The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-24
EXAMINATION or THE SHIPS.
II Proves the Maine Was Destroyed by
External Explosion.

ANY doubt that may have existed that the
Mains was blown up by an outside ex-
plosicn has been dissolved by the examina-
tion Of the destroyed Spanish ships" said
a member of the board of survey that ex-
amined the remnants of Admiral Cervera's
feet "Of four ships examined, three had
been blown up by their magazines" he con-
tinuea, and of these one had every mag
azinei exploded and torpedoes. in addition,
yet in none of them was there the same
effect as that produced by the explosion of
the Maine. There was no upheaval of the
keel, and little buiging out, except in the
immediate vicinity of the explosion. The
effect was nearly Altogether upward. in some
cases the protective deck being lifted. but
outside of the springing of few plates.
the huIs were intact"
The examination of the wrecks of the
Spanish ships, three of which were burned
and all their magazines exploded, was made
first, for the purpose of ascertaining the eff
feet Of American gunnery, and, secondly,
TO find the effect of internal explosions.
Both subjects bore the Maine incident.
as noted above, and the awful effect of
well-aimed shots was demonstrated in the
rapid sinking of the fleet. When it is re-
1nembered that the Almirante oquendo and
the Infanta Marie Teresa were both sunk
within forty minutes of the time they left
the entrance of Santiago harbor. the work
of the American gunners may well be con-
Eidered as remarkable. The Almirante
oquendo was struck over fifty-five times
and the Infanta Marie Teresa thirty-seven
times, but by larger projectiles.
The record of the damage to these ships
Is one of great interest The fight started
at range Of 5000 yards or three miles at
1000 or $500 yards, two torpedo boats and
two cruisers were annihilated The closest
fighting was done at 100 and 1000 yards by
the Brooklyn and Vizcaya. with annihilat-
ing effect on the Spanish ship. But two
projectes larger than eight-inch struck
vessel, both of these, either twelve or thir-
teeil-inch. being put through the Infanta
Marie Teresa. The eight-inch, six-inch,
five-inch and six-pounder projectiIes did the
bulk of the work, and were frightfully de-
strnctive.
Some idea of the effect can be obtained
from brief summary of the injuries to
each ship as found by the examining board.
The board had upon it such capable men
Executive officer Rogers of the Iowa;
Executive Officer Mason. of the Brooklyn,
an expert on the effect Of shells on armor;
Lieutenant Huessler. OF the Texas who has
made some splendid improvements in gun
firing on that ship and Naval Constructor
Iobson, of Merrimac fame, who has rep
utation for knowledge of ship construction.
Briefly, these officers found:
The Cristobal Colon was a battle ship of
the first class with six inches of steel for
protection, not only on the water line, but
around the six-inch guns. This ship was hit
With large projectiles but six times, as it
kept out of range nearly the whole time,
passing behind the other ships for protec-
nd al 10
hits were made by the Brooklyn and Ore
gon One eight-inch shell went into the
port side of the wardroom and left on the
starboard side without exploding, but clean
ed out everything in the room. five-inch
shell hit just above the armor belt, and a
six-inch struck her on the bow. None of
the injuries was sufficient to put her out
of action, or as serious as those received
by the Brooklyn. at one time her sole an
tagonst The assertion that the Brooklyn
was overhauling her and that the Oregon s
terrible thirteen-inch guns were shooting
nearer and nearer, and that escape was i'm
possible, seems TO be the correct solution
of her surrender.
The Vizcaya, armored cruiser, was of the
same class as the battle ships Texas and
Maine. She carried two 11.5-inch guns and
ten 55-inch guns. with protective armor
ten and twelve inches thick This ship was
the special prey of the Brooklyn and the
Oregon, although the Texas after her de-
structive work the Almirante Oquendo
and Teresa added a little at long range.
The Vizcaya exclusive of one-pounders and
rapid-fre hits which swept her deck, was
hit by large projectiles fourteen times and
by six-pounders eleven times. The eight
inch guns of the Brooklyn and Oregon and
the six-inch guns on the Oregon and five
inch on the Brooklyn tore her structure
above the armor belt almost into shreds
while the sIx-pounders and cne-pounders
made it too warm for men TO stand at the
guns. The Texas got in a few Shots and
the Iowa landed a couple of four-inch shells
No thirteen or twelve-inch shells struck her
The Infanta Maria Teresa, flagship, of the
same build as the yizcaya, was badly pun
ished, and was the only one of the -four
ships hit by twelve thirteen-inch projec-
tiles She has two of that size clean through
her, and the position of one would tend tc
demonstrate that it was fired by the Texas
An eight-inch SHE'LL undoubtedly from the
Brooklyn, because she was the only ship il
line with the Maria Teresa's head as she
turned west. entered just forward of The
beam on the port side, and. exploding in
side cleaned out the deck. with four gur
crews This is the shot that Cervera sale
came from the Brooklyn and set fire to the
ship. The Teresas difficulty. and one tha
compelled her hurried surrender was tina
all her fire mains were cut and she was un
able to extinguish the fires that were driv
ing her men from the guns.
The Almirante Oquendo. armored cruiser
same class as the Vizcaya and Teresa, wen
through the most terrible ordeal of any o
the ships. except the torepdo boats. He
upper works were one ragged mass of cut
up steel, and her decks were covered witt
dead and dying. She was hit the por
side four times by eight-inch shells. thre
times by four-inch shells. probably from
the Iowa. two times by six-inch and forty
two times by six-pounders.s The innumer
able number of one-pounders that strucl
her show that she met the fire of the entir
feet as she turned last out of the harbor
The torpedo boats followed her ana the sec
ondary battery shots intended for them hi
her. When she returned TO the shore
was in a dilapidated condition. One of tn
findings of the board of survey was tina
an eight-inch shell had struck the fnrwar
turret just where the gun opening Yves, an
that every man in the turret was killed
the officers standing in the firing hood be