The World from New York, New York • Page 3

THE WORLD: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1898. PRESIDENT CABINET AND CONGRESS READY FOR ACTION. Olivette, with Forty-five Survivors Aboard, Expected at Key West. UGLY STORM DELAYS HER. Barracks Forces Make Ready to Land the Unfortunate Sailors and Care for Them.

GREAT CROWD AT THE WHARF. snhlp Xow York, from tuo Fleet, ivllh Admiral SI curd, Sighted Off tho Bar. BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF HAVANA HARBOR, SHOWING APPROXIMATELY THE POSITION OF THE MAINE. Survivors of the Maine Disaster Still Uncertain as to the Cause. MYSTERY AS DARK AS EVER.

The Great Battle-Ship Now Lies About 500 Yards from the Havana Arsenal. (Syatlal to World.) KEY WEST. Feb. aro being made at tho barracks and marine hospital hero to caro for the forty-five wounded sailors It Is hoped will arrive from Havana to-night on board the Olivette. Tents hnvo been pitched and tho hospital corps are ready to assist the wounded.

Tho Ericsson arrived at P. M. from Tortugas. seventy nillos away, and reported that the flagship N'ew York would report at Ki-y West to-night to await Instructions from Washington. Tho New York has already boon sighted, tind the KricsHon lias gono to meet her at the bar.

Commandant V'orsyth has sent a detail of soldiers to the wharf to keep tho great crowd now gathered there. Tho excitement In the city 'Is Intense, owing to late reports that the disaster was the work ot Inccndlarlos. Tho torpedo boat Gushing left at noon for the licet, lying In the Toruig.is, with despatches from Oapt. yigsbce for Admiral SIcard. Tho Ericsson pro- ceded her.

Meantime many despatches came from Washington for lliu Admiral. but could not be forwarded, Commandant Poraylh having no vessel by which to scud them. Tho llghthou.su tenders Fern and Mar- grovo had been detailed for Havana earlier In the day. and tlie Bache was the fleet. The Margrave left for Havana at 3 A.

taking Dr. Clcndlnln, U. S. and a number of other naval medical men. The norther In the C'mlf has been trowing llorcer all day and the officers here were In constant anxiety for the torpedo boats out In the storm.

Commandant Forsyth kopt a continuous watch out to sea, hoping to sec the emoko of tho returning Aftcc the experience of the dialling during her loat week's trip to nervousness over her safety, as well as the'Ericcson, In'a high sea, was only 'natural. The Ericcson returned In safety late In the afternoon, bearing despatches from Admiral SUjard for Washington. She was sent off again at midnight with orders from tho capital for Admiral SIcard to proceed with the flagsh.p Now York to th.s port and he.p care for the i en route from Havana aboard the Plant line steamship Olivette. It is thought that the remainder of the fleet will remain at the Tortugas. Tho ISrlccson's Ollicers report that the news was at received with Incredulity by the lleet and then with horror.

The opinion WRS that tho calamity to the greatest In modern naval history, exce.pt, perhaps, tho sinking of the British warship Victoria by the Cam- ipordown. Vi Doubt has been expressed as to tho arrival to-night of the Olivette, owing to the gale outside. The storm Is also ref rotted because It Is bad for tho Injured rom tho Maine. There IB the most Intense anxiety among officials and civilians as to tho cause of tho disaster and Its probable results. Tho Maine has beet at this port several tlmo and her men aro well-known and much liked in Key West.

The naval men think the forward magazine Ignited, and that probably ono or two torpedoes oxploded. Thero Is much excited comment among the AtBocUted PrtH.) HAVANA. Feb. battle-ship Maine now rests on tho bottom of Havana Harbor, the remnants of her upper works above the surface. She Is about 500 yarda from the Arsenal and 200 yards from the stono docks.

Attempts to account for the disaster are as numerous as ever and neither Consul-General Lee nor Capt. Slgsbco hae announced that he Is satisfied as to the cause. Out of 354, the total number of tho crow oC tho Maine, 30 aro said to be safe. R. Walnwrtght suggests that tho explosion may have been caused by the short-circuiting of a dynamo.

Ho was hulf undressed at 9.46 P. and was smoking In his cabin next to that of Cnpt, Slgsbee, it Is said, when tho explosion put out tho electric lights. Walnwrlght then lit a mutch ami wont to Capt. Sigsbeo's cabin. Cnpt.

