The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-29

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B q v III t,nIyed 1tates battIeship
11i6e 1ffived III III harbcr Of Havana.
ceb6. III the stth day Of January. 1875
aad VI taken ID buoy No !, In from
flve and one-haif TO six fathoms Of water,
BY the regular government pilot, The
United States consul general at Havana
had notified the authorities at that place
on the previous evening OF the Intended
arrival Of the Maine
2. The state OF discipline on bongd the
Maine Was excellent. and all orders aud
regulations in regard 10 the care and safe
~ Of the ship were strictly carried out.
All ammunition was stored away In u
cordancs with instructions, and o or
care WAS taken whenever ammunition
was handled. Nothing was stored In ans
one OF the magazines or shell rooms which
was not permitted to be stored there.
Magazines and shell rooms were always
locked after having been opened aud
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 nj p.
m. The temperature OF the mag lzints
and shell rooms was taken daily mud re-
ported. The only magazine which had an
undue amount of heat was the after H.
inch magazine and this did not explode.
4, s,,sar all al t1 a
the after part OF the ship under the ward
room, and neither caused nor participated
In the destruction OF the Maine. The
dry gun cotton primers and detonnlors
were slowed In the cabin aft ana reno @
from tho scene OF the explosion. The was g
was carefully looked after on board the
Maine to obylate danger. Special orders in
regard to this had been given by the COM
rnanding officer, Varnishgs, dryers. al o.
hol and other combustibles OF this nature
were slowed on or above tho main deck
and could not have had anything to do
with the destruction OF the Maine. Med
ical stores were stored after tho under
ward room and remote from the scene OF
explosion. No dangerous stores Of any
kind were slowed below In any OF the
other store rooms. The coal bunkers wore
inspected. OF those bunkers adjoining the
forward magazines and shell rooms -four
were empty. namely B3. 81, 81 aud R6
Ais had been In use that day, and Ai6 WIS
fun OF new river coal This coal had been
carefully Inspected before receiving 1t on
board The bunker in which 1t was store 1
was accessible on three sides at all times,
and the fourth side at this time on nc-
count of bunkers ia and B6 being empty,
This bunker, Atd, had beu inspected that
day by the engineer officer On duty The
fire alarms In bunkers we're In working
Spontaneous combustion of coal OF board
the Maine. Two OF the boilers OF the ship
were ln use at the time OF the disaster but
for auxiliary purposes only, with COM
paratiycly low pressure OF steam, and being
tended by reliable watch. These boil
ers could not have caused the explosion OF
tho ship. Four OF the forward boilers have
since been found by the divers, and are In
fair condition, On the night of the de-
struetcn of the Maine everything had been
reported secure for the night al $ y, NJ.
by reliable persons through the proper a y
thortles TO the commanding officer At
the time the Maine was destroyed the ship
was quiet. and therefore the least liable 10
accident caused by movements from those
un beard
3. The destruction Of the Maine occurred
at $40 D, IN. on the 10Th day OF February,
1898. in the harbor OF Havana, Cuba. being
at the time moorod 10 the same busy TO
which she lad been taken upon arrival.
There were Two explosions Of distinctly
different character, with very short but
distinct interval between them. and the
forward paIt OF the ship was lifted to n
marked degree at the time OF the first OK
plosion. he first explosion WAS more III
the nature Of a report like that OF gun
while the second explosion was more open
prolonged and OF greater volume, Thi.
court, caused by partial explosion OF
two or more OF the forward magazines OF
the Maine.
s. Condition OF the Wreck Evidence
bearing on this was principally obtained
from divers, but Il did not enable the courI
to form a definite conclusion as to tho con
dition OF the wreck. although It established
that the after part 81 the ship was prac-
tiealiy intact and sank In that condition
a very few minutes after the destruction
OF the forward part The following facts
In regard TO the forward part OF the ship
are. however, established by the testimony
a pcrtitn Ct the port side OF the protective
deck. which extends from about frame 80
/ 10 abfu. frame Al, was blown up aft and
loyer 10 PORT. The main deck from ahou,
! frame 80 10 ubou, frame II was blown M
, aft and slightly over 10 starboard. folding
. forward part Of the middle superstructure
/ over and on top OF the after part This
!, was, IN the opinion OF the court caused
I by q partial explosion of two or more OF
the forward magazines OF the Maine. Al
frame II the outer shell OF the ship from
W POINT liz feet from, the middle line oil
The chip and . feet above the keel. when
In Us normal position, has been forced vi
TO as 70 b. now about 4 feet above the
II - A =