The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-05
THOSE SUBMARINE MINES
MADE FOR SPAIN AND PLACED IN HAVANA
HARB0R. l.
Lieutenant Commander ColweII has Investiga
ted The Matter and Has Made a report
10 the United States.

obtained by the Associated Press of the
monufact1rc of submarine mines in
London for Spain. which was first
brought TO the attention of the United
States Embassy and cabled to the AS
sociated Press on March ). A man
whose cards describe him as being an
electrical engineer, and whose name was
forwarded at the time to Washington,
then said he sold to Spanish officers III
London several years ago large num-
Der of mines. eight or ten of which
were placed in Havana harbor. He saiu
they were made i'll II special way, hau
Il specially constructed cable, which he
can identify if the smallest piece Is
obtained, and added that some of the
mines were so fixed that they could be
fired from fort while two of them
lad bulbs so arranged that they would
explode upon a vessel coming into con
tact with them. The man added, how.
ever. that he did not believe the bulbs
would he used in water as shallow us
that of Havana harbor. FINALLY the
man exhibited plans of one of these
mines, which he said was the most like
" to produce the effect described as
causing the wreck Of the Maine. 1t Wac
numbered 80" and was constructed to
contain 500 pounds of gun cotton.
Lieutenant Commander j. CL ColWell
the United States Naval Attache, has
since investigated the matter and has
made a report on the subject to the
United States government.
The facts learned strongly tend to
show that Havana harbor was mlned
with these devices and unquestionably
prove that Spain purchased mines for
that purpose. The firm of Lattimer,
Rhodes and Clark, electrical engineers
during 1SS7-SS, filled q large order Tor
Spain of lot of mines in which We're
used fourteen and a half tons OF gun cot
ton. The work was done under the sur
VIGILANCE of General Fernando and
Captain Bustamento. The latter was
then the head of the Spanish Torpedo
School, BY order of these officers the
mines were divided into fou" consign-
ments. for Havana, Ferrol, Ca'liz end
Carthagena. The mines were manufac-
tured under the direction of j. =. Glib
bons. after Gibbons patents. which are
described in Seman's Book on Torpe-
does and Mines.
Gibbons, from whom a representative
of the Associated Press obtains the in
formation. and who furnished TO Lieu.
tenant Commander Colwell a written
statement of the above facts and out
lined his theory of the explosion which
wrecked the Maine. was then employed
by the firm as superintendent of the
Torpedo Department. He also says a
"a
tured for Spain in 1896.
MINES GOOD FOR FIFTY YEARS
The manager of the Westminster En-
cheering Company, which is the sue
cessor of the aforenamed firm, and with
which 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 n
government inspector of torpedoes, he
caused by what is technically called
pounds of gun cotton, several of which
were manufactured for Spain.
He has experimental with these mines
largely at Portsmouth, and says that,
once laid, they retain their properties
Tor l1Ity years. In addltlon, gibbons as
serts that it is absolutely impossible
for them to explode accidentally as The
electric currents for their explosion are
formed only by the manipulation Of n
complicated keyboard especially devised
to prevent accidents. Three keys are
necessary, which are always kept in the
possession of different officers and. even
if an outsider obtained possession of
them, it would be impossible to manip
ulate the keyboard without intructions.
Gibbons further says the mines and
their connecting cables are numbered.
and he asserts he would be able to iden-
fifty them if any part is secured.