Slgsbeo had been thrown from bis bod, but wus uninjured. They both on deck and ordered a man to Hood 2,500 pounds of gun cot- ENTRANCE TO M'ADOO HINTS AT DESIGN. One-Time AftHlntnnt Secretary of the Navy Cannot Trace the Dlnaster to Natural Cannes. WKltam McAdoo. Assistant Secretary of tho Navy under President Cleveland, was seen by a World reporter last night at his homo In East Orange.

"I am completely stunned by the horror of the thing," said he. "and can hardly collect my thoughts. If tho blowing up of tho Maine's magazine I was accidental there arc only two ways in which 1 can Imagine It might have Is, by tho explosion of her hollers or by tho heating of one of the magazines to tho danger point by spontaneous combustion of coal. "Tho first does not soem probable, as she would have had the Urea banked under her bo.lers, and at that hour there would have been no machinery In operation except her dynamos. I think tho small boiler used to run these was placed too high In the vessel to have done the damage even in tho case of Its explosion.

That the explosion was caused by spontaneous combustion of coal may have been possible, although doer, not seem PO. In battleships, unlike other vessels, tho coal Is stored in pockets, so as to form a partial protect.on to the magazines and machinery. Several of these pockets, which are deep, steel- i.ncd aro adjoining the muga- zincs. "it has happened several times that tho soft coul stored In tho ships has become Ignited by tho combustion of Its own gases. Because of this fact orders weie issued some time ngo that only anthracite coal should be placed the bunkers adjoining the magazines, and that tho coal' from these pockets should bo burned Ilrst.

The Maine Members Ready for Aggressive Action if Spain Is Shown Responsible. MANY SUSPECT TREACHERY, Openly Declare that the Theory of Accident Does Not Explain the Disaster. SENTIMENT FOR CUBA STROXG. CiinimlitRit SIIJ-K flint IloHolntloni Grunting Dclllgercncy Should lie PnsHPd nt Once. ton which wa.s on board.

he order was carried out. The mini never returned, but Havana was saved from a still more terrible explosion. Four bnats were lowered, nil manned jy olllrors. anil one of them was lost. Tho Spanish cruiser Altonso XII.

was fur sonn; tuno after the explosion in rout peril, and her mooring tackles siuckoil away and she was at a greater distance from the I Cubans, because tho Spanish flag not displayed at half-mast. The extremists see In everything that strengthens their belief that the disaster was the result of Spanish design, but tho larger part of tho Cuban population Is In doubt. Every ono here nearly appears to think chat tho event will in some way settle tho Cuban question. After tho announcement that the Olivette would bring the survivors, all Interest was centered on hor, as she would have the story of tho calamity, of which only meagre details were In hand. The theory that tho explosion was from combustion In the coal bunkers Is scouted, as It 'said t'hut tho Maine oar.

rlod anthracite coal. Tho coast survey steamer Bacho arrived to-nlglrt. The Superintendent of the Survey lost no tlmo In Invtng Soore- tary Long to make any use of tho vcs- that ho doslro. The Invitation was gratefully accepted and, the Bnche has been ordered to proceed tat once to riavana'wlth wrecking machinery. "While every United States warship te Is with diving outfits, It Is probable that tho apparatus on the Maine was destroyed In tho explosion, HO It will bo necessary to forwai-d an- otl'nr outfit to Hiivana an early as possible, It an Investigation la to be mado tho condition of the hull of the ship elow water to determine finally tho.oxplpslon won external or Internal PIvers will alao bo'useful In recover Ing tho valuables aboard the Maine, and la llttlo doubt but that her magnificent battory of ten-Inch and smaller callbro rifle guns can be raised.

IN THE MAGAZINE PROVED TO BE WASHINGTON, Feb. to the plans filed hero of tho battle-ship Maine the dynamos were located directly under the forward turret and tho berth-dork. Under the dynamos was the hydraulic pump-room, and below that was the magazine In which was stored loaded shells for tho ten-Inch guns and 50,000 pounds of brown powder. This powder will not explode. This was demonstrated In the Naval Affairs Committee room to-day by Judge Hllbourne.

a member of the committee. In form this powder, which la of the smokeless variety, resembles a large iron nut similar to those used on wagons ov carts. It Is hexagonal In form and has a round hole through the centre. Several dozen samples of these "chunks" of powder are in possession of tho Naval Committee. To show that oue or several of them would not explode, Judge Rilbourne threw two of hem Into an open-grate In the committee-room.

