The record-union., 1898-02-28

has been reliably informed, that, one or
more of the magazines did not explode.
Nor has there come from reliable
sources any information that the Gov
eminent divers have ascertained from
exterior examination what caused the
wrecking of the ship. Isl
Ninth-The United States Govern
ment is making more than usual effort
to strengthen coast defenses and to
prepare the navy for emergencies, and
these efforts extend beyond the activi-
ties recommended prior to the loss OF
the Maine
Tenth-There is some reason to be-
lieve that the Government officials
have not made public all the informa
ton conveyed to them concerning the
blowing up of the ship But there is
no good reason to, believe that they
have falsified when they say that they
have given out all the information re-
ceived by them, which has been rea-
sonably established as truth.
While it is a fact that the keel and
double bottom Of the forward part OF
the ship were cast upward to the wat
er. line, thus buckling the bottom OF
the ship through the hull, it is not set
tied that such a result could only fol-
low application of exterior force,
though the opinions of experts are
| quite one, that an internal explosion
! l1,a a 7
and significant effect.
For the following stories given to the
public by the sensational press, which
seems to be striving to stir the blood
no such warrant as to justify the Gov
eminent officials in giving them atten-
ton. namely: That the President has
| been informed of the truth regarding
the destruction of the Maine. That II
was brought about by three merchants
| of Havana who hired a band of bra
| vados to place a cluster of torpedoes
| beneath the ship, for the sum of S1O,
to the State Department that it has
| been shown positively that the eXpio-
sion was from without, and was due
| to treachery That Spanish officials
were cognizant Of the scheme to blow
up the ship. That the explosives were
built and placed at the buoy where the
Maine was anchored after the Spanish
warshlp, that was moored there a few
weeks ago had been removed. That a
map in the Library Of Congress shows
that Havana harbor was sown with
! toIpedoes.
| It turns out, by the way, that this
/ last story is worse than a fake. 1t is
cruel and unmitigated falsehood- The
map was published by a sensational
paper of New York on Saturday, show
/ ing the torpedoes in place and clus-
| ter Of them directly beneath the
! Maine. When the map was examined
! by officials Of the State Department
| it was discovered that the torpedoes are
all fiction, and We're falsely placed in
/ its illustration by the constituencies
newspaper referred to.
nor nave we Deen aDle TO IlflQ an y
warrant for belief in the stories pub
/ lished that General Lee has ever adj
vised Americans to leave Havana; thai
/ he has been threatened with assassi-
nation; that Spanish naval small boats
have swarmed about the wreck and
| impeded the operations of the Board OF
Inquiry; and so on with a score Of sim
! liar alarming and sensational state
ments.
| The fact is, so far as the public mind
/ is concerned, it has no reason as yet
4 for forming any Judgment that the
Maine was purposefully blown up, OF
that it was not destroyed treacherously
and Indignantly. But we are justified il
/ concluding without any reservation
that if the ship was not destroyed from
internal cause. purely accidental ther
the United States will be justified ir
calling upon Spain to answer, because
the latter Government by consent ant
invitation TO our ships to enter Span
/ ish waters, assured them of reasona.
/ bic safety Hence, the burden of OBJ
/ legation Will be upon Spain to show
| that the Maine had the usual and re
! quired assurance Of immunity from
| danger, because of her entry upon the
waters of a Spanish harbor.