Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-29
TESTIMONY SUBMITTED.
CONTINUED from first pagel
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

visit of the Maine to Havana harboI
our consular Representatives LGI6ted out
the advantages to follow the visits of
naval ships TO Cuban waters in accus
tom, ny people to the presence of our
flag as symool of good will and OF
our ships in fultillment Of the mission
of protection to American interests,
even though no Immediate need there.
for might exist. Accordingly, on the
18th of January last, after a confer
ence with the Spanish minister, in
which a renewal Of the visits of our
war vessels TO Spanish waters was dis
cussed and accepted, the peninsular
authorities at Madrid and Havana
were advised of the plrp0se of this
government TO resume friendly naval
visits at Cuban ports, and that with
that end in view the Maine would
forthwith call at the port Of Hayana.
"Thls announcement was received
| by the Spanish government with ap-
probation OF the friendly character
of the visit of the Maine ana with
notification of an intention to return
the courtesy by sending Spanish ships
TO the principal parts of the United
States. MeanN hlle the Maine entered
the port of Havana ON the 25th of
January, her arrival being marked
with no special incidents besides the
exchange of customary saiutes and
ceremonial visits.
"The Maine continued in the har-
Dor of Havana during the three weeks
following her arrival, No appreciable
excitement. attended her stay. On
the contrary, feeling of relief and con-
tindence followed the resumption of
long interrupted friendly Intercourse.
So noticeable was this immediate ef-
feet of her visit that the conSul-gen-
eral strongly urged that the presence
of our ships ia Cuban waters should be
kept up by retaining the Maine at
Havana, or in the event OF her recall,
by sending another vessel there TO
take her place.
"At 40 minutes past O'Clock in the
evening of OF the. 18th of Feb
ruary, the Maine was destroyed 10y an
explosion, by which the entire for
ward part of the ship was utterly
wrecked. In this catastrophe, two
officers ands260 members OF her crew
persisted, those who were not killed
outright by her explosion being pen
ned between decks by the ,tangle of
wreckage and drowned by the imme-
didate sinking of the hull. Prompt
assitaDce was rendered by neighborlng
vessels anchored in the harOor, aid
being especially given by the boats OF
ting Spanish cruiser AlphonsO XII
and the Ward line steamer City OF
Washington, which lay not far dis
tant. The wounded were generously
cared for by the authorities OF Havana,
the hospitals being freely opened TO
them, while the earliest recovered OF
the bodies were intended by the mu-
nicipiality in the public cemetery in
the city. Tributes of grief and SYM
pathy were offered from all official
quarters of the island.
THE appalling calamity fell upon
the people Of our country with crush
ing force, and Tor bri,i time intense
excitement prevaileu, which, in a
community less just abd selhshly con-
troller, must haYe led W hasty acts of
blind resentment. The spirit, how
eyer, soon gave way to the calmer
process of reason and TO resolve to
Investigate the facts and await ma
terial proof before forming judgment
as to the responsibility, and II the
facts warranted the remedy due. This
cause necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive, for
only in the light of a dispassionately
ascertained certainty could it deter
mine the nature and measure its full
duty in the matter.
1.-The usual procedure was followed
as in cases Of casualty or disaster to
national vessels of any maritime
state. A naval court OF inquiry was
at once organized, composed OF officers
we'll qualified by rank and practical
ho hn
duties imposed upon them, and, ac-
companed by strong force of wreck
ers and divers, the court proceeded TO
make a thorough investigation on the
spot, employing every available means
for an impartial and exact determina-
tiOn as to the cause of the explosion.
Its operations have been conducted
with the utmost delibeTation and
Judgment, and while independently
pursued, no source Of information was
neglected and the fullest opportunity
was allowed for Simultaneous inYesti-
cation by the Spanish authorities.
1.-THE findings of the court Of in
quiry were reached after twenty-three
days continuous labor, on the 2lst of
March, and having been approved on
the 231 by the commander-in-ch or
the naval forces of the North Atlantic
station, were transmitted TO the execu-
tive. 1t is here with laid before con-
gress, together with the Yoluminous
testimony taken before the court,
which is in brief as follows;
when the NJ aine arrived at Ha-
vana she was conducted by regular
government pilot To buoy No. A, to
which she was moored in from i've
and one-half to six fathoms Of water.
The state Of discipline on board and
the state OF her magazines, boilers,
coal bankers and storage compart-
ments are passed in review, with the
conclusion that excellent order pre-
vailed and that no indication of any
cause for internal explosion existed in
any q uarter.
SAT O'Clock in the evening, on
February 10, everything had been re
ported secure and all was quiet. AT
forty minutes past o'clock the vessel
was suddenly destroyed. There were
two distinct explosions with brief in
tervals between them. The first
lifted the forward part of the ship
uarU nracanfihlU tho capOn0. which