Significant Story

New York, March 1.- Joseph Perlman, a Wholesale tobáceo dealer who has just arrived from Havana on the steamship Yumuri, is flrra in the belief that the Maine was destroyed through Spanish treachery. He afflrms also that Spanish offleers knew about it beforehand. "I am certain," he said, "that the offleers of the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII, which was anchored not far from the Maine, knew that the Maine was to be blown up, and I base my opinión on what a promient customs agent told me. I have known him for many years and have done mueh business with him, or he never would have told me what he did. Had Her Small Boat8 !-:il v. "He said that the Spanish naval officer who is second in command on the Alfonso XII had her small boats made ready for launching twelve minutes before the explosión oceurred. The naval officer said that the reason for making this preparation was that it was feared on board the Alfonso XII that the explosión under water might injure their own vessel. The same officer told my friend the customs agent that the great upheaval made by the submarine explosión had tossed the Alfonso XII about in an alarming marnier, and that care was taken not to launch the small boats until the waters had subsided for fear that they might be svvamped." One Warship Chaogéd Ancborace. Mr. Perlman said that the Alfonso XII did not change her anchorage on the day before the explosión, but a smaller Spanish warship, the name of whieh he did not know, which had been moored nearer the Maine than was the Alfonso XII, had changed her anchorage. "That vessel went out of the harbor on Tuesday morning," he said, "and when she returned in the afternoon she took up her former anchorage. She did not stay there long, though, for soon she moved off to another place farther away from Maine. The harbor is filled with Fubmarine mines, so several officers informed me."