The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-29
TESTIMONY In MAINE CASE
Continued from First Page.)


Continued from First Page.)
but its exact character had not been
determined.
What impression is produced upon
your mind by the reports so far as you
have quoted them?" Ensign Powelson
was asked.
From reports alone or from the APP
pearance of the wreck?"
EITHER from such reports or from
the conditions of which you believe to
exist"
'The impression produced upon me-"
replied the Witness lis that an explo-
sion took place well to port of the
midship line and at point in the
length about opposite the coming
tower"
Witness, in reply to further ques-
tons, said his opinion was based upon
the observation of things above water
He gave no weight to Mr.. Morgans
statement about falling into hole on
the port because Morgan might have
been mistaken about it. Referring to
his notes made of things on the Maine,
Ensign Powelson stated that the arc
of the engine room, telegraph and the
shaft of the steering gear coming down
through the armored tubed turre),
was bent from port to starboard. The
port of the protective deck was covered
with greasy deposit; the starboard
side being comparatively free from it.
The forward smokepipe hatch be-
tween the main and superstructure
decks, did not show signs of the inter-
nal pressure of gases. On the main
deck forward of the coming tower
where the fore and aft angle bulk beam
planking was blown off on the only
remaining plate of the main deck on
the port side while the wood was still
attached to that part on the starboard
side between the coming tower base
and the tulTets. What witness saw
would indicate that the pressure lifted
protective, deck UP on the port side
and the protective deck on the star
board side held fast and bent that deck
downward Witness here exhibited two
sketches to the court showing diagrams
Of various parts of the sunken ship
and explained them to the court. The
witness gave evidence about the strip
on the starboard side of the outside
plating of the ship which was folded
Civ 1OllCSl DlSh, was lCSollSo " 1lllli
and Powelson said he could see the
plate underneath and was bent out
ward as near as he could judge, and
two feet under water where the sheer
occurred. Witness had taken sound
ings and had found five fathoms of
water on both sides of the Maine
down to the mud. Taking 14-pound
lead and dragging with a wherry for
obstruction on port side, dragging
close to where he thought the water
ways would be found, he found no OBJ
structions whatever. On the starboard
side he found distractions for twenty
feet where he had reason to believe the
water ways had originally been. He
dragged along the outside to see if
anything had fallen out and found
nothing Witness thought the ship on
the port side was entirely gone oppo-
site a point indicated on a diagram
handed the court 1t was entirely
blown out. This concluded Ensign
Powelsons testimony on the third day.
On the fifth day Ensign Powelson was
recalled on February rs, and showed
the plans Of the Maine from which he
had identified the bottom plates that
WCIS DlOWA up lIlIOu6H lIlG upper uCCh
The finding of these plates on top of
the wreck clear above water was
among the first and most important
points of evidence clearly disproving
the possibility of an internal explosion.
After infinitely describing the bottom
plates with their green coating of paint
and the other marks by which they
were identified, Powelson stated that
they must have been blown up
forty-nine feet to reach their present
position.
Besides the bottom plates Powe1son
found some pipes from the bottom
compartment lodged in the angle of the
bottom plates that protruded above the
water. The berth deck over this bot
tom compartment was also on top of
the wreck and twenty feet forward of
the plates, while this section of the
main deck had disappeared. The diver
who had been working for Powelson
on this investigation informed him he
had found the ammunition for the g.
inch magazine pushed over to the STAR
board side.
Ensign Powelson was recalled on the
sixth day, when he said that since his
last testimony he had received a book
of specifications of the Maine. Refresh
ing his memory from these records he
said the plates of the protective deck
were one inch thick, weighing forty
pounds per square foot.
Ensign Powelson, wishing to give
some testimony regarding the condition
of the wreck Gunner's Mate Olsen, the
diver, was admitted in order that he
might correct any error. Mr.. Powelson
said that on February 26 the diver OIL
sen reported to him that on coming UP
from below he had followed the for
ward and after wings of the V-shape
made by the bottom plating at frame
IL, and said that on the forward wing
Of the v the plates ran down on very
steep slant and then turned under and
cut under the starboard side; that just
about where the plates turned to go
under the starboard side he found two
dents as if the plating had been bu1ged
in between the frames from outside in.
The court asked the size of the two
dents. Mr.. Powelson replied that they
were about two and one-half feet long
and bulged in about six inches. He
further testified that Olsen again went
down and came to the surface at ten