The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-04-05
MINES IN HAVANA HARROR.
A Large Number Sold to Spanish
Officers for Cuban Waters.

| LONDON, April "details have been
obtained by the Associated Press Of
the manufacture of submarine mines
in London for Spain, which was first
| brought to the attention of the United
| States Embassy and cabled to the AS
| ISOLATED Press on March 4th. A man.
whose cards described his as being an
electrical engineer, and whose name
| was forwarded at the time to Wash
ington, then said he sold to Spanish
officers in London, several years ago,
large number of mines, eight or ten
OF Which were placed in Havana har-
| Dor
| He said they were made in a special
| way, had a specially constructed cable.
which he can identify if the smallest
piece is produced, and he added that
| some of the mines We're fixed so that
| they could be fired from a fort, while
| two of them had bulbs so arranged
| that they would explode upon a vessel
| coming into contact with them. The
man added, however. that he did not
believe the bulbs would burst in water
as shallow as that of Havana harbor
Finally the man exhibited plans of
one Of these mines, which he said was
| the most likely to produce the effect
described as causing the wreck of the
Maine. 1t was numbered 90" and was
constructed to contain 500 pounds of
gun-cotton.
Commander J. c. Col
well, the United States naval attache,
has since investigated the matter,
and he has made a report to his
Government. The facts learned strong
ly tend to show that Havana harbor
was mined, and unquestionably prove
that Spain purchased mines for that
purpose.
The firm of Latimer, Rhodes & Clark.
electrical engineers, during 1SS7-SS
filled large order for Spain of a lot
OF mines, in which We're used fourteen
and one-half tons of gun-cotton The
work was directly under the surveil-
lance of General Fernandez and Cap
tain Bustamento. The latter was then
the head of the Spanish torpedo school
| by order of these officers the mines
were divided into four consignments,
for Havana, Ferroll, Cadiz and Car
thegena~ The mines were manufac-
| tured under the direction of J. P Glib
bons, after Gibbons patents, which are
described in Siemen's book on torpe-
do and mines.
| Gibbons, from whom representa-
tive of the Associated Press obtains
the information, and who furnished
t-Commander ColWell a writ
ten statement of the above facts. and
outlined his theory of the explosion
which wrecked the Maine, was then
employed by the firms as superintend-
ent of the torpedo department lie
also says similar lot of torpedoes was
manufactured for Spain in 1896.
The manager of the Westminster
Engineering Company, which is the
successor of the aforementioned firm
and with whom Gibbons is connected
confirms the latter's statement as to
the manufacture of mines for Spain.
Gibbons who is a former sergeant
of engineers and Government inspec-
tor of torpedoes, believes the Names
first explosion was caused by what is
technically called a ground mine, con-
tanning 500 pounds of gun cotton, sew
eral Of which were manufactured for
Spain. He has experimental with
these mines largely at Portsmouth. and
says that once laid, they retain their
properties for fifty years. In addition,
Gibbons asserts that it is absolutely
impossible for them to explode acct
| dentally, as the electrical currents for
their explosion are formed only by the
manipulation of complicated key, es-
| pecially devised to avoid accidents.
| Three keys are necessary, which are
always kept in the possession of differ
ent officers and if an outsider obtained
possession of them it would be impos-
sible to manipulate the keys without
| instructions
Gibbons further says the mines and
their connecting cables are numbered,
and he asserts that he would be able
to identify them if any part is Sc
| cured.
MORE MINES PLACED IN THE
HARBOR.
NEW YORK, April A dispatch to
the World" from Havana says:
Forty floating submarine mines were
secretly planted in Havana harbor last
Wednesday night by the Spanish Gov
eminent. This information comes from
official sources and is absolutely cor.
| rect.
The mines were laid in the narrowest
part of the channel between Moro and
Punta, in lines of twenty mines each
They are spherical and float about
twenty-four feet under the surface
Each is attached by an anchor chain
| to a heavy cable anchored on the bot
tom. The decorating wires run up the
chains. There is sufficient force there
to paralyze the biggest ships afoat.
rnNSTrT TEE