The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-10

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THE wRECKING TUG RIGHT Arm
CNow at Work in Havana Harborl
The barge brought with the wreck
ing tug l. j. Merritt is proving of
great value in carrying away debris
and in the course of a few days much
of the wreck above water will be re-
moved No bodies were found We'd
neSdav and there was no salvage of
any value.
Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of surmises, conjecture and
prophesy concerning the finding of the
court of inquiry. it is fair to say that,
as a matter of fact. most of the naval
officers here and at Key West incline
to the opinion that the court will find
| that the disaster to the Name was
caused by the explosion of Il floating
| submarine mine under the port side
of the ship, forward. Opinions differ
as to whether this mine was made of
high explosives. such as wet and dry
gun cotton or ordinary gun powder.
Opinions agree, not only as to the
existence of mines in the harbor, but
also that this one was laid purposely
near the buoy whore foreign war YES
sells were directed to moor, and was
fred from an electric battery on shore.
1t is believed barely possible that
the explosion of the mine was the re-
suit of the carelessness or ignorance
of Spanish officers in charge of the
mine station keys when testing
hn pi,. a,,tf h,,f In 1ott tnr
supposition is not felt to
be probable. 1t is further
regarded as settled by the evidence be-
fore the court that the port side of the
hull forward was completely blown to
pieces. and that the only explosion on
the Maine. except of isolated eases OF
fixed ammunition. was that of 1000
pounds of salutin powder stored for
ward and of which no trace can be
found
These views are gathered from Off
GERS who talk with great reserve and
only upon the assurance that their
identity will never be revealed The
fact remains that only the mem bers OF
the court OF inquiry know all the tnst-
mony elected and no one is author
lied TO make public matters in advance
of the final judgment.
KEY WEST, Fla. March 3.-The
United States court of inquiry into
the loss of the battleship Maine re-
sumed it sessions here at 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning Ten more en-
listed men were examined by the full
board. and Commander Forsyth, the
first of the witnesses not on the list o.
the crew of the Maine was called 1t
is understood that he gave testimony
regarding the coahng of the battleship
at the navy yard here
KEY WEST, Fla, March 3.-The sail
ors and officers of the Maine have tes-
titled before the board of inquiry. As
one man they have said that the ex-
plosion was from the outside Each
was heard separat ly.
WASHINGTON. March 4-Japan Will
be the ally of the United States in case
Of war with Spain. Seven of her sub
jects We're Killed in the Maine explo-
sion and she has notified the Washing
ton government that she will demand
indc mnity and stand with us.
HAVANA, via Key West, March A.
An American official here whose posi-
ton is such that his name can not be
used. but who has been connected with
the investigation of the disaster to the
battleship Maine, told your correspon-
dent Thursday that there is absolutely
no doubt that the vessel was blown up
by submarine explosion. He said
that the board of inquiry is in poses
session OF undeniable proof of this
fact.
You can not make it too emphatic"
he said. my information is direct
and positive"
Active work at the wreclSing of the
Maine commenced Thursday. The
guns and "a part of the equipment will
be saved, and the debris will be towed
out TO the ocean and sunk
American divers who have been at
work on the wreck say that the hull
can not be saved. The decks will
probably be blown up to release those
bodies which have not yet been
reached.
Two Spanish divers are now at work
outside the hull, but they are maintain
ing the closest secrecy as to the result
Of their work.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The state
department has aseertained, at the in
stance of the Japanese legation, that
the following Japanese were on board
the Maine at the time of the disaster:
l. Sugisaki, 0. Ishita, q Chinji. n.
az ~ ~ - Y. b & Il. u Z. n =. 81. NJ. Y.