The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-03-29

| for auxiliary Purposes only with a com.
paratlvely low pressure OF steam, anu
being tended by a reliable watch. These
boilers could not have caused the ex.
plo>ion # the ship. The four forward
boilers have since been found by the
divers and are III fair condition.
On the night of the destruction OF
the Maine everything had been report
ed secure for the night at . p. M, ny
reliable persons, through the proper
authorities, to the commanding officer.
At the time the Maine was destroyed
the ship was quiet and therefore least
lila BILE to accident caused by movements
from those on board.
Explosions.
8. The destruction of the Maine &C.
Cured at $40 p. m, OH the 18th day OF
February, 1898, in the harbor OF ha-
vana, Cuba, being at the time moored
to the same buoy to which she had
been taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions Of dis.
tinctly different character, with 4 very
short but distinct interval between
them, and the forward part of the ship
was lifted to a marked degree at the
time of the first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the
nature of a report, like that Of a gun;
while the second explosion was more
open, prolonged, and of greater volume.
The second explosion was, in the
opinion OF the court, caused by the par.
| t,nI nVr10SyHr ~ trrO IN ,~r 1Nf thu
forward magazines Of the Maine.
Cond ton Of the Wreck.
!. The evidence bearing ON this. be.
ing principally obtained from divers,
did not enable the court to form a def.
nate conclusion as to the condition Of
the wreck, although it was established
that the after part Of the ship was prac-
tically intact, and sank in that condi-
ton a very few minutes after the de-
struction of the forward part.
The following facts in regard to the
forward part OF the ship are, however,
established by the testimony.
That portion of the port side of the
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 30 to about frame ~, was
blown up aft and over to port. The
main deck from about frame 30 to
about frame III was blown up aft and
slightly owe to starboard, folding the
forward part of the middle superstruc.
ture over and on top Of the after part.
This was, i'll the opinion of the court,
caused by the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines of
the Maine.
D. At frame II, the outer shell of the
ship, from a point ILL., feet from the
middle line OF the ship and 8 feet above
the keel when i'll its normal position,
has been forced up SO as to b, now
about i feet above the surface Of the
water; therefore, about "a feet above
where it would be had the ship sunk
unlnjured. The outside bottom plating
Is bent into a reversed ''N' shape, the
after wing Of which is about 10 feet
broad and 32 feet in length (from frame
II to ralne 2J), is doubled back upon
Itself against the continuation Of the
same plating extending forward.
AT frame Is the vertical keel is brok.
Ell in two and the flat keel bent into an
angle similar to the angle formed by
the outside Cotton plating. This break
Is now aboUr SIX feet below the surface
Of the water, about 30 feet above its
normal position. In the opinion of the
court this effect could have been pro-
duced only by the explosion of IA mine
situated under the bottom of the ship
at about frame Is and somewhat on
the port side OF the ship.
i. The court finds that the loss of
the Maine on the occasion named was
not in any respect due to fault of neg.
ligence on the part Of any of the of.
ficers or members of the crew Of said
vessel.
Z. In the opinion Of the cour the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
OF a submarine mine, which caused the
partial explosion Of two or more OF her
forward magazines.
s. The court has been unable to OBJ.
tain evidence fixing the responsibility
for the destruction Of the Maine upon
any person or persons.
w. L. SAMPSON, Captain u. S. n,
President.
A. MARK, Lieutenant Commander
Y. ;. n, Judge Advocate.
The court having finished the in.
quiry it was ordered to make, ad.
jOurned at IA a. m, to await the action
OF the converting authority.
w. L. SAMPSON, Captain U. S. N.
President.
A. MARK, Lieutenant Commander, U.
S. n. Judge Advocate.
U. S. flagship New York, March q.
1898, off Key West. Fla.
The proceedings and findings of the
court ct inquiry in the above case are
approved.
NJ. E. sIcARD, Rear Admiral, Com.
handkerchief thief of the U. S. naval
force on the North Atlantic station
SIGSBEE'S TESTIMONY