The result demonstrated his contention that It was not explosive. The two pieces merely burned like lumps of bituminous coal. This clearly showed that It was not the powder stored in the forward magazine of the Maine which caused the disaster. If there was an explosion It must have been in tho room where the loaded shells were stored. coaled at Key West and Cam.

doubtless burned the coal from "these pockets while crossing to tluviinn. "The probability of the coal having Ignited and heated the magazines Is also lessoned by the fact that in accordance with i hi! regulations, especial attention Is paid to tho temperature in them, which is notnd by thcrmostntlcs. ulosoly nnd carefully watched. The temperature of the magazines was taken at (i r. uhen the magazines were closed, tind thn be, than ISiic-liil to The World.) WASHINGTON.

Feb. and Representatives, appalled by the disaster to the Maine, were Inclined to-day Sigsinje to discuss the matter conservatively In the absence, ot dollMte Information ks to tho cause. They united, however, In declaring that if Spain was shown to be responsible, tho most aggressive steps should be promptly taken. Chairman Hltt, ot the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said It would be well tho public to follow tho cue given bile torpodo pl.ieud under vital part tho ship would have caused lao catastrophe. 1 do not believe lhat bomb or grenade thrown on the dtck could liave done tho dan.ago, the Maine had a turtle-hack, KUC, deck, covered by the wooden dock and with a cushion of coltuloluo between.

"It Is possible that combustibles con- coaled In the coal might have oxplodod doubted that any ona could httvo carried out a plot to bring 'ibout an explosion on the ship. Hx-Scnator Butler, of South Carolina, who was member of the Committee on Foreign Isolations In tho Senate during: nls sorv.co, said that it was decidedly strange that American vessels havs visited every port In the and no "I wus sitting with two more ofllcers in tho mess room when a heavy explosion nccuiTud. It wus so heavy that we understood the ship would bo lust, and wo wont nn tlie upper deck and found she had boon badly wrecked by an ox- plosion, that she was on tiro and sinking. All efforts were then directed toward lowering the boats and saving lives, but tno Maine. Bottled quickly to Uiu bottom of the harbor, only her up- work remaining above wiUer.

"A nujnher of bo ittf from 1 the Spanish warship Alfonso XII. and from' the Ward line steamer City of Washington came alongside and rendered assistance." This officer said the explosion occurred somewhere In tho forward part of the midship section of the battie- shlp. Many of tho crow who were below at the time of tho explosion were unablo to escape, and those who succeeded In reaching the upper decks saved their lives with great dltllculty wvh tho assistance of the officers and men on wntch. At 2 o'clock In the morning, while the correspondent of the Associated Press was going ashore, there was an- SUPPOSED TOHMS Tlie two nix-inch ninKuzliteR contained 407 of iimmuiiltloii, common 87-1 nrmor-plcrcIiiK nhollii, 40 nhrnniiel NliuIlN and about CO.OOO poundx of high exiilonlvcN. Tuc ten-Inch mnKitzlnc uoiitnlncd 1114 of umilc tip of 388 powder linlf elmrKea.

The iilx-pouuil muenzlnc contained of ytl IIOXVH of milulliiK F0RMER PAYMASTER "OF MAINE THINKS THERE WAS EXPLOSION, Edward Whltehouse, who was paymaster on the Maine up to October last, was soon last evening by a reporter ot The World. Ho does not bo- lievo that tho vessel was blown up by a bomb placed underneath It, He said: "All of. the big battle-ships are provided with two or three largo magazines. These are located In tho after part of the vessel. Then there aro several smaller magazines.

One of these Is well forward lu front of the chain lockers, "In this magazine on the Maine was stored what Is known as 'war heads' for torpedoes and which contain nltro-glycerine. These nrc, In my opinion, what caused tho damage. was going ashore, there was an- "There are two or three ways by which these could have been ignited. Tho, one. which suggests itself to mo most forcibly Is tho probability of an mats from the Bpanteh explosion In the paint-room.

