Evening star., 1909-02-14

he tried civil life he could not make head
way-and then he committed suicide.
was much attached to him.
The affection of officers for his kind 10
much stronger than the men themselves
know. Lest they discover that We are
too human we must assume almost super
human dignity-for the sake of discipline.
The term Jackie" to which our newer
men seem to object, has always been.
when used by an officer, a term Of down.
right affection.
1t is rather staggering to be asked II we
are sure that the Maine was blown up
from outside. To this it may be replied
that the facts reached by a scientific and
exhaustive examination, involving three
weeks Of continuous diving operations. led
inevitably to the opinion expressed by the
court of inquiry.
Unfortunately the published records Of
that body are. In many essential parts.
general reader. Many details are intricate
even for the expert. The court did not
fnd that the devastating destruction came
wholly from the outside explosion. which
was heard by many people who also heard
the heavier explosion that followed. The
court gave Its opinion in these terms:
In the opinion of the court the Maine
was destroyed by the explosion Of SUBJ
marine mine. which caused the partial
explosion Of two or more of the forward
magazines"
have never heard any point adverse to
this opinion, which was important when
weighed against the whole evidence con-
sidered by the court
Since the loss Of the Maine there have
been various explosions which, either in
some details or as whole. have borne
out the opinion Of the court most re-
markably. The most notable case is that
xha At<
the flagship of Admiral Makaron at Port
Arthur. on that port. April 3.19O4. she
ran against a. mine that had been planted
by the Japanese.
The explosion Of the mine itself was
communicated to the ships magazines.
which exploded in turn and with awful
thus repeating the case of the
Maine. The PetUpavlovsk sank in two
minutes thereafter. Very few of her peo-
Apparently the case of the japanese
battleship Hasue is similar. May 15 1904,
she struck a mine under her stern. Her
propellers were disabled by the explosion
and she drtfted on another mine. which
also under the stern. The ship
went down in one minute.
l have no detailed report but in view
or the minute water-tight subdivisions OF
battleships. and the rapid sinking never
also were involved by the outside ex-
plosfon. l have never. openly nor con-
fdentially, attributed culpability to any,
body for the loss OF the Maine. l have
rested In the domain of known facts.
4
why does not the government raise the
Manner" This is the question most fire.
ouently asked at present. I can speak
only of conditions at the wreck. do not
know the governmental considerations. 1t
might better be asked, why is not the
Maine removed?"
Apparently people have forgotten tho
almost inconceivable wreckage of the
vessel and need recourse to the earlier
Of the wreck. Most of the
parts above water were removed long ago.
and the present appearance of the wreck
above water suggests but little of the
mass Of torn. ruptured and twisted parts
still under water.
To raise" her so as to maintain the
existing. mutual relation OF her multi
.udinous details would require engineer
ng operations too gigantic to contem-
plate. A Golfer dam could be built around
,er and the inclosed water pumped out.
hus exposing the wreck, but why?
The records Of the court already show
he conditions below. The Maine would
De found to have settled deep in the har-
,or mud or overspread foot thick with
marine growth. In clearing away the
wreck the filthy mud Of the harbor bed
would be exposed for weeks or months
o the action of the tropical sun. Would
he people of Havana submit to that?
Taking her as she is. she could be blown
nto manageable parts and the parts re-
moved, but that might subject us to the
.harge Of trying to conceal something,
whereas the whole world now virtually
lccepts the opinion of the court.
I can see some things myself. but re-
,eat that do not know the governments
Jew. While the Maine was intact and
rec to swing around her mooring buoy
he pre-empted the whole area Of a large
ircle in the available space of the har-
or. Now. lying static. she sequesters
My very small area and in precisely
he position Of least Inconvenience to the
ommerce Of the port. Probably she will
e blown up in detail ultimately as the
My practicable solution of the problem.
How about the accounts that have
cen published from time to time. pre-
ending to solve the mystery Of the
Iaine'?" Some have had literary merit.
ut to one who was there and saw and
card from beginning to end none has
eeming verify.
Copyright, 1903 by the New York Herald q
All Rights ReSeIved.l