The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-29
ENSIGN PoWELSoN.
Describes Destruction Wrought By
the Explosion.


! Ensign W ". N Powelson was
called the third day of the court. He
testified that he had been present on
the Maine every day, from the arrival
of the boat Fern. and during a great
deal of the diving.
In reply to a question to tell the
court all about the condition of the
wreck he said the forward part Of the
| ship forward of the after smokestack
| had been to all appearances completely
destroyed. The coming tower lay in
a position opposite the door leading to
the Superstructure aft and to star
| board. inclined at about 10 degrees to
the vertical, with the top of the con-
ming tower inbOard. Continuing. he
described with close detail the condition
under the Maine deck on the port side
The fixtures were completely wrecked,
while fixtures in the same position on
the starboard side were in some cases
almost intact. The port bulkhead. be-
tween the main and berth deck at the
coming tower support, had been
. blown aft on both sides, but a great
deal more on the port than on the
starbOard side. The firerOom hatch,
Immediately abaft of the coming
tower had been blown in three direc-
lions. aft, TO starbOard and to port.
The protective decks and the coming
rections. the plates on the port side
/ being bent up and on the starbOard
side bent down.
In reply to an inquiry whether he
meant with reference To their original
positions. Ensign POwelsOn replied at
Tentatively The beam supporting the
protective deck a few inches abaft of
the armOred tube, to port of the mid
ship line, was bent I'D to starboard of
the mid ship line. Just forward of the
coming tower. underneath the main
deck two beams met at right angles;
one beam was broken and pushed from
port to starbOard. A grating was
found on the poop awning just for
ward of the after searchlight-
The piece of the side plating just
abaft of the starboard turret was Wis
ible. This plate was bent outward
and then the forward end bent upward
and folded backward upon itself.
This plate was severed from the rest
of the plating below the water line
This plating below the water line had
been pushed out to starbOard.
The gratings of the engine room
hatch were blown off a composition
strainer was picked I'D from the bot
tom. on the starboard quarter. at a
point about opposite the poop capstan
and about 80 feet from it. The chief
engineer thought the strainer was from
the fireman's Mushroom. There was
not a strainer in the ships side. Near
the piece of outside plating which was
referred to above. he said there were
pieces of red shellaced Dlanks. On
these pianks was bolted composition
track two inches wide and an inch
thick
WHAT THE DIVERS FOUND.
Ensign Powelson asked if the court
meant for him to say anything about
hot cd inc rx-Ia
he saw
The judge advocate replied that he
would like to have him state any i'm
portant discoveries which might lead
the court to draw some conclusions as
to the cause. and if a diver gave such
information. to state the divers name.
Before doing so, the judge advocate
asked witness to state if the forward
and afterpart of the ship were in line
Ensign Powelson replied that. as far
as he could judge, they were not. The
end where the explosion occurred
seemed to be pushed from port to
starboar6 from to 10 degrees, he
should judge, with the apex to the
starboard.
The divers reported to witness that
at a point where the ten-inch shell
room should be. they discovered ten
inch shells regularly arranged. but the
ship sunk down so much that some Of
the shells were in the mud
Gunner Morgan reported that in
walking on the bottom, he fell into
a hole on the port side and went down
in the mud. He also reported, as far
as he could judge, everything seemed
to be bent upward in the vicinity of
this hole. He also reported that the
plates seemed to have been pushed
over to the starbOard and then bent
down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a
powder calk that he cav appeared to
be an empty tank broken by the ex-
plosicn as il was not badly dented and
merely ripped the length of the seam.
The ten-inch tank was badly battered
out of any conceivable shape.
Continuing, witness said the divers.
up to the night before he was then on
the stand had not been on the outside
of the ship. The mud was too deep for
them to walk on the bottom
A TURRET GONE.
What is the condition of the star
board turret?- witness was asked.
ITO my knowledge, it has not been
found sir. was the reply
He understood something had been
found under the place where the turret
formerly was. but its exact character
had not been determined.
About what impression is produced
upon your mind?' Ensign Powelson
was asked.
From reports alone. or of the ap-
pearance of the wreck?'
Either from such reports, or the con-