh-
-. v-bar compared with the Names sud
and unexplained destruction in CUBAN
waters last night
,o-s,iyelv unimportant vessels OF the super
P, .-,.,, tvpe The blowing up Of the
Maine. on the other hand eraVey cr'Ip'e7 .''S
'...-.-y.s naval efficiency by depriving it at a
.-..,.ai ,,-c-Yre In naval development Of one
~, ,,s -r,e+ selyiceable and formidable modern
,...,s-sr,rs The Samoan disaster. moreover
,.7serirr as II was. clouded In no way TINS
.-,.-,.s ev+ernal relations or affected It's vital
,,.t.al interests. The sinking OF the Maine IN
e-.-.sb barhor under circumstances OF the
No.. mysterious and pulling nature has on the
,,,.~arv IN addition 90 its intrinsic horrors
had tbe eject Of inevitably ageravatng the
,erelor which for the last two years has maIheu
.r. Intercourse between Spain and the Ohl'eN
s.atos For though the calamity or Iues'dS
night may Dee set down and is generaI.y set
down here 20 some unaccountahle accident 'he
unfortunate element of uncertainty ana iiy s'e'y
remains. and 81 IS not surprising thal IN many
minds the catastrophe In Havana Harpor mas
already given rise 10 vague suspicious OF Ioul
,,av and treachery. which an unoonrolIabIe SEN
sataneIlsn VIII doubtless do It's utmost 10
nourish and irfame
THE ADMINISTRATIONS VIEW.
The Administration cannot bring ITSELF OF
course. 20 look at tle loss % the Maine as any
thing but a most deplorahle and ineNpAcaDIe
accident The President himself Is convinced
from the Information which has so lar reacheU
Washington that no ground exists for suspect
ing a deliberate plot OF any sort for the de-
struction Of the American warship And while
81 both ends Of the Capitol to-day much talk
was heard Of the impr1babillty OF any other
theory than that OF treac ~ within the battle
ships crew. IL is the op.n. Of the most conser-
vatve public men .n al. branches OF the Govern
meut that fuller inquiry VIII show that Tuesday
nights disaster sprang from wholly natural ana
accidental causes.
That the ships magazine which contained
several thousand pounds Of powder and enough
gun-c0tt0n % blow 20 pieces any battle-shlp
an ~. was fred a. a result Of some strange mis-
hap on board seems now the explanation most
generally accepted by those who put aside all
belief E the theory Of treachery among the
crew or OF secret attacks from without That a
torpedo exploded from the outside caused the
catastrophe is credited by none OF the expert
g nd moth q U
naval warfare. for the destruction wrought is
considered too great 70 have been caused by an
ordinary torpedo. nor is 80 thought that the
Names magazines would have been reached al
all 5y that method II attack. Untu more definite
details are received from Captain sigsbee and
other Official sources in Havana the experts here
prefer as a rule. 70 condne their explanations
o; The explosion 10 simple generauues
Mr. Long WILL not DISCUSS THE CAUSE
Secretary Long said this afternoon that he
could DOT attempt 10 discuss the probable causes
o. the accident for with the present informa-
ton .u bis possession 1t would nave TO be- mere
speculation and until Captain Sigsbee, I'm whom
the Department has the fullest confidence and
who is .n a better position than any one else
70 form all opinion. had opportunity 20 give
bis opinion t was deemed better 70 follow his
example " silence on The subject The public.
however. could depend. he said, that no effort
wo,,s D.. ..',--s 80 4..,or,oir4 most thoroughly
all -. .--...-..- .+...l.,,, tbe disaster
Ai-i-., So ,.3 .,~.,d,, hem instructed 10
,,e...,, 49, rt,.,r, ,.o,,i5 m. ounloved
,o 80 .t,- a.d a,ra,gern4uts were
sIres4,, -. sa,.5 a ,,.ro.z,nr vessel TO the
sca,o -. el...,...,s fret tboug1t had aD-
,.-...,.. -...... .,. injured and relieve
-. ~ -.,..,.... ~ t,.,,. NJ those
vi '-' .t,., +tts had h..n
.. es" Sd ,...,..l''., s.l,r. ., ,,,-
,,........ "V e.,, ....l~.
.rrrop,rc op NAVAL. OFFICERS.