Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-16
HE BLEW UP THE MAINE.
Strange Story Of the Tragedy In Ha
vana Harbor ln 1898.

The Maine was not blown up by a
mine attached to the buoy to which
she was moored and waiting for her,
but by a boiler filled with powder that
was placed under her keel after she
reached Havana and exploded by an
American to escape a death sentence
imposed on him by the Spaniards, says
New York letter to the Baltimore
American.
This explanation after thirteen
years mystery, which has never been
solved to the satisfaction of all par
ties, but which it is hoped will be dis
posed of by the raising of the wreck Of
the battleship on or before July 4, has
The War Maker, which tells the life
story of the famous soldier Of fortune
who was known as Capt. George B.
Boynton, and who died in New York
few months ago. Captain Boynton
was said to have been the man who set
off the mine, and the details of the plot
with which his name was connected
reached the United States secret SER
vice soon after the disaster in such
circumstantial way that 1t was made
the basis Of a thorough and protracted
investigation, the result of which has
never been revealed. That such an in
quiry was made was discovered by
Horace Smith, Captain Boyntons BIZ
ogra apher, while he was engaged in es-
tablishing the real identity Of the not
ed adventurer, which was his most
carefully guarded secret. What were
said to be the actual facts connected
with the destruction Of the Maine, as
they were communicated to the secret
service, through a source which Chief
Wilkie will not even now disclose,
were as follows:
The Spaniards were entirely unpre-
pared for the visit Of the Maine, which
was sent to Havana suddenly and
without warning. Consequently there
was no mine attached to the buoy at
which she was moored, though 1t was
stated that one would have been placed
there if it had been so much as sus-
pected that she was coming.
Getting j. Under the Maine.
Once in the narbor she had the city
and it's defenses at her mercy, for all
of the modern guns in the surrounding
Notifications faced the sea, and none
of them could be brought to bear on
her. Captain General Blanco and his
staff did not relish having hostile
warship in such an advantageous po-
sition in the event of war with the
United States. which they then re-
garded as at least possibility, If not
probability, and 1t was decided to
blow her up, under such conditions as
might make it appear that she had
been destroyed by an accidental eX-
plosion of her own magazine. 1t was
concluded that a mine might not do
sufficient damage, and besides, II
might leave traces that would be found
by the divers who would investigate
the disaster, so a large boiler from the
navy yard was taken to the arsenal
and filled with powder. 1t was pro-
vided with a mechanism by which 1t
could be exploded by electricity and
Theoretically sealed.
1t was impossible to place the i'm
provised mine under the Maine, for
every vessel or boat that approached
the warship was closely watched, so
the men in charge of the operation
were directed to put 1t In such a po-
sition that the battleshlp would swing
around over it when the wind shifted.
The boiler was lashed In sling under
lighter, which was towed across the
bow of the Maine at night and at as
close quarters as 1t dared to go. When
the lighter was directly in front Of the
battleship the lines which carried the
boiler were cut and It dropped into the
mud. The Maine was then headed
northeast, into the trade wind, and the
mine was about Is feet away from her.
The wire by which the mine was to
be exploded was led to the end of the