The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-08-25
RECALLS STORY |
NANELESS WITNESS !
Taking Sailors Bones From
Mud lncased Wreck
Goes On.

been consistently in favor Of the out.
side mine theory, though II is admitted
that such n mine might have been laid
by Cubans as likely rs by Spaniards.
Perhaps, however, General Bixby is
correct In prophesying that 1.-THE pri.
mary cause will never be learned"
He has repeated his belief several
times after noting the tangled state OF
the wreckage as 1t was gradually ex-
posed inside the eliptical bowl Of steel
pilings. Yet even the general is not
yet in n position to speak finally. The
pumping is still incomplete, and the
secret may be barred when more Of the
harbor mud Is lifted away from the
shattered hulk.
AS the chief basis for the exterior
mine theory is the opinion Of officers
who were attached to the Maine, their
stories of conditions aboard are being
recalled by old navy men, most Of
whom have read the testimony and re
read 1t many times.
Captain Sigsbee testified that he had
never permitted any loose powder to
be kept in the magazines and that 1t
was all slowed so far as he knew, in
the usual air tight and water tight cyl.
/ inders, each containing one charge. He
asserted, too, that the coal bunkers ad.
Joining the magazines were well ven
tilated, had been examined regularly
and were connected electrically to the
annunciator near his cabin door. His
confidence in the safe conditions Of the
81 NV hn nth n.
| GERS.
Present State of the Wreck.
The latest dispatches from the scene
| Of the wreck seemed to uphold the
| original belief. In the mass of twisted
| metal was found recently a curved
piece of steel. Engineers say it is
probably n portion Of the fat keel OF
the Maine, and Ferguson, the naval
| constructor In charge Of the examina.
| ton, says that adjacent plates and
beams are undoubtedly from the vicin
ity Of the keel.
Practically all the water has been
! pumped out Of the cofferdam, so that
the wreck incased only in mud.
| with dots Of remaining water here and
there The bow structure Is mostly
exposed. Examination Of the uncover
ed plates, beams and ribs has indi
Gated that they belonged to the struc
ture Of the double bottom, which is
elevated to height Of forty feet above
the normal position, apparently adding
confirmation to the theory Of tire
mendous exterior explosion. But Gen
ernl Bixby may yet be right In his
forecast. SO confused is the wreckage
that the indications Of n Spanish or
| Cuban crime are not to be accepted IN
haste.
The Search For Bodies,
Besides having the object of solving
the puzzle of the explosion. the gov
ernment is raising the Maine In the
hope of recovering bodies Of sailors
who went down with the ship. A few
skeletons and loose bones have been
found thus far.
Prior to July 20 it was figured that
the bones picked out Of the wreckage
represented four or more bodies. On
that day more bones, all fire scorched,
were found near the overturned con
ming tower. The men who died in that
vicinity probably were sleeping at the
time of the explosion in hammocks
suspended from the ceiling Of the for
ward berth deck. This deck was fold
ed back by the blast until its ruins
lay over the central superstructure.
fifty feet aft Of its original position.
On July % the bones Of six or seven
additional bodies were found beneath
the wreckage on the central super
structure. They were heaped together,
and not one was intact. There, too,
are probably the remains Of sailors
who slept on deck that hot night. The
forward part Of the ship was heaved
up and fell upon them as they lay,
Later, when the searchers reach the
deeper sections Of the vessel, whole
skeletons may be found and possibly
clothing or trinkets which may give
clews to names. Four skeletons were
taken on July "a and another on July
81 from the berth deck. On Aug.
were found the bones Of Assistant
Engineer Merritt. and they were identi
fed by n portion of an officers cap
| ana unlIOTul uuu IL lOuutulu pen. he
other sets of bones were found at the
same time. The total finds thus far
have been sixteen. About fifty-tive bod
les are yet to be traced.
The raising has proceeded far enough
to show that the Names after bulk
head is practically uninjured. The
question Of building a bulkhead and
floating out the stern section is still
under discussion, but the engineers
hesitate on account Of the corroded
condition Of the deck beams and other
structural members not protected by
everything mud. There is no doubt
that the removal Of the other portions
Of the ship is only possible by dis
section To finish the work congress
will be asked soon to appropriate
| another S25O.OO0, making the total
!, 100000 The task will not be com
= pleted for months. certainly not before
= late fall. possibly not until next spring