The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-02

Then he added the statement, In the
same passing way, that any participa-
tion by the Spanish government in the
blowing up Of the Maine was practi-
cally eliminated. in his judgment.
This last remark was speedily given
wide circulation. apart from the quiet
ing references which had accompanied
It. 1t Immediately started much COM
ment and discussion. and when Mr.
Long returned to the navy department
after lunch he found. that what he had
intended to convey was being given
the force Of an official declaration that
Spain's responsibility for the disaster
had been eliminated.
Persons occupying the closest rela-
tions with the secretary said that the
opinion expressed was such as anyone
might give with the facts now at hand,
1t was not In any sense, it was explain
ed, a conclusion drawn from new evil
dence, not made public, either from the
court of inquiry or any officer now
concerned In the inquiry. Neither
facts or intimations have come from
such sources, it is said at the depart
ment, which would serve as the basis
for an opinion.
Responsibility Remains.
The official declaration Of Senior du
Bose, the Spanish charge d'affaires,
that no mines or submarine defenses
exist in the harbor of Havana had
come to the attention of Secretary
Long, and this statement from the
authorized representative of the Span
ish government was felt to have been
given its due weight in the opinion ex-
pressed by the secretary.
1t was pointed out by persons bear
ing close relations to the secretary that
the language used was official -partic-
ipation' on the part of the Spanish
government. This, it was said had
no bearing on the question of SPANS
responsibility. The Official participa-
ton" of Spain was one thing; while
the responsibility of Spain in case the
disaster proved to be of external orr
gin, was quite another thing. The sec
retary's statement was restricted, it
was explained. to exculpating Spain
from direct, official knowledge and par
ticipation in the affair. In case it was
shown that the act was due to some
fanatic or person not connected with
the government, then the question of
Spain's responsibility would be still
open.
Mr.. Long was much surprised that
so much attention had been given to
his passing allusion.
Aside from this incident the day
brought forth few developments Of i'm
portance relating to the Maine. No
dispatches Of any character from Key
West, where the court of inquiry is
sitting, were given out during the day,
and as the rule of publicity is still in
force, presumably nothing came from
that quarter. The vessel movements
announced during the day were devoid
of significance.
Ships In Commission.
Orders went out from the navy de-
r1a Yfr oQTf Ia hic q
put the ironclads, Miantonomah
and Katahdin, into commission
on the 10th inst They are now
at the League island navy yard, where
they have been laid up for q wear or
two past. 1t is said at the department
that the purpose of putting them into
commission is to make berths for the
survivors of the Maine now at Key
West awaiting on the court of inquiry,
which, without doubt, will have finish
ed with them by the 10th inst. The
Miantonomah is a formidable double
turreted monitor, carrying four ten
inch guns. She is of 1890 tons displace-
ment and steams ten and a half knots
per hour In addition to her main bat
terry, she carries a good secondary bat
terry Of rapid-fire guns, and her tur-
rets are clad with 11k-inch armor.
Her commander has not yet been
of her officers will be as follows: Lieu
tenant Commander Wilson, executive
officer; Lieut.. Underwood, navigator;
Lieuts. Hogg and Gill and Ensign Col
men, watch officers; Passed Assistant
Surgeon Weaver, Chief Engineer Parks.
The Katahdin, otherwise known as
the Ammen ram, Is a freak in naval
architecture, and, although opinions
are divided as to her qualities, there Is
little doubt that her presence in any
harbor would make an enemy feel anx-
ious. She lies mostly under water with
a turtle back of steel varying in thick
ness from 21a inches to inches, and
the theory Of her designer, Admiral
Ammen, was that this armor plate
could not be struck directly by a shot
from another vessel, and that any such
shot would be harmlessly DETECTED by
the sloping steel deck. In action the
coming tower and smokestack are
about all of the ship that would present
a mark The former is made of steel
eighteen inches thick.
One Point Cleared.
1t was learned at the navy depart