The record-union., 1898-03-29
STORY OF the
DISASTER TO
The MAINE,
Testimony Taken by the
Naval Court,
Graphically Giving all The OBJ
taiaabIe Facts,
Shows COncIusiysIy the Explosion
Was Of Outside Origin.
Apparent ImpossihIIIty Of an Accident Oc-
curing by Internal Cause, Such as
Heating Of BunkeFs or SpOn-
ianeOus Combustion.

WASHINGTON, March 2S.-The i'm
mense mass of testimony taken by the
Maine Court of Inquiry was sent 70 the
Senate to-day, and with the Presidents 3
message and findings of the court re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations. The testimony was taken
on eighteen different days, the 14th day
and over being devoted to viewing the
wreck. Every witness who was known
to have any information that could
throw light upon the great disaster
was called to give his testimony. The
story of the destruction of the vessel
is to-day not graphically given but in
a manner which gives all the obtain
able facts. No technical detail is omit
ted.
Every movement and incident con-
nected with the Maine from the time
she left Key West until the last diver
examined the wreck slowly sinking in
H..
is a story intensely interesting to the
people. Those who read it could have
little doubt as to whether there was an
internal or external explosion Perhaps
the most significant testimony is that
showing the bottom plates on the port
side of the Inflated Maine to be bent
inward and upward, result that could
| hardly follow anything save an explo-
sion from the outside.
A mass of testimony is submitted
showing the care exercised on board
the ship by Captain Sigsbee and his
officers, and the apparent i1npossibility
of an accident occurring by an Internal
cause, such as the heating of bunkers,
or spontaneous combustion on which
so many other theories were based.
The testimony of Captain Sigsbee is ot
| the greatest Importance, and perhaps
is of more general interest than that Of
any other man given. With great care
and minuteness he gives an account Of
the management of the ship, how she
was handled, how she sailed into Ha-
vana, her anchorage and what he knew
about it, and in fact every point upon
which the Government and the country
desire to be informed. Nothing in
Captain SiSsbee's report shows that the
anchorage was changed or that it was
considered dangerous by anyone.
Second in Importance of the testi-
mony Of Captain Sigsbee is that of En-
sign PoweHson, who had charge of the
the divers found This officer was mi
nutely informed as to the construction
of the Maine and everything about her.
| His testimony was to q certain extent
technical, bearing upon the construc-
ton of the ship, her plates, etc, but it
was from these plates and this techni-
cal knowledge that he was able to dc-
clare that the explosion took place from
the outside.
The divers, Morgan, Olsen and Smith,
all contributed important evidence.
They testified that the plates were bent
inward on the bottom port side and
outward on the starboard side.
Nothing in the testimony fixes re-
sponsibility, but although conspiracy is
apparent, no knowledge of the planting
of a mine is shown. Captain Sigsbee
states that a somewhat bitter feeling
existed against the. American ship and
Americans generally, and a witness,
whose name is suppressed, tells of
overhearing a conversation among
Spanish officers and a citizen indicating
foreknowIedge of the destruction Of
the Maine by intention to blow her up.
nNssgn 0T asaGHr tn usXAuA