The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-21

riages, but to the enormous turrets. en-
closing them with 100 tons of steel. 1t is
doubtful if the tops of these turrets can
be removed, as was first supposed, by
cutting off the bolt heads that fix them to
the sides, as these large bolts are prob
ably counter-sunk and the heads below
the. surface of the metal, while the con-
fined space within the turrets would make
1t very difficult to operate there on the
inside ends under water 1t is hoped that
1t may be feasible to raise the turrets
entire with the guns if lifting apparatus
of sufficient power can be applied.
The newspaper reproductions of photo
graphs taken of the wreck were studied
with much interest by the naval officers
here to-day. Great surprise was express
ed at the extent of the wreck, and the vast
mass of steel and iron heaped in the for
ward part of the ship was a particular OBJ
ject of attention. The experts who had
first ventured the theory of a bursting
boiler as the cause of the destruction, claim
to find strong reinforcement in the pic
lures for that belief. The great mass of
metal appears to be thrown up over the
boiler space, and not over the forward
magazine, while the forcing apart of the
forward body of the hull, they say, might
have been accomplished by the enormous
expansive power of the high pressure steam
more than an inch thick. As to what
caused a boiler to explode; whether a dis
guised bomb in the COAL low water or
faulty construction, they do not now un-
dertake to say.
Secretary Long said this afternoon, af-
ter looking over his telegraphic and mail
correspondence, that it contained nothing
of importance beyond the dispatches above
given. The Secretary referred with satis-
faction to the dispatch stating that the
court of inquiry would assemble at Ha-
vana tomorrow. The plan had been for
the court to meet first at Key West, and
after doing such work as was possible
there, to proceed to Havana. But Mr..
Long thought it was desirable to have the
court proceed at once to Havana where
the inquiry could begin on the actual scene
of disaster and where personal inspection
would aid in an intelligent judgment. On
this account, the Secretary sent orders
yesterday for the court to proceed direct
TO Havana, and the response of Admiral
Sicard is in accordance with these orders.
When Mr.. Longs attention was called
to reports that he had taken official cog
nizance of Capt. SobraFs criticisms of he
American navy, the secretary said that he
had called the attention of the state de
partment to the subject, with a view of
having an inquiry made by that branch.
The particular expression to which the
secretary had directed the attention of the
state department was the following, at
tributed to Capt. Sobral: 1T was the re-
suit of an explosion inside of the snip,
which took place in one of the forward
magazines. The fact of the matter is that
the discipline and the watch observed On
the ship were very lax. This, as one Eng
lish newspaper the other day declared, is
the case on American warships generally.
This sort of thing has occurred on previ-
Gus occasions on American war vessels"
The secretary said that he had not called
attention to the other features of Capt.
Sobral's alleged interview, in which he re-
fers to the possibilities of war, and to the
information he had gained while naval at
tache of the Spanish legation.
AS a whole, Mr.. Long does not treat
the Sobral matter as profoundly serious
Assistant Secretary Day would not dis
cuss the Sobral matter. 1t is understood,
| however, that the state department does
not attach deep significance to the report
ed remarks of Capt. Sobral, owing to his
minor position.
1t has developed that Capt. sobraTs
services as naval attache at Washington
were officially terminated by Spain about
four weeks ago, and it is said he at pres
| ent occupies the position merely of a pri-
vate citizen.
Mr.. Dubosc received no advices of i'm
| portance from Havana to-day. He ex-
| pressed his satisfaction with the plans
by which the divers were operating, and
said there was no justification for talk
about friction. Perfect harmony existed,
he said, and on both Sides so far as he
could see, there was every disposition to
give the amplest facilities for investiga-
| ton.
| Mr.. Dubosc feels that the assembling of
! the court of inquiry at Havana tomorrow
is quite desirable, owing to the rapid rate
at which the hull of the Maine is sinking
in the soft bottom Of the harbor