The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-21
BETTER DIVERS WANTED.
Only Skilled Men Can Be Of
Service on the Maine.
INVESTIGATIONS so FAR HAVE
BEEN UNFRUITFUL.

Another Elaborate Explanation From
the War Department Why the Order to
/ Man the Big Guns Was Givcn-Ths
Sobral Incident and Secretary Long.
Washington, February 20.-The nava
court of inquiry appointed to investigate
the Maine disaster will begin its work
at Havana tomorrow. q This news came
to the navy department this morning
from Admiral Sicard atlKey West. az
telegraphed simply as follows: The
court of inquiry will sail for Havans
Goth, by lighthouse steamer Mangrove
Mark arrived today"
This prompt investigation is probably
due to tho express direction from Score
tary Long, sent yesterday to have the in
vestigation at tho earliest possible
moment. The telegram was dated yes
terday SO the board should have arrived
there before nightfall and be ready tc
begin work tomorrow morning. The
board undoubtedly would have started
previously, but for the necessity OF await
ing the arrival at Key West from Wash
ington of. Lieut.. Commander Mark, 9
naval officer we'll skilled in the intrica-
cies of marine law, who is to be judge
advocate of the court.
Capt. Sigsbee was heard from late last
night, but the telegram was not deliv.
cred at the navy department until this
morning. The message goes to confirm
the press reports of the events Of yester.
day in Havana harbor as far as they re-
late to the exploration of the wreck. II
reads as follows:
Havana, February 19.--Only most
experienced wrecking divers can do effec-
tive work on the Maine. In the works
can use service divers. Did some
work today. but with little success. Will
do better tomorrow. Parts of the Maine,
especially the superstructure and con.
nectlons ARE one confused mass Of metal
| Another brief telegram from Capt.
Sigsbee road:
Havana, February 20.-Bache, which
means that the coast survey steamer has
arrived at Havana. bringing on board all
of the diving apparatus sent from the
squadron.
The statement relative to experienced
divers is explained at the navy depart.
| ment as no reflection upon the men now
engaged in the work, they being enlisted
men belonging to the navy. 1t Is the
practice on board of men-of-war to as
sign few men, always volunteers on &C.
count of the hazardous nature of the
work, to do duty as divers in connection
with their regular work. The scope of
their work is the exploration Of the ships
bottom generally, the disentanglement
of cables from the propeller shafts and
or anchor. Such work rarely carries
them deeper than % feet into the water
and it is said that for operations in deep
er water, such as would be involved in
examination Of the Maine's bottom, their
training has not fitted them. They are
sary to enable diver to grope his way
safely the internal parts of mighty
ship like the Maine, torn and dismem-
bered as she is, and this work is highly
dangerous. Creeping through narrow
iron bound passages and cropping for the
doors of the numerous water-tight
bulkheads which divide the hull into
many compartments, ON Shiny floors and
in perfect darkness requires the highest
experience and skill and that is why
Capt. Sigsbee with only his sailor divers
at command had not been able to do
much so far towards unravelling the mys-
terry of the Maine's untimely end. .,s
1t is to meet just this emergency that
the navy department is making every
effort to hasten the beginning Of the
work of recovery Of goods and perhaps the
raising Of the hull by professionals. To
that end Capt. Lemly, the judge advocate
general Of the department was at work
today in his Office with representatives
of the wrecking companies trying to
draw up contracts for the immediate
prosecution Of the work. He has been at
the task now two days and 1t has not
been easy to dispose of. This is owing to
an apparent disposition on the part of at
least one of the concerns to drive "a hard
bargain, leaving the department. in the
dark. as TO Ino osamOunG OF money TO Dc
paid for their service.
But d it isa believed that the obstacles
have now been surmounted and that the
contracts can be signed tomorrow. 1t is
the purpose of Capt. Lemly to hurry this
work and to that end he is arranging to
have two of the companies combine their
forces. They will Le paid on the scale
of days work with provision for bonus
If they succeed in raising the vessel. thus
assuring the recovery of as much of the
valuable equipment as is possible, should
it not be practicable to float the Maine
again. Great difficulty is expected in
reaching the big ten-inch turret guns,
each worth $4,000, owing not only to
their own weight, SO tons apiece, without
carriages. but to the enormous turrets en-
closing them with hundreds of tons OF
steel. 1t is doubtful if the tops of these
turrets can be removed as was first sup
posed by cutting off bolt heads that FIX
they to the sides, as these large bolts are
probably countersunk and the heads be-