This Is located next to the small magazine, and the paint contains highly combustible matter. 1 0 as 1 noro Wcr0 taU ClslU I An eleotric wlro ht hnve causod ll II would take a bomb weighing 500 pounds to blow up the Maine, and this could not havo been placed wlth- Tho'passengers of the city ot Wash-1 out the operators being discovered by the sentries. If one of the big magazlnce had blown up there wouldn't bo a piece of tho Maine left as big as llJtC" ivntFA tl.Aln utn Annnvnci tn thn I 4 a MU luur An Ington gave up their staterooms to the Iniured men ot the American warship. An Iron truss from the Maine fell on tho pantry of tho City of Washington, breaking tho tablewaro of the steamer. tile saved on hotird tho City of Washington Is a Mr.

Dressier, who has lost both his eyes. The Ilrst of the American sailors to rcuch the wharf were 'swimming. Three sailors ivho escaped fell just as they reached a place of safety. for tho use of the wounded were sent to tho scene by tho FJre Brlcado, the headquarters of tho Red Cross Society was called upon to send four stretchers and men were sent to patrol tho uccna of the disaster, and pii It up the dead and wounded. The smokestacks of Che Maine fell at 11.30 P.

One of the Maine's, officers, who being cared for at the Sanitary Headquarters, Is seriously wounded. Ho la very young, and la said to have been on guard tho tlmo of the disaster. He Is eald to have a to make hla confession. Consul-General Iiee's despatch to the Untied States State Department, which was filed al 12.30 P. was carried to the Pnluco by Ylce-Conaul Springer as an act of courtesy.

Thero In no'truth in-the-report that PitKliugh Loe and Vice-Consul Springer havo called at tho Palace to thank Captain-General 1 Blanco for his offer of assistance. CALMED A FATHER'S'FEARS. The World tho I'Mrnt to Toll n. D. Oatlln.

of the of IIli Sou, tlie Lieutenant. (Special to World.) G-LOVBRSVILiLE, N. Feb. bortla W. CdtUn, Lieutenant of Marines on the Maine, Is a son of -B.

'D, Cutlln, of this city. Wiien a despatch forwarded by The World reached him, he rushed to tho newspaper office, which he had haunted In day, and with tears streaming down 'his face, cried out: boy la safe," SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCE Resolution Expressing Profound Sorrow at the Great Calamity Adopted'Unanimously by the House of Representatives. WASHINGTON! Feb. the to-day Mr. Boutelle, Chair- man of.

the Naval offered the following resolution, which unanlmously.adopted: V.V;/R«!oiyed, That the House of Representatives naa learned with pro- sorrow ot the great calamity.which has caused-the destruction ol the'United States battie-sh'lp Maine the appalling loss of more than two hundred arid flfty llvoa and the wounding of many others ol the V. gallant defenders of our flag, and that the House expresses Its" sym- pathy for the Injured' and Its sincere condolences with' the families 1 those who have lost Jbelr lives in the service of the nation. your hand." ADMIRAL JOUETT'S VIEWS. tho Explosion Occurred on Hoard the Alulnci uud Caunot Ilcllurc Simlii Guilty. (Siioolal to Tho World.) WASHINGTON, Feb.

Admiral James 10. Jouett, U. 8. said to Tho World correspondent to-nhjht: "A dlvor can readily ascertain whether a. torpedo exploded beneath tho Maine or whether an explosion occurred within tho vessel.

If the plates are bent Inward then It Is that some outward force was the cause, but If bent outward then an explosion of some sort occurred wlfhln. "So far OB I can see now It will require the evidence that only divers canj produce to determine the real cause, unless some one saw a demonstration or suspicious, movement prior to the explosion that may offer an explanation or give a clue to'the real facts. "Should some enemy on board the vessel havo desired to destroy It he oould easily have smuggled some high explosive aboard ship and placed It In the coal bunkers near the powder magazine. The result might 'have 1 been similar to that already chronicled, If the centre of explosion, however, was as near the bow as I am Informed It was, could hardly have been possible that tho magazine exploded. "The magazine la beneath tho turret about one-third the length of tho ship from the bow, and had the explosion occurred there It would have blown everything out of the bow, leaving but little mare than the stern, as aro many thousand pounds of powder stored In the ma'ffazlno.

