The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-02-19

pIOSlOn. the opinion OF majority Is
that the question will be easily settled
by the simple observation of the condi-
ton of the ships hull plates in the
n~cighborhOOd of the hole which sank
her. whether or not they are bulged
out. as would be the case if the eXplo-
sion came from the inside. or whether
they were driven in. as would result
from the attack of Il torpedo or the eX-
plOs;On of a mine beneath the ship.
The large majorit; of naval officers
are inclined the belief that the eXplo-
sion resulted from sp, ltaneous COM
hustiOn of a coal bunker. heover-heat-
ing Ofthe iron partitions between the
boilers and the magazine. or from the
explosion Of a boiler. though the last
theory finds little support.
The Maine May he Raised. Fzl
The naval constructors. in the light
of the dispatches thus far received. say
it is by no means certain that the
Maine cannot be raised and again carry
the flag. They say that while she is Il
big ship, others as large have been
raised. and at Havana the new floating
dry dock would receive her if she could
once be gotten above the water.
Capt. Sigsb2c evidently is taking an
interest in the future Of the ship. for he
Sent a telegram to Commander For
sythc. at Key West. that was promptly
transmitted to Secretary Long. sug-
geS.ing that a Lighthouse vessel or
some such small craft be stationed in
Havana harbor tn watch over the
wreck. The latter. even if beyond
resurrection. contains valuable ord
nance and other property that doubt
less can be secured by divers.
One of the Greatest Disasters in Naval
History.
1t is said at the navy department
that this disaster is the greatest of the
kind in naval history. since the sink
ing of the big British war ship Vic
toria by collision with the Camper
down in the Mediterranean. off Malta.
June. 1898. BY that accident the Brit
ish admiral. commanding. - officers
and 336 men lost their lives.
The Spanish legation was early adj
vised of the horror by Capt.-Gcn.
Blanco. who expressed his profound re-
greet and added hat the occurrence
was Il chance accident. the undoubtcd
cause being an explosion of the boiler
of the dynamo. This was the only
specific aust assigned from an official
source during the day.
Foreign Diplomats Express Regrets.
VI. Dubosc. the Spanish charge
called at hesitate department to express
his profound regret. and the entire
Spanish staff left their cards at the
navy department as Il mark of personal
coincidence. At all the foreign eStab-
lishments there was the deepest inter
est and sOlicitude owe the affair, and
during the day Ambassador Cambon.
of France. Sir Julian Paunccfote of the
British embassy and other foreign rep
resentativcS called on the president. or
at the state department. to express
their regrets.
The disaster is remarkable in that
only We officers lost their lives. They
were Lieut.. Friend W. Jenkins and
Assistant Engineer Darwin Il. Merritt.
The former was unmarried. but leaves
a mother and sister. The latter. it is
thought. also was unmarried. but the
department was unadviscd concerning
his family.
Hard Work and Harder Waiting.
Hard work and harder waiting and
expectancy marked the evening for
most of the department officials whose
duties connected them in amy way with
the Maine disaster. Secretary Long.
who had been aroused at 80 IL. IN.
when the news reached Washington.
vas thoroughly tired ont. and went to
bed unusually early. He turned over
Ia Lieut.. Whittclscy the receiving II
all dispatches relating To the disaster.
with orders, following out those of the
president at the cabinet meeting. to
make public everything relating to the
affair.
The state department was on the
alert for news both from Havana and
from Minister Woodford at Madrid.
but beyond d second message from
Gen. Lee expressing the hope hat pub
lie excitement i'll the United States
would he rcprcS,cd. and detailing adj
ditional courtcSics ut the hands of the
~SpaniardS. nothing was received.
Strenuous Efforts to Remain Calm.
The efforts of all government officers
to remain calm in the face of the shock
ing disaster and is attending mystery
was apparent. and a number of naval
officers volunteered theories in favor of
the accident hypothesis. all of which.
in the absence of any facts on which to
base a reasonable opinion. were de-
cid"dly unsatisfying.
At the White House the president
spent the evening in his office. There
was no official conference on the dis
aster. however. and but one caller.
Senator Fairbanks. Of Indiana. who
merely discussed the Maine catastrophe
incidentally with the other business
which brought him t. the White House.
The president displayed the keencst
interest in the appalling story and the
deepest sympathy for the sufferers. and
it was at his suggestion that the order
half-mastjng all government flags was
issued. He was kept informed OF the
= of events by private dispatches
and those of the press. which We're
sent to him through the evening.