Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-04-01
ENSIGN PowELsoN.

Of the explosion.
ENSIGN PoWELsoN.
What Hs Saw For Himself and What the
Divers Told Rim.
Ensign W.. v. T. Powelson was called
the third day of the court. He testified
that he had been present on the Maine
every day from the arrival Of the boat
Fern, and during q great deal Of the
diving. He first gave q technical descrip-
ton Of the condition Of the wreck as
nearly accurate Is possible from his own
observations.
4 Ensign Powelson then asked IL the
court meant for him to say anything
about what the divers reported or Just
what he saw.
The judge advocate replied that he
would like to have him state any impor-
ltant discoveries which might lead the
to draw some conclusion as to the
cause, and if u diver gave such informa-
ton to state the divers name. Before do
ing 50 the judge advocate asked witness
to state if the forward and after part Of
the ship were in line. Ensign Powe.s son
replied that as fur as he could judge they
were not. The end where the explosion
occurred seemed 10 be pushed from port
to starboard from five to ten degrees, he
should Judge, with the ape-s to the STAR
board. The. divers reverted to witness
that at a point whore the !p-.Nch shell
room should be they dlsc,N"e' l0inch
shells regularly arranged bUt Tie ship
had sunk down so III II mat so.ne Of tho
shells We're in the mud.
b & Hole In th" Nnd
sHt~.---. H.. ...11-E
ing o the bottom he fell into II hole on.
the port side and Went down in the mud
He also reported that, rs far as he could
judge, everything seemed to be bent up
ward In the vicinity of this hole. He also
reported that the plates seemed to have
been pushed over to the startoard and
then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a6-inch
powder tank that he saw appeared to be
81 empty tank broken by the explosion,
as it was not badly dented and merely
ripped the length Of the seam. A 1O-inch
tank was badly battered out of any con-
ceivable shape.
Continuing. witness said the divers up.
to the night before he vas then on the
stand mao not been OF the OUTSIDE OF Che
ship. The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom.
What is the condition Of the starboard
\. turretp" the witness was asked
ITO my knowledge 1t has not been
found, SIR" was the reply.
What impression is produced upon
your mind by the reports 80 far as you
have quoted themP'' Ensign Powelson
was asked.
From reports alone or from the appear.
ance Of the wrecky"
Either from such reports or the condi.
tions which you believe to exist"
b 'The impression produced upon me-"
replied the witness, "Is that an explosion
took place we'll to the port of the midship
line, and at q point in the length about
opposite the coming tower.
Based on Observation.
Witness, in reply to further questions,
said his opinion was based upon the OBJ
%servation of things above water. He gave
ND weight to Mr.. Morgan's statement
ah14ut falling into a hole on the port side,
baSSause Morgan might have been. mis-
taaten about 1t. Referring to his notes
m1ede of things on the Maine, Ensign
Pqwelson said that the arc Of the engine
robin telegraph and the shaft Of the steer.
gear coming down through the armored
tube (turret) was bent from port to star
board. The port side Of the protected
deck was covered with a greasy deposit,
the starboard side being comparatively
free from 1t.
The forward smoke pipe, between the
main and superstructure decks, did not
show signs of tho internal pressure Of
gases. On the main deck forward Of the
coming tower, whore the fore and after
angle bulb beam was located, the plank.
Is {nnp uuoo h1oun ~ ~. Tho o,nI- -o-.s-s--
plate of the main deck on the port
aide, while the wood was still
attached to that part on the
starboard side between the coming tower
base and the turrets. What witness saw
would indicate that the pressure lifted
the protective deck up N the port side,
and the protective deck on the starboard
aide heldfas and bent that deck down.
ward. Witness here exhibited two
sketches to the court showing diagram Of
various parts Of the sunken ship and ex
planned them to the court.
DISCIPLINE WAS STRICT.
Lieutenant Commander wainwright Toll,
Of the Regulations Aboard.
. Lieutenant Commander Richard Vain
wright testified that the regulations in re
gard to paints and inflammables and all
other precautions were strictly carried
out on board the ship. Every possible
care was taken to avoid accident. All Wis
itors were scrutinized before being al
lowed to come on board the ship. NOBODY
was allowed unaccompanied. Special
''lookouts" were required at night. NJ
unauthorized boats were allowed to ap
proach the ship.
~ Thopo -oa Ano 1laol~Og-o .knSs~-I