The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-29

a part of the heating apparatus OF the
ship.
He detailed Diver Rundquist's exam
nation as TO the plates. in which ne says
that they looked 10 be pushed from out
in, because at the place where the plates
were gone the wood backing about six or
seven inches thick was splintered, and
all the splinters pointed inboard.
Diver Dryers Observations.
Submarine Diver Dwyer was recalled,
and his examination resulted as follows:
Q. Have you done any diving in the
wreck OF the Maine since your previous
testimony"
Yes, sir; about one-haif day on SAT-
urday"
Q. Please state to the court what you
found
a. I found the bow portion Of the ship
laying on its starbOard broadside. with
the stern lying fiat on the bottom. The
port side of the main deck 70 the berth
deck was torn loose and thrown for
ward ~ bent forward - and slightly up
ward. The break from the main deck
started at the forward shutter Of the six
inch gun port. At the same point the
main deck was turned up at right angles
from its proper position. The break be-
gins aft and extends rs far forward as
the forward shutter Of the six-lnch port
Forward of this the deck is in place. and
also the bow The port six-!nch gun
lays across the knIght-heads the port
siX-pOunder is still attached 70 the deck.
and SO is the port anchor davit- The
six-pounder is trained aft on its own
deck
Sketch II was here shown to the wit
ness and he was asked if he recognized
it. to which he replied:
ION the sketch the stem seems to come
UP out Of the water. In reality the
ram is in the mud and the stem lies flat
along the mud. From the first eighteen
frames from the forward end the keel OF
the ship slants upward The Keel is then
thrown up from its original position for
q distance OF about eighteen inches; after
that it makes a sharp bend up at an
angle of - degrees and then it bends
down. At this upper point the vertical
keel is broken short of. and bent right
down IL comes straight down, almost
plumb. for a distance OF about sixteen
feet The vertical keel is then bent back
on itself for q distance of about two
feet. The fiat keel at this lower point
appears to be broken. Then the keel is
bent aft and downward for about twenty
feet. when the vertical keel appears TO
end. I could feel the broken end.
Chief Engineer Howell was recalled
on the eleventh day
found on the deck OF the City of Wash
ington, and stated that in mis- opinion il
same from underneath the berth deck
blower on the port side.
Gunner's Mate Rundquist L. S. ".
was also recalled and testified as TO addi-
| tional diving done by him. He testified
that he found hole in the berth deck.
Also to a break in the armor plating
I Chief Gunneris Mate OiesOn was re-
called on the fourteenth day and stated
that the appearance of things at frame
50 of the wreck would indicate that the
ships keel commences TO be lifted and
he was able to get under the bottom of
the ship at this point The bottom OF
the ship seems TO have disappeared for
ward Of franc 81 He tried TO find the
keel forward of this point, but could not
get in ar1idshipS as far as the keel
ought to be, on account OF the wreck
age. He found no wreckage on the port
side of the ship.
Gunnner's Mate Schluter was recalled
and said he was sent down 10 look for
boilers and found one intact. While ex-
aiming it he found a piece of wire that
looked like it did not belong 70 the ship.
He cut off piece OF it and sent it up on
the line. After Mr.. Powelson had in
| spected it he called him up and told him
| to go down again and saw off piece OF
| the wire and send it up. He found the
| wire again. sawed off as much as he
| could and sent it up, when it was taken
/ aboard the Fern. A To- of wreekage pre-
vented him from finding other boilers
| Gunner's Mate Rundquist was recalled
| and said he had again been down 10 ex-
| anime the wreck He landed in a place
| that looked to be something like a big
| shell or compartment. II may have been
/ boiler blown in. The top part of il was
| blown away. and he found a big. square
| hole in the bottom of it. and going
| through it, got out among a lot of coal
| He also found three ten-inch shells in
| the place where he landed when he first
| came down.
! The next day he went down 10 look
/ for powder tanks and landed about
| amidships- He got hold OF three ten-ineh
| shells and found six-inch shell with the
| straps on He sent it up with ten-inch
powder tank. which he found He also
i found a transverse armOr plate. The
three shells were ranged together. The
top and bottom of the powder tank were
gone.
| What Marines Heard
Apprentice Hoon says he heard re-
port and a second somewhat like roar;
they were not exceeding a couple of sec
onds apart. The ship seemed 10 lift
right out of the water at the second ex-
plosion- The flash of light this witness
saw came Just before the nrSt explosion
At the second explosion witness was hit
| in the face with a piece OF iron
All of the sailors and marines Who We're
| saved gave their story of the accident
and what they saw. all of them being
similar to the foregoing.
Naval Cadet Cluverius was questioned
as TO his duties in securing the ship
for the night and directing the closing OF
| such departments as We've close at sun
down. He stated that OIL the 1'@h; of the
explosion three men reported 10 him that
their departments were closed. He con-
sidered the man in charge of the hold a
| competent man
The foregoing includes all the evidence
adduced that would enable the public to
draw conclusions as 10 Just how the
Maine met her unhappy fate
Now that the seal of secrecy has been
removed. survivors of the Maine are not
so secretive as they were before the re-
port was sent in
There is no doubt that the feeling
among these men is that the mine was
planted for the express purpose Of de-
strOying any American battleshiD that
might visit Havana harbOr, either in
time of peace of in the event of war.
TO CURE a COLD IN ONE DAY
Take Laxative Bromo QuinIne Tablets.