The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-05
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE.

|
THE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE
In the current number of the North
American Review there is a very i'm
portant article by Rear Admiral George
w. Melville, u. 5. n. (retired), on
1.-The Destruction of the Battleshiy
| Maine.' ii is in the form of a pre-
| paratory note by the editor, stating
the position of the late Thomas b
| Reed in opposition to the clamor and
furore of the time, in 1898, and dis
closure of the fact that Mr.. Reed wrote
to Rear Admiral Melville, then engi-
neerin-chief of the navy, asking Mel
Vile IS views as to the cause of the
destruction of the Maine. Admiral
Melville replied under date of January
%. 1902, so that the letter, now first
printed, is more than nine years old.
1t is a letter addressed to Mr.. Reed in
response to Reed s invitation to Mel
Vile to state his views on the cause
of the destruction of the Maine, Moth
ing on this subject could be more time.
" than this, in view of the soon-ex-
almost certain revelation which this
will bring of the actual cause of the
blowing up Of the ship,
The letter is of engrossing interest,
and if the design is, as intimatcd, to
prepare the American people for the
disclosure that the Maine was blown
up from the inside and not from the
outside. nothing more significant in that
direction could be imagined than the
publication of this letter. Rear Ad-
miral Melville evidently did not believe
at that time that the Maine had been
blown up by the Spaniards. This let
ter calls attention to very many things
which are wanting in the evidence
that would have been evident if the
Maine had been blown up from the out,
side, either by mine or by torpedo.
1t is very careful and detailed study
of the whole matter, and Admiral Mel
vile fatty says: "The more study
and reflection / give to this question,
the more convinced ] am that the de-
struction of the Maine was due to an
internal explosion In giving this
opinion he disclaims any desire to re-
fleet either upon the discipline or mo-
rale of the ship, or of the sincerity of
the views of the court of inquiry which
found that the Maine was blown up
frnu, ,vifhouf 5,pira1 Molvi11a c,,n
ports his conclusion so expressed by a
careful review of the whole matter. by
a searching inquiry into the conditions
and circumstances Of the case, and es-
pecially of the evidence presented by
the divers and by all who testified be-
fore the court of inquiry. And in
summing up this portion Of his article
the Admiral says: Experience shows
that when an explosion occurs from
within. it is possible for the she'll of
the structure, whether it be tunnel,
building, tank or boiler. to be so dam.
aged that the cause could be ascribed
TO any number of possible combina-
tions. When the explosion is from
without the breach is purely local, and
the wreck Of the explosive can be def
nitely traced
In considering the question Of our
attitude as A nation toward the tragedy
involved in the destruction of that bat.
tlcship, The admiral says: Gas this
officially disclaimed that war
with Spain was wagcd on account of
the blowing up of the Maine, and that |
it is moi. possible, even in the naval !
service to induce men and officers to use |
the cry of Remember the Maine this |
nation can very consistently view the |
whole tragedy in the light of events |
that occurred before, during and since |
the war" That is to say, the country
is now prepared to view with calm.
ness and equanimity whatever the facts
may show with regard to the destruc.
ton of the Maine. We have disclaimed
that destruction as being the cause Of
the war; the navy refuses to consider
it as AN offense to be avenged. and SO,
whatever the disclosures of the raising
of the Maine now in process in Havana
harhor may be, the United States will
be free from all obligation or Liability
with respect TO any claims. made or
facts developed.
To the conclusions arrived at by Ad-
mirai Melville may very we'll be given
.he account of the blowing up of the
Maine IN Henry Watterson Is History of
he S.uanish meriran War nubl;ehod nj
most Immediately after the conclusion
If that war His account of the de