Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-02

lions Committing Them to the
Accident Theory Want it Under
stood That They Have No Def
mite Opinions and Will Express
None Till the Court of Inquiry
Makes Known the Evidence it
Has Secured.
Washington, March 1.-Two weeks
sso to-uight the battleship Maine was
,4-royed in Havana harbor, and in
-,He Of the greatest diligence on the
,trt Of the officers charged with an
inquiry into the affair the cause of
.se disaster is still shrouded in mys-
INV ID far as any officials in Wash
m-ou know. Few officials acquaint-
with the formidable obstacles in
AZ way of the operations of the divers
W. surprised at this state of affairs
realized that upon the testimony of
be divers almost altogether will de-
oend the success of the inquiry
Meanwhile the officials of the navy
8eparment have reached the conclu-
sion that harm is being done by the
moachng of theories to account for
be explosion, so notice has been serv-
Id upon the experts who have been
heard from in the press that it il
preferred that they shall no longer dis
.nss the matter in advance of the re-
port of the court of inquiry. One rea
SON for this action was the fact that
the department. was finding itself com
mitted inyoluntarily to the support OF
the theory that the explosion was of
internal origin, While as a matter Of
2nt Secretary Roosevelt have been at
great pains to show that the depart
ment stood entirely neutral as be-
ween he theorists and were prepared
20 accept only the conclusions of the
court of inquiry as binding upon it.
ln consequence of this decision, there
is less disposition manifested among
naval officers to talk about the Maine
affair in any phase.
AN INDICATION
hat the court of inquiry is either far
rom having reached any conclusion or
else disposed with a view to meeting
future criticism, to collect all possible
evidence whether it be deemed essen
tial or not, is the call to their assist
ance Of experts. 1t has alredy been
matter of comment that with all the
ability comprised in this court Of in
qniry it has one weak spot namely the
lack Of practical experience of the con-
Sl.uction OF the ship, in its members.
his is no part of the duty of a line
officer, so that no reflection is carried
ny the statement. To remedy their
shortcomings the court has called upon
the department to send to their aid
constructor and carpenter, and in COM
piance with the request Secretary
Long has directed Naval Constructor
Hoover and Carpenter Helm to report
20 The court. From their familiarity
with the structure of the Maine on
which both of these men worked when
sho was built in the New York navy
yard. they will be of great assistance
hot only in suggesting easy methods
oi work for the divers, but also in
Identifying portions of the wreck. The
ldtJer consideration is one of the great
est Importance in view of the state
ments that have come from Havana
to the effect that some of the ships
bottom plates have been found in the
debris above water. 1t is said at the
department. that if this is true, the
fact Will be of importance. But it IS
added it would not be necessarily con
cusiye evidence as to the
SOURCE OF THE EXPLOSION
tr it IS conceivable that as the deck was
.Wn up. il might easily have pulled up
with it some of the frames and bottom
pHting which are rigidly attached by
iAe TWO experts Will be much better
qualified than the line officers or divers TO
a.nuiy any such piece of plate
No orders have gone out from the De-
parment to the vessels of the squadron
to-day and the officials stamp as without
foundation the report that the squadron
Yesterday ordered to he held in readt-
noSS IN sail for Havana. Likewise it
said that no selection has yet been
| made of cruiser 10 proceed to Havana
n1t ii is likely in case that the court of
| hourly should desire to make the return
| FTP 10 Havana in a cruiser that Admiral
Soard would be allowed to make his own
selection from among the vessels of his
a,et
No advices have been received at either
a' State or Navy Departments that
would warrant the statement that the
10 interpose any obstacles to the pros
'1flon of the work of the wrecllers on
Names huh. 1t is said that the very
phase Of this matter was sent out in
"a published dispatch Of Assistant Sec
H'alF Day, authorizing the Spanish gov
fm'nt 10 prosecute an Independent in
cation by its own divers into the
caAsc of the loss Of the Maine. The De-
ariment has not withdrawn that per-
mission.
The meeting of the cabinet to-day, at
""eh all of the members were present
III losed the fact that the government is
INV without news regarding the cause
iae disaster 10 the Maine. Up to this
mi" the court of inquiry has not indi-
ed m any way the trend OF investiga-
'I The President and the members Of
w. tblnet are as
Nf MPLETELY IN THE DARK
what the evidence So FAR adduced
us ihey were on the day after
eSploS.on The truth Of this state
I.rr' ~ vntlrba,1 for ~ authority MOI to