Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-22
Propositions to Raiss the Wreck Of
the Vessel.
4 CHIcAGa'CoNfRACfoR'S. Bid
Revival Of Theories as to Cause of
obstruction.
THE PROBABLE FACTS

causes Of the explosion OF the Maine may
be cleared away. Since returning to Wash
ington l have. had a good many inquiries
regarding the measures which are to be
taken to raise the Maine, and have heard
with some surprise Of new theories Of ex-
perts that the explosion really may have
been due to spontaneous combustion or
something Of the sort. On that subject a
word may be said later. The Maine and
everything connected with it always will
have deep and memorable interest for
the American people.
1t seems to- be assumed in the United
States that the plans actually under
way for raising the wreck and that some
preliminary work Is being done. This is
not So or at least it was not fortnight
ago. There Is little matter Of a $4,000
bond to be given by a contractor which
had not been perfected two weeks since.
be permitted. There are no funds available
for the government, and there was
practical means Of taking the funds out
of the Cuban treasury. That was one Of
the things whcfh stood in the way Of let
ting the contract: but when a bold Chicago
contractor came along and proposed not
only to raise the Maine without charging
the government of the United States or the
Island of Cuba penny. but actually to
pay per cent salvage for the privilege. he
was given respectful hearing. Other
contractors and maritime firms have put
in bids running from $f50.0O0 to 81 5000
for doing the work, and even then had not
been over-confdent of their ability to per-
form 1t
Contractors Proposal.
The Chicago contractor simply proposed
to raise the vessel for what it was worth,
having made a careful estimate of the
value of the guns the brass and everything
else which formed a part of the warship.
Tho tn no dol
uine and authorized relics was also an
item in the estimated profit. A number of
American capitalists Of standing were
back of the project and were to supply the
funds. Whether they have baked and the
contractor has had to look to other sources
for his means 1 do not know. but there are
many people in Havana who have faith in
his plans
Conversely 1t is no trouble to find ex-
perts who ridicufe them and who prove on
paper at least that they are visionary and
impracticabke.sc 1t is one of those techni-
cal matters on which a iayman is not COM
petent to pronounce judgment. but must
be content to wait and see the test Of
actual experiment. The contract which
covers raising the Maine also includes re-
moving the wreck of the Spanish cruiser
Alfonso XII. which lies off the coast OF
Mariel. thirty miles west Of Havana. That
is a comparatively simple matter.
Lucien Young, who is captain OF the port
OF Havana, Is hospitable to new ideas. He
has an ambition to have the Maine raised
during his own term Of service. which is
to say within the period OF the American
military occupation. Because the plans
and daring and differed from the plans of
other contractors Captain Lucien Young
did not assume>tha they must be rejected.
He was willing to give them trial and
was rather impressed with the idea that
some practical results might be obtained
from them. One day in explaining the
scheme to me he became very enthusiastic
over the subject of steel horses brides.
brushwood cushions. cofferdams. clay. mud
and other elements which enter into the
problem. My impression Is that the off,
cial view while not enthusiastic, coin
cided with Captain Young's that the project
was worth giving trial and whenever the
Chicago contractor makes his bond he can
go ahead with the work. There Is time
enough because while the wreck has sunk
a little deeper into the mud. 1t Is not go
ing to disappear under the water Of Ha-
vana harbor.
Theories of Lawyers.
If the work is begun and carried forward
It will be completed long before the Span
ish claims commission, which has been
asked to include within its Jurisdiction
damages for the relatives of the Maine vic
tins. is through with its labors. The re-
vivai of interest caused by the efforts to
bring these claims before the commission
has been followed by the statements of
doubts now being entertained about the
Maine having been blown up from the out
side + suppose it is allowable for lawyers
in pushing the interests Of their clients to
assume that the government could be
coerced Into admitting them rather than
be forced into taking the position that the
explosion was accident and that Spain
was in no way responsible But tnls Is
doubtful assumption.
What the Spanish claims commission
| may decide with regard to it's own 5urts-
diction has no bearing on the Maine, ex-
ttyh n
the lawyers who have started the alleged
doubts as to whether the United States
was right in it's original position that the
Maine was blown up from the outside.
They have had a good deal to say about
the opinion Of foreign military and naval
experts, and these opinions are quoted as
| though they had special authority. few
days ago General Fitxhugh Lee told me he
| had lust been engaged In a discussion with
the attache of a European government who
! stoutly maintained that the Sampson naval
board Of inquiry never reported that in Its
opinion the explosion was caused by ex-
ternal agencies. This attache, at General
Lees suggestion, read the report and
frankly acknowledged he had been mis-
taken. 1t seems to be the privilege OF ex-
perts to form their conclusions first and
| look up the evidence afterward.
INQUIRIES by Foreign Officers.
Since the subject was brought before the
Spanish claims commission have had my
attention called to a report or an opinion
formulated by an alleged French naval ex-
pert. This is Captain vignaud. better
! known as Pierre Lott, the author OF enter
| tanning sea nromances. The person who
called my attention to this thought it was
something new It's value g may be known
| sumes that Captain Sfgsbee and the off,
GERS Of the Maine were on shore when the
explosion took place. This argument was
advanced Immediately after the occurrence,
| and was based on statements made in Ma
| drid and Paris newspapers. Pierre Lott
| might accept It as the basis of one of his
| sea romances. but he would not make such
! a statementd ofietally and it is doing his
| reputation az aas hawai- officer injustice to
| quote 1t now las something new and fresh.
There are also the alleged surveys made
| by the officers Of the various foreign war
! ships which have been in Havana harbor
| since the American occupation. particular
| ly ne Austrian ship Donau. Naval officers
| OF all countries naturally view the wreck
| Of the Maine with great interest. even
! greater perhaps than the tourists and visi-
| tors who are making their first trip to
| Cuba Some OF them occasionally take a