| Show think a mine destroyed tho the maine navana havana march 0 most of the naval nava officers here and at key west incline to the opinion that the court will find th that at tho the disaster to the maine was caused by the explosion of a floating submarine mine under the port side of the ship forward opinions differ as to whether vb ether the mine is was as made of high explosives such as wet and dry gun cotton or ordinary gun gail powder opinions agree not only as to the existence of mines in the harbor but bat also that this one was laid purposely near the bouy bony where foreign vessels were directed to moor and was fired from an electric batt battery eryon on shore it Is bel ived barely possible that the explosion was the result of carelessness or i ignorance gu orance of spanish officers in charge of tho the mine station keys when testing the circuit but the latter supposition is felt to be probable it is further regarded as settled by the evidence before the court that the port side of the hull forward was completely blown to pieces and that the only explosion on oil the maine except of isolated cases of fixed ammunition was that of 2000 pounds of saluting powder stored forward and of which no trace can bo be found |
