The Portland daily press., 1898-03-29
MESSAGE and REPORT.
Text of Court Of Iaquiry's Findings
Given Congress.
REPORT ACCOMPANIED BY MES
SAGE FROM PRESIDENT.

Report Contains No Facts Not Outlined in
Summary in Monday Mornings Papers
Presidents Message Merely Review
of Courts Findings.
Washington, March 2s.-The following
is the full text of the report of the Maine
Court of Inquiry sent to Congress today:
U. S. S. Iowa, First Rate.
Key West, Fla, Monday, March q, 1928.
After full and mature consideration OF
all the testimony before it, the court finds
as follows:
1-ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP.
That the United States battleship
Maine arrived at the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 25th Gay of January, 1928,
and was taken to buoy No. 4, in from
five and half to six fatboms of water, by
the regular government pilot The United
States consul general at Havana had
notified the authorities at that place the
previous evening of the intended arrival
of the Maine.
2-CONDITION OF THE SHIP.
The state of discipline on board the
hdlu6 WAS 6XC0llelb, anu ull OruSIS 1lId
regulations in regard to the care and safe
ty Of the ship were strictly carried out.
All ammunition was slowed in accord
ance with prescribed instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever ammuni-
tion was handled.
Nothing was slowed in any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was not
permitted to be slowed there.
The magazines and shell rooms were al.
ways locked after having been opened and
after the destruction of the Maine, the
keys were found in their proper place IN
the captains cabin, everything having
been reported secure that evening at P.
N,
The temperature of the magazines and
shell rooms were taken daily and re-
ported. The only magazine which had an
undue amount of heat was the after ten
inch magazine and that did not explode
at 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 or partic1-
pated in the destruction of the Maine.
The dry gun cotton primers and de.
tonators were slowed in the cabin aft and
remote from thu scene of the explosion.
Waste was carefully looked after on the
Maine to obviate danger.
Special orders in regard to this bad
been given by the commanding officers.
Varnishes, dryers, paint and other COM
bustibles of this nature were slowed on
or about the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the destruc-
ton OF the Maine.
The medical stores were stored aft under
the ward room and remote from the
scene of the explosion. No dangerous
storage of any kind was slowed below in
any of the other storerooms. The coal
bunksrs were inspected daily.
OF tboro him knrG a1iaeaDt tn the for
ward magazines and she'll rooms, four
were empty namely: "B 8, b 4, 5,
B g."
GA 1872 had been in use that day and
GA 1872 was full of New River coal. This
coal had been carefully inspected before
receiving it on board. The bunker in
which it was slowed was accessible on
three sides at all times, and the fourth
side at this time on account of bunkers
"B 4" and "B 6'' being empty. This
bunker, IA 16'' had been inspected that
day by the engineer officer on duty. The
fire alarms in the bunkers were in work
ing order and there had never been case
of spontaneous combustion on board the
Maine.
Tho two after boilers were in use at the
time of the disaster, but for auxiliary
purposes only with q comparatively low
pressure of steam and being tended by
reliable watch. These boilers could not
have caused the explosion of the ship.
The four forward boilers have since been
found by the divers in fair condition.
On the night of the destruction of the
Maine, everything had been reported
secure for the night at eigth O'Clock by
reliable persons, through the proper
authorities, to the commanding officer.
At the time5the Maine was destroyed the
ship was quiet and therefore least liable
to accident caused by movements from
those on board.
3-TWO EXPLOSIONS.
The destruction of the Maine occurred
at 9. 40 D. m. on the 18th day of February,
1885, in the harbor OF Havana, Cuba, she
being at the time moored to the same
buoy to which she had been taken upon
her arrival. There were two explosions
of distinctly different character, with
very short but distinct interval between
them and the forward part of the ship
was lifted to marked degree at the time
of the first explosion. The first explosion
was more in the nature OF report like
that of a gun, while the second explosion
was more open, prolonged, and OF greater
volume. This second explosion, was, in
the opinion of the court caused by the
partial explosion of two or more of the
forward magazines of the Maine.
4-CONDITION OF FORWARD PART.
The evidence bearing upon this, being
principally obtained from divers, did not
enable the court to form q definite con-
clusion as to the condition OF the wreck,
although it was established that the after
part of the ship was in sinking con-
dition very few minutes after the de-
struction of the forward part.
The following facts in regard to the for
ward part of the ship are, however,
established by the testimony.
5-SHELL FORCED UP.
That portion of the port side Of the pro-
tective deck which extends from about
frame thirty to about frame forty-one was
blown up aft and over to port. The main
deck from about frame thirty to about
frame forty-one was blown up aft, and
slightly over TO stsrboard, folding tire for
ward part OF tho middle superstructure
over and on top of the after part. This
was, in the opinion of the court caused by
the explosion of two or more of the for
ward magazines of the Maine.
Sat frame seventeen the outer she'll
of the ship from the point eleven and one
half feet from the middle line span and
above the deck when in it's normal
position, has been forced up SO to be now
about four feet above the surface OF the
water Therefore about thirty-f0ur feet