The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-28
FIND METAL Or
STRlNGE NATURE
NOW THOUGHT THAT EXPERTS
HAVE CAUSE OF BLOWING
UP MAINE.
BELIEF OF ENGINEERS
MAY he THAT NINE HAS BEEN
PROVEN BY DISCOVERY.
SEND FoH ADMIRAL
CAPPs.
BELIEF OF ENGINEERS

| WASHINGTON, Nov e7.-The
board OF inspection to determine the
cause OF the wreck of the battleship
Maine has discovered mysterious
piece of metal in the debris. and Rear
Admiral William Capps, the navy's
most expert constructor. has been
sent to Havana to aid in establishing
Its exact identity.
| Naval authorities here are conf
dent that the report of Admiral Caps
to the board has solved the mystery
of the Maine, and that the official
report will show. not only that the
piece OF metal was foreign to the bat
tleship, but that IT is actually a part
of mine.
Absolute belief was expressed that
the present board. of which Rear
Admiral Nreeland is chairman, has
sustained the findings of the origi-
nal board. In general terms that board
ascrihed the wreck to an exterior
explosion.
The fact that Rear Admiral Capps.
who is not a member of the board.
VAS sent to Havana to consult with
ttf1e- board. illustrates the great I'm
portance placed on the Identification
of the mysterious piece of metal.
Belief of Engineer.
The board in Havana now about
/ to formulate a report was appointed
/ by Secretary Meyer after the army
engineers had undertaken the work
, of exposing the wreck to Wow. When
this work had progressed almost to
conclusion. army engineers in Wash
lington expressed the belief that the
cause OF the disaster would never be
lascertained, unless evidence was OBJ
tanned showing the casing OF mine
imbedded in the mud near the port
side df the vessel Army engineers
also took the view that the fact that
parts OF the bottom OF the vessel
were fdhnd mingled with the super
structure could be explained "hy thu
settling of the vessel in the mud"
1t was at this stage that Secretary
Meyer appointed board to fix the
cause of the wreck, and made Rear
Admiral vreeland chairman. Or the
board he also appointed Rear Admit
lral watts, chief constructor OF the
navy. the successor OF Rear Admiral
Caps in that position. Colonel Black,
of the Engineer Department of the
War Department. who has had charge
OF pumping out the cofferdam. 10
also a member of the board.
Need Expert opinion.
Officers Of the Construction Blu
|reau familiar with the trip of Rear
Admiral Csapps to Havana. indicated
clearly today that, should the mys-
|terious piece OF metal found be .
part Of the Maine, the fact could
have been determined by an inspec-
tor Of even ordinary ability.
The summons to Admiral Capps
proves to the inspectors here that
the most expert opinion was required
not to determine that the foreign
metal was not a part OF the battle
ship. but that II incorporated 1t to
be part OF mine. the board want
ed to feel absolutely sure it was not
making mistake.
1t IL stated at the Navy Depart
ment officially that the report OF the
Vraeland board has not arrived, and
they doubt that its text has been COM
|pleted The same opinion is express
ed by Colonel Burr, acting chief OF
engineers Of the War Department.
Navy officials assert that the pres
ent position Of the ship makes 1t
practically impossible to draw infer
fences from the relative positions OF
parts OF the vessel. 1t is admitted
as needing no argument that the Yes
sci. having been divided almost amid
ships BY thu first and exterior explo-
sion, subsequent explosions in the In
terror Would have thrown material
into the mud on either side Of tho
ship. Therefore the fact that parts
OF the ship are found both starboard
and port does not prove that the
original explosion occurred inside,
Rear Admiral Wainwright. who
was executive officer OF the Maine
on the night OF the explosion, said
today:
There never will be a report
Of a board that will find anything
y -Nt~
| at by the first board"
! The atmosphere at the Navy De-
partment. in fact. IL Allied with con-
viction that the Vreeland board has
made important discoveries and that
| it will show by their argument that
the Maine was destroyed by mine.