Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-02-17
The Divers Find It in the Bottom
Of the Battleship "Maine."
Work Of a Torpedo.
A LACK OF CONFIRMATION
Spanish Papers Express Regrets
in FOrcible Editorials. The
President had Suspicious.
IT WILL BE FERRETED OUT


United States battleship "Maine'is but
little abated. Evidences now seem to
be strong against Spanish implication
and now exonerating them of all blame
AS visitors were abroad at the time
of the explosion it is suggested that
some of these might have smuggled an
internal machine aboard that caused
the combustion.
The momentary excitement makes
the work Of gaining reliable intorma-
tion as to the implication Of Spanish
agents and President McKinley's ideas
very difficult.
BULLETINS.
KEY WEST, Florida, February IT,
A correspondent here Of the Associated
Press. just returned on the "Olivette'
from the scene of the wreck of the
United States battleship MAINE in
Havana harbor, says that divers who
have been working about her bottom
discovered an 8-inch percussion hole In
the plate. Admiral Manterola sum
moned Captain Sigsbee to appear before
Military Judge Peral to make the nee
essary dispositions. Another-man-of
war is expected here tonight.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE bulletin
from Key West, indicating that evi,
dence of the use Of a torpedo had been
discovered in the case of the rEan-of-
war MAINE" was written and sent by
Mr., Weatherford, the regular Associated
Press correspondent at Key West, Who
went to Havana recently and who left
the latter city yesterday. "Wednesday, at
i o'clock on the steamer @0liyette."
DIsBELrEvED In wAsHINaroN.
WAsHINeFoN, d. @, Feb. 17.-The |
Key West bulletin regarding the find
ing of holesin the bottom of the plate !
of the sMaine" and referred to as the
work of torpedo, was sent to the
white house by the Associated Press
and shown to President Mckinley. His
only comment was that it wss the Hrst
be had heard OF 1t. IL
navy department absolutely discredits
the story that divers found an eight
inch percussion hole In the bottom of
the vMaine" Secretary Long says
there is no such thing as percussion
hole; that there is no eight-inch tor
pedo, and there is NO other way in
which such hole could be accounted
for. 1t is, of course, possible that a
shell exploding in the side OF the ship
pierced hole of that kind in the outer
skin, but that would be readily revealed
by the character Of the angle and
whether or.not the skin was balged in or
out around the puncture.
MADRID "REGRETs."
MADRID, Spain, Feb. 17.--Premier
Eagasta held an important conferences
with the minister of marine and Rear.
Admiral Bermeio on tue subject of the
voyage of the irst.class arnored
cruiser "vizcaya" to the United States.
1t is said at the ministry Of marInaI
that o long telegram in cipher has been
sent to the Spanish charge d'affairs at
Washington, directing him to give
instructions to the commander Of the
.Viscaya." as soon as that vessel
reaches the American coast, so be may
be prepared to avoid all eventualitiss. !.
MADRID. Spain, Feb. 1.-THE dis
aster to the U. S. battleship Maine"
Is sincerely lamented here, especially
by spanish officials, whose regret is
mingled with apprehension lest the
accident augments American hostility.
The government is confident that the
able policy of President Mckinley and
the good sense ,ef the majority of the
Americans. Will maintain peace. (. j
WAsnrNGToN, D. c., Feb. n Secre
tay Long positively denies that Cap
tain Sigsbee has, in any way. expressed
an opinion that torpedo caused the
disaster, or that it came from an
external cause The captain said, on
the contrary. that he coald notsventure
10 express an opinion.
The navy department received