Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-04-02
AS FORECASTED.
Court Of Inquiry Says Maine Was
Wrecked by Outside Agency.
Conclusive Evidence That . submarine
Hine ON the Port slde Of tho Ship Caused
the Awful Disaster Rssponsl.
bility Not Fixed.

WASHINGTON. March 2e.-The fol.
lowing Is the full text Of the report OF
the court OF inquiry:
United States ship Iowa First Rate, Key
west Fla, Monday. March u, isJs-After full
and mature consideration OF oil tn, testimony
before H. tho court I'm Ii rs follows:
l. That the United States battleship Maine
arrived In tho harbo: Of Havana. Cuba, upon
the goth day OF January. 1905, and was taken to
buOy No 4, In from 81 TO six fathoms OF water,
BY the regular government pilot
Inc United States consul general ut Havana
had notified the authorities Mt that place tho
previous evening OF the Intended arrival OF tho
Maine
The state OF discipline on board the Maine
was excellent: and all orders and regulations
In regard to the care and safety OF the ship
were strictly carried out
All ammunition was slowed away In accord-
ance with instructions. and proper care was
taken whenever ammunition was handled
Nothing was slowed In any one Of the maga-
zines or shell rooms which was not
permitted to be slowed there. The magazines
and she'll rooms were always locked after hay.
Ing been opened and after the destruction Of
the Maine the keys wers found In their proper
place In the captains cabin. everything having
been reported secure that evening at eight
and she'll rooms were taken tally and reported
The only magazine which ha an undue amount
OF heat was the after tcn-ihch magazine and
that did not explode ut the time the Maine was
destroyed The torpedo war-heads were all
slowed In the after part Of the ship. under the
ward room and neither caused nor participated
In the destruction OF the Maine. The dry
gun cotton primers and detonators were
slowed In the cabin aft and re-
from m nf IN
waste was carefully looked after on board the
Maine to obviate danger. Special orders In re-
gard to this had been giveu by the commanding
oncer. Varnishes, dryers. alcohol and other
combustibles Of this nature were slowed on
board the main deck and could not have had
anything 10 do with the destruction OF the
Maine. The medical stores were slowed aft,
under the ward room and remote from the
scene OF the explosion. No dangerous stores
OF any kind were stored below in any OF the
other st0rcroomS
The coal bunkers were inspected. or those
bunkers adjoinin; the forwari magazines and
shell rooms four were empty. namely: B3. Bi.
3D. Ba Al5 had been In use mat day and Ai6
was full OF New River coal. I'hls coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving II ON board.
The bunker In which IL was ste wed was accessi-
BILE on three sides at all tines and the fourth
side nc this time. on account cf bunkcrs 81 and
BE being empty. This bunker. Al6. had been
inspected that day by the engineer officer on
duty. The fire alarms in the bunkers were In
working order and there had never been cas- ,
OF spontaneous combustion Of coal on board
the Maine.
The two aftcr-boilers OF the ship were In use
at the time OF the disaster. but for auxiliary |
purposes only, with q comparatively low pres |
sure Of steam and being tended by reliable |
watch. These boilers could not have caused |
-. Il MI.