MujfazlneM Cloudy Guarded, "The greatest precautionary measures are taken with respect ito the magazine, and It Is almost next to Impossible for oven a spark to reach-the explosives. The powder la contained In air and water tight tanks and securely locked Jn a compartment, the keys to which are In tho possession of tho captain. "Only a lieutenant In charge of the powder division can obtain the keys, and then'only with the captain's knowledge. It Is seldom that any one but a gunner or. a gunner's mate goes Into the powder room oxoept In times of or during targe.t practice, At the hour the explosion occurred there Is llttlo likelihood that any one had re.

cajitly visited tho powder room. 1 "Forward ot the magazine, as well as rnjte tho bow, are stored) gun cotton, dyna articles, ot that nature such disastrous effects as was tho case with tho Maine. It Is difficult, too, to conceive how the explosion of a torpedo beneath tho vessel would have produced such a terrific shock as was felt in Havana and by tho boats In the harbor, unless the concussion caused an explosion within the ship. "There may havo been a double explosion. As a rule a torpedo exploding In the water would not produce the same concussion that an explosion above water would make.

I havo seen torpedoes exploded within thirty feet of a vessel, at tho end of the lower boom, and the bow was not Injured or affected In tho least. Bxnluilon Frobalily on Board. "The force of a torpedo Is upward and not In a lateral direction. It may keep tho seas and would bo most formidable In battle. At this time, with tho long range guns now In use, vessels can lie beyond tho vision of those on shoro and so accurately locate shore points that they can destroy cities and shell formications before they can be seen.

We must havo moveable batteries that can go out and drive them awny." ilr, In my Judgment Spain had to do with the affair. In speak- MINES IN HAVANA HARBOR. Chain Luld from the Nuvj-Vuril to was procured from the captain, who always hold? It. "No, Ing of I refer to the'Government. An enraged Spaniard or an enraged woil, that is another matter.

We know nothing at present about the accident. Hut Spain wants no war with us. She knows too well hor as rognrds resources. "Many people will say treachery In look.ng for tho cause of this thing, but tho beat plan Is to wait till wo know moro about It. We should not get hot- noadod nor Impatient.

As I say, Spain wants no war with us and wo want no war with Spain." CuuunuM Fortress with. irlvul Connection. Among tho several theories that have been advanced as possible causes of tho Maine disaster Is one by a man for many years connected with tho United have been the work of a torpedo, but I States Navy, who IK familiar with from present Information It would seem Havana. Ho said: more probable that the force was exerted from within. Yet the truth may be surprising, for when the ramming of the Brlt.sh battleship Victoria by the Camperdown of the same squadron was witnessed the same men who saw that big vessel sink In so short a tlmo would not have believed such thing could have happened, "Someuhlng not yet suggested may nave accomplished the destruction of tho ship.

Spontaneous combustion may have been the agency of death, It Ic hardly to bo believed and I could not th.nk that tfio Span.sh Government or any ofllclals In 'authority couid have countenanced such an atrocity, for that event Spain would be damned by every riaitlon the world. "It Is extremely unfortunate to lose a battle-ship like the Maine at any tlmt, much, more so at present, for It Is Ilka setting blood out of a lurn.p to obtain money out of Congress with which to build ships. Smaller IVurnliliu Needed. "The defense of this country lies en- tirely'with tho navy, and the safety of this Government is In' the keeping of tho naval forces. The varlou.i complications surrounding us call for an offeotvo navy and not such deep- draughted battle-ships as have boon riianoouvrlng about Dry Tortugas and Key West, which, have found bottom ftt many points.

"In 'my opinion much powerful vessels than thoao 'can Ho constructed for' half the money, and diawlng not over 10 feet ot water they could enter all harbors and rivers, They could Uki Tq Cure CplU In Due Day Tibilm, All this 1 have positive knowledge. "Tho authorities In Havana Im "A long time ago there w.as laid from tho Navy-Yard to the Cabanas fortress atruln of torpedoes with electrical connection at thu Navy-Yard and fortress. Theso torpedoes huvu been there so long that many people have forgotten uinbout but they are there. Of vo made very strict rules concerning the positions In which ships must lie If in ay uto their own anchors, and they have always prevented anchors being dropped In'the vicinity ot this torpedo train, claiming that a submerged cable was thoiv. Tho 'submerged cable' Is tho torpedo train.

