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Newspaper
Boston Post
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Date
Feb 18, 1898
Page
6
Major J W Riley of the Watertown arsenal discusses outward bending plates and possible external attack on the Maine. Captain Frank B Hobbs and Professor Hollis assess torpedo risks and harbor defenses, debating Spain's involvement and potential wartime responses.
Baltimore reports on February 17 as Lieutenant-Commander Edwin Geer of the Maryland Naval Reserves spent time aboard a vessel discussing a mine danger in Havana Harbor and the potential to destroy the fleet with a single spark.
Washington officials debate whether the Maine was destroyed by an interior explosion or an external attack. Watertown Arsenal officers insist bulges on armor would indicate external damage and torpedo impact, citing armor tests and expert views on hull fragmentation.
Harvard professor Ira N. Hollis, former Maine project engineer, says speculation on the Maine explosion is premature. He notes only Captain Sigsbee and General Lee reports guide calculations and that much has been newspaper chatter.
A report cites plans for the Maine's magazine deck containing nearly a hundred tons of high explosives and argues a torpedo or submarine mine could have caused the disaster. Navy officers doubt Havana harbor mines and blame electric sparks ashore for igniting explosives. Names of officers and others connected to the discussion are listed.
A veteran seaman with knowledge of Maine and its shipboard officers rejects an accidental blast theory. He favors a submarine mine or torpedo as the cause, noting impossible access to magazines during the blast and dismissing spontaneous coal fires as the motive.
The article notes that safe entry of Spanish shipping into the harbor depended on the harbor master’s intimate knowledge of every part of the torpedo system, implying extensive precautions were necessary for security.
At the Waldorf Astoria banquet for pulp and paper manufacturers William H. McElroy of the Rochester Post Express voiced strong pro war sentiments. He quoted Lincoln and urged readiness while Rev. Minot J. Savage urged arbitration but warned patience could end. The crowd cheered and Congress was endorsed. A Chilean ship Atacama was reported lost with twelve crew missing. A letter from Havana described Morro Castle threats and harbor torpedoes as sailors awaited events.
Police linked to headquarters and Station 9 pursue a murder case after autopsy by Dr. Draper shows Downing died from knife wounds puncturing the heart. The Roxbury baker, 45 Northfield Street, told his sister of an assault on Feb 3 and fell ill. Captain Dugan and Captain Hurley coordinate the investigation.
Washington Feb 17 The Navy Department tonight revised the Maine crew list published earlier. Seven names are now marked doubtful due to possible telegraphic errors, while a long roster of injured remains.
Washington February 17 The Maine’s sinking may be tied to harbor torpedoes in Havana stirring Navy officials to consider a planted device by a fanatic or accident. Harbor masters assign anchorages and marks suggesting possible negligence if torpedoes exploded beneath a ship, raising questions about the port’s safety procedures and patrols.
A note on hives describes them as not life threatening yet highly troublesome and miserable. It mentions an appointment offering immediate relief for severe cases and other skin afflictions.
New York on February 17 reports C. P. Pendleton recounts the Spanish consul boasting Maine would be blown out of water in a minute. The remark sparked headlines and likely a storm of reactions among observers and officials.
New York February 17 crowds at the Waldorf Astoria roared through the national anthem and McElroy words as Reverend Minot J. Savage urged building or buying a navy. Attendees recalled the Maine disaster and pledged national unity and preparedness amid looming conflict.
From Newcastle New South Wales to San Diego the steamship Atacama was abandoned. Twelve crewmen who left in small boats are missing. The Chillan ship's crew is reported, with the vessel deserted and unlocated at sea.
In Philadelphia on February 17, telegraph confirms Captain Huntley saw and identified the lounge piece reported seen at sea as belonging to the schooner William Johnson, which is presumed to have founder.
At about 8 pm on February 3 two men accosted Downing near Harrison Avenue. One held him while the other stabbed him three times with a knife. He was taken to hospital where he died after recounting the attack. Police seek the two men and any witnesses who can identify them. Relatives suspect the assailants followed him from a saloon after seeing a roll of bills. Police continue their investigation with determined effort.
A midnight blaze in the archway beneath the London Chatham and Dover line near Ludgate Hill Station swept into a free library and a warehouse, with flames still raging at eight o'clock. Sir Henry Irving used the site to store Lyceum Theatre scenery.
An explosion of firedamp rocked the Vereinigte Carolinenglueck colliery at Hamme in Prussia early today. By evening 53 miners were rescued and five remained trapped. many injured.
Thirty four men arrested at the Travellers Club 1579 Washington Street were arraigned in Municipal Court. Harry N. Smith pleaded guilty to maintaining a common nuisance and paid a $50 fine. The other thirty three men pleaded guilty to being present when gaming implements were found and were fined. Smith paid their fines, boosting Suffolk County treasury by $215. The club license will be revoked.
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