The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1898-04-02

vestigate the facts and await material
proof before forming Judgment as &c
the cause, the responsibility, and II the
facts warranted, the remedy due. This
course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive for only
in the light Of dispassionately ascer.
tanned certainty could it determine the
nature and measure of its full duty in
| the matter. e....
The usual procedure was followed, as
in all cases of casualty or disaster to ma.
| tional vessels of any maritime syate. A
naval court of inquiry was at once or
ganized, composed of officers well quail.
fed by rank and practical experience Ia
discharge the onerops duty imposed
upon them. Aided by strong force of
wreckers and divers, the court pro.
ceeded to make thorough investigation
ON the spot, employing every available
means for the impartial and exact deter.
mination of the causes Of the explosion.
Its operations have been conducted with
the utmost deliberation and Judgment
and while independently pursued no
source of information was neglected and
the fullest opportunity was allowed for
a simultaneous investigation by the
Spanish authorities. ....
The finding of the court Of inquiry
was reached after 20 days of continuous
labor, on March 2l, inst, and hav-
ing been approved ON the twenty.
second by the COMMUNICATIVE chief of
the United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station was transmitted
to the executive.
Verdict In Brief.
1t is herewith laid before the congress
together with the voluminous testimony
taken before the court.
Its purport is, in brief, as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
eminent pilot to buoy No. A, to which
was moored in from 51a to fathoms of
The state of discipline ON board and
the condition Of her magazines, boilers,
coal bunkers and storage compartments
are passed in review, with the conclu-
sion that excellent order prevailed and
that no indication Of any cause for an
internal explosion existed in any quar-
ter.
AT o'clock on the evening of Feb. Is
everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet.
AT 9s40 o'clock the vessel was suddenly
destroyed.
There We're two distinct explosions,
with brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of
the ship very perceptibly; the second,
which was more upon, prolonged and of
greater volume, IS attributed by the
court to the partial explosion of two or
more of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was prac.
a very few minutes after the explosion.
The forward part was completely de-
molished.
Upon the evidence of a concurrent
cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
At frame II the outer shell of the
ship, from point llR feet from the
middle line of the ship and feet above
the keel when in its normal position,
was forced up 80 as to be now about
feet above the surface Of the water;
therefore, about 81 feet above where it
would be had the ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent
into a reverse V shape, the after wing
Of which, about 10 feet broad and 80
feet in length (from frame II to frame
26), is doubled back up in itself against
the continuation Of the same plating ex-
tending forward.
At frame 10 the vertical keel is broken
in two and the fiat keel is bent into an
angle similar to the angle formed by the
outside bottom plates. The break is
now about 6 feet below the surface of
the water and about 30 feet above it's
normal position.
Mine Caused Wreck.
In the opinion of the court, this effect
could have been produced only by the
explosion of a mine situated under the
bottom of the ship at about frame Is
and somewhat on the port side of the
ship
The conclusions Of the court arc
The loss Of tina Maine was not due to
negligence on the part of any of the
officers or members of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion of q submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion of two or
more of her forward magazines, and
That no evidence has been obtainable
showing the responsibility OF the de.
struction OF the Maine upon any person
or persons.
have directed that the finding of the
court Of inquiry and the views of this
government thereon be communicate
10 the government OF her majesty, the