"Now tho Maine wus lying directly over this train, In water not more than thirty-live feet deep. The 'bottom oC tile harbor Is soft mud and offers no secure anchorage to a largo vessel, If the Maine was anchored It Is possible tlmt she dragged her anchor and It came In contact with a torpodo, But If she was at a buoy, then It could not well have L'een an accident." NOT AN ACT OF SPAIN. nenr-Admlrul Klmliurly Admltii nil ISnrnKeil Spaniard or Culmii May Ilnvo Done It, Tlioinrh. (Special to Tho World.) BOSTON, Peb, X.ewia A. ICmberiy, who was In oom- maiid of tho American Squadron at Samoa at the time of the disaster there, says: "No hand grenade thrown by a Cuban or a Spaniard, as the morning do- spatohea Intimated, oould rto such danr age, A torpedo In the water would havo blown up the'boat, 'The aooldont may havo been the result of some chemical action In the combustion perftBps.

You know it would nvposslKo tor any of thu eitnv or any Ciimniitiider Kntoii the- Hlon Occurred on Ilntiril Mulntr, hut Cannot Tell How. (Special to The World.) BOSTON. Feb. Katon, of tho U. S.

S. Knturprlse, an cxvert In naval construction, In an Interview to- day said It was highly Improbable that the terrible explosion was tho result of Spanish trejichcry. Ho is quite certain that It originated In tho ship Itself. "When a ship Is sunk by tho explosion of torpedo under her she goes down very quietly. like a man who has boon stubbed through tho heart, and sinks with a single groan," he said.

"Tho despatches, however, expressly state that tho concussion of tho explosion broke tho windows of most of tho houses In town. This shows that It must have been of a most violent nature, and utterly different In effect from tho explosion of a torpedo. "1 can scarcely conceive of any accident taking place In tho inuBan.no Itself which would have caused tho explosion. The keys of the magazine are kept in tho captain's cabin and are never taken from It except by a olucer or a gunner. When they are returned they aro always reported.

Dur.ng the day some one might have occasion to so to tho magazine, but at night, at tho tlmo when tho explosion occurred, It does not sectn at all likely that any one could have been there. "Tho suggestion that tho mlgnt havo been caused by tho use ot a hand grenade Is absurd. If a hand grenade would wreck battle-ship we ncttor stjp building them. Hand gi'en- ades are Illlib more dangerous than giant llrecrackcr.5 from tho fact that ihey kill a man, but they are nothing more nor loss than thin cases of steel charged with powder and intended to bo TORPEDO, SAYS BELKNAP. Urnr-Aduilrul CoiiNlilem (ho Place and tho Timo of the Accident Extremely Slurnllloiint.

BOSTON, Feb. Admiral George E. Belknap, U. S. retired, said to-day that he was Inclined to think that the Maine was blown up by a tor- podo.

"i do not see," ho said, "how an explosion of tho forward magazine could have occurred. The keys of tho maga- zlnjaf aro always kept In the, custody of tho Captain, All tho ammunition to carefully cased, mostly In tho form of projectiles, and their explosion by themselves Is next to Impossible. "If, as the despatches state, the whole bow ot the ship was blown oft, It Is apparent that the explosion oould not have been caused by tho boilers, or tho coal getting heated," Admiral Belk-nap considered It very significant that the Maine should havo blown up In that particular harbor at particular time. ACCIDENT, HARRISON HOPES. SuHplrlnn of Font 1'lny, tho Ex- I'runldcilt Would llo Very Untovtunnte.

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. dent Benjamin Harrison, speaking, today ot tho destruction of tho Maine, Hald: "The occurrence a most 'terrible and shocking one. It Is to be-hoped that nn Investigation may leave no doubt that it won nn if there should be for thrown ovei 111 fur tllleatlons." "FIGHTING BOB 'EVANS'S BELIEF. Nothlnnr Wrong; Aboard, mid Thlnkn Torpedo Klrcd ill the Al- foniio Did the Work. NEW to Tho World.) OUUiANS, Feb.

Crtpt. Robert D. Evans, U. S. affectionately known to tho navy as "Fighting Bob," reached this port yesterday, on board tho United States llght-hoimo supply boat whieh Is making her yearly tour of Inspection along the.

