The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-13
The Truth AbOnt the Maine.

Early in January, when sensational re-
ports emanated from Havana implying
that the first Of the series of explosions
that caused the destruction OF the Maine
was internal, the evidence taken by the
Sampson board Of inquiry was analysed
ia an editorial article in The Sun, and
II was submitted that "uncEcial opin-
ions deduoed from fragmentary items
of news that come up from the harbor
mud will have no weight with those who
know the personnel of the original naval
court and how painstaking its inquiry
was" The Vreelsnd board, fresh from
deliberate and thorough examination
Of every part Of the hull exposed in the
cofRerdam, has confirmed the finding Of
the Sampson court that the first explo-
sion was external.
In the inquiry made in February and
March, 1898, which lasted twenty three
days, the court WAS dependent upon the
reports Of ten divers for its information
about the condition Of the wreck on the
bottom Of the barbor. From their state
nlents about the fractures of the YER
teal keel and the position OF the bent,
broken and detached plating, after they
had made many descents into the water
and tried 20 reach every part Of the
wreck, the court concluded that the mine
whose explosion caused two or more
OF the forward magazines Of the Maine"
to blow up, was situated under the
bottom OF the ship about frame ls,
and somewhat on The port side Of the
ship but il was explained; THE eyi-
dence bearing upoa this. being princi-
pally obtained from divers, did not en-
able the court To form definite eon-
elasion as to the condition Of the wreck
The Nreeland board finds that the mine
was situated under frames rs and 81,
strake b, port side It also expresses
the opinion that the mine contained "a
low formed of explosive On this point
tha Sampson court made no finding, but
Commander G. A. Converse, an expert
in explosives, who had had many oppor-
tunities "to witness the explosion OF sub
marine mines" gave the following testi-
mony when asked TO what kind of ex-
plosiye he attributed "the force that
caused the bending OF plates and keel';
hHt VI Tue blhAihn tuAN ~ touiu DC
produced by the explosion of sub
marine mine containing large amount
Of the lower explosives gunpowder or
similar-not IN contact with the ship,
but some distance below it, perhaps on
the BOTTOM
We do not think that the conclusions
of the Yreeland board. based upon in.
tinate and scientific observations. are
likely TO be questioned, even BY Spain,
" lIich asked to take part in the first
investigation and failing to be admit
ted to the proceedings made hasty
ex parte inquiry Of its own and upon
irrelevant circumstantial evidence pub
hsbed officially a judgment that the orig.
lnal explosion was internal. As the
world will always believe that the de-
struction Of the battleship Maine caused
the Spanish American war, and as the
same opinion prevails generally among
our own people, and with warrant, it is
great relief to feel that so far as ex.
pert knowledge can determine from an
inspection OF the entire wreck as it lies
barred to the sky, the United States
navy Is not responsible for the disaster
that was fraught with such dire con-
sequences. New York Sun.