South Atlantic and Q'lilf coasts. "I do not think," said ho, "that this Is the time for tho people to bu making any statements regarding the loss ot the Maine, particularly people who would have, any weight with the public. It la an excellent tlmo (or all hnnilH to keep cool and wait until the propel examination shows the cause of this sad disaster. Certain points are, however, Buttled beyond peradventure, "In my Judgment there was an explosion In ono of the forward secondary magazines, for t'he reason that an explosion In ono ot her main magazines would have blown 'he ship to atoms, Tho statement that the disaster was caused by tho explosion of tho dynamo boiler Is silly, for tho reason that the dynamo no boiler, the dynamo being run by steam from her main boilers. "Tho thoorv that tho disaster might have been causod by tho explosion of gun cotton may be lott out of consideration, for the reason that tho only gun cotton on" board tho ship wan In the form of disks, and tneae digits w.iro slowed In cylinders filled wltn water, and could only bo oxploded by a de- loiiator kept In' the foretop, 10 feet away from tho "Tno' cylinders containing the BUH cotton could ordinarily be boiled 011 cooking stove for twenty-four houva without danger of accident.

The dltU- pulty of exploding tho fined ammunition Is well and us the Qhargga tor the HMnoh guns were oar- no occasion for Congress to tako mutter up. Surely something should loft to the department; and this'Is of the things which, In my opinion, should be HO left. "1 feel contUlcnt that tho "facts wilt snow that It was an accident. Maine xvas, of course, prepared for In case rutlon should he necessary, and had. many vulnerable points exposed.

A battle-ship It ess ilmn. a volcano under the most favorable ar.d when leg- Hinting for tho Increase of tho navy I tiwuys feel unit war vessc.l may prove to lie almost as dangerous to those on )oard as tu those whom It may engage hostile conflict. For this reason I am sure Iho affulr In Havana Harbor will irovo a Ko.iulno sensation lu naval clv- aside from any political aspect of Tho Senator expressed the opinion that Congress would take stops to prevent tho dec'reuHO of tho navy, but did not indertnko to say that there would be mmedlate efforts to replace the Maine. Ho said that whatever caused the catastrophe he was sure no friend of.j Spain could have been guilty of It. WIIITCMI for AiMlon.

Senator Wurten, iiC Wyoming, 'If It should develop that the Spanish. anything to do with tho occurrence both tho I'nlteil States navy and the' rmy oiiKht to summoned to tako the, mutter up In eixrnent. If It should prove to bo an accident It should ho carefully l( nveHllguted, for It Is high tlmo that such accidents wore broiiRht to a cloao. "It has apparently eomu to be true that our naval vessels cannot make any novo. camiiit uo up a stream or down a stream or out to sea.

without grounding or having some other accident befall ihem. 1 hope, therefore, that no tlmo will bo lor I lu' determining the cause and placing tho responsibility." Senator I'nsco Hald: "It Is Impossible lo say whether or not any ono can be lield responsible. If It should appear that legislative action Is necessary Con- itress should tulto the matter In hand. For tho present, however, It Is fair to presume that tho President and Navy nepartmi'Ut will take the proper steps." Senator Clay, of Georgia, said: "There is no proof that tho Spanish aro In any way responsible for this calamity, and wo should bo-slow to make charges without proof." Cull0111 Too Mud to Talk. "It Is too serious to talk about at present," said Senator Lodge, Senator Cnllom said: am too mud to talk about It, I can't uoo how tho explosion could have been the result of un accident, and 1 think tho time Is rapidly approaching when this country mugt do something." Clark "It Is that uuch accidents happen at such op- portunc times," Senator Henry Cabot Lodger-WhlJo the facts have yet to he obtained, In my own mind thoro IH not the slightest doubt that tho affair Is the result ot rankest treachery.

ta Senator George It shall prove that the Maine was destroyed through fc treachery, as some Senators seem tu believe, tho duty of tho Government Is plain. Senator George L. tiro having, It seems to mo. too many aeckloms to pur naval vossols. In fact these great battle-ships arq only dan- gerous to those who aro on them.xItjvlH be remembered that a firoat wont down not so w'lth 500'on board; that llsh battleship sank In tho uvnouii with more than TO men ottlaers an rltd In cylinders, her I.