The record-union., 1898-03-29


which lay not far distant. The wounded
were generously cared for by the au
thorities of Havana, the hospitals being
freely opened to them. while the earliest
recovered bodies of the dead We're in
tered by the municipality in the public
cemetery in the city. Tributes OF grief
and sympathy Were offered from all Off
ciai quarters of the island.
EXCITEMENT OVER THE EVENT.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force, and for a brief time an intense
excitement prevailed, which in a COM
nlunity less just and self controlled than
ours must have led to hasty acts Of blind
resentment. This spirit, however, soon
gave way to the calmer processes OF
reason and to the resolve to investigate
the facts and await the material proof
before forming a judgment as to the
cause, the responsibility and, if the facts
warranted. the remedy due.
This course necessarily recommended
itself from the outset to the Executive
for only in the light of dispassionate
ascertained certainty could it determine
the nature and measure of its full due
in the matter.
PROCEDURE FOLLOWED.
1.-THE usual procedure was followed as
in all cases of casualty or disaster to
national vessels or any maritime state
A naval court of inquiry was at once
oreanized composed of officers we'll
qualified by rank and practical expert
ence to discharge the onerous duty I'M
posed upon them. And by a strong force
= laA n
ceeded to make thorough investigation
on the spot employing every available
means for the impartial and exact de-
termination of the causes of the explo-
sion. It's operations have been conducted
with the utmost deliberation and judg-
ment, and While independently pursued
no source of information was neglected,
and thA fullest opportunity was allowed
for a simultaneous investigation by the
Spanish authorities.
FINDINGS OF THE COURT.
THE findings of the Court of Inquiry
was reached after tWenty-three days OF
continuous labor on the Dist OF March.
and having been approved on the I'd
by the Commander-in-C Chief of the
United States naval force on the North
Atlantic station, was transmitted to the
Executive 1t is therefore laid before
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
Government pilot to buoy No. 4, to
which she was moored in from four
and half to six fathoms of water.
The state of discipline on board and
the condition of her magazines. boilers,
coal bunkers and storage comparI-
ments, are passed in review with the
conclusion that excellent order pre-
vailed and that no Indication of any
cause for an internal explosion existed
in any quarter
AT o'clock on the evening of Feb
ruary 10Th everything had been report
ed secure and all was quiet At forty
minutes past o'clock the vessel was
suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions
at brief interval between them. The
first lifted the forward part of the ship
very perceptibly: the second, which
was more prolonged. is attributed by
the court to the partial explosion of
two or more of the forward magazines.
THE evidence of the divers estab-
fishes that the after part of the ship
was practically intact and sank in that
condition a veRv few minutes after the
explosion. The forward part was COM
pletely demolished.
Upon the evidence of concurrent ex-
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
'At frame seventeen the outer shell
of cI,s int oil nj
one-half feet from the middle line of
the ship and six feet above the keel
when in it's normal position, had been
forced up so as to be about four feet
above the surface of the water; there
fore, about thirty-four feet above
where it would be had she sunk un-
injured The outside bottom plating
IS bent into a reversed W shape, the
after wing of which, about fifteen feet
broad and thirty-two feet in length
| from frame seventeen to frame 2J),
is doubled back upon itself against the
continuation of the same plating eX-
tending forward.
AT frame eighteen the vertical keel
! is broken in two and keel bent into
an angle similar to the angle formed
! fer the outside plates. This break is
about six feet below the surface of the
water, and about thirty feet above it's
/ normal position.
DESTROYED BY A SUBMARINE
NINE
I'm the opinion of the court this
effect could have been produced only
by an explosion of a mine situated
under the bottom of the ship at about
frame eighteen and somewhat on the
port side of the ship. The conclusions
of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not
in any respect due to fault or negli-
gence on the part of any of the Off
/ GERS or members of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion of a submarine mine which
caused the partial explosion of two or
more Of her forward magazines: and
That no evidence has been obtain
able fixing the responsibility for the
! destruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons.
| DELIBERATE CONSIDERATION IN
| VOKED.
1 have directed that the findings of
the Court of Inquiry and the views OF
TINS Government thereon be communi-
Gated 10 the Government of Her
! Majesty the Queen, and I do not per-
NIT myself to doubt that the sense of
justice Of the Spanish nation will die
tate a course of action suggested by
honor and the friendly relations of the
two Governments
1t is the duty of the Executive to
adVise Congress of the result, and in
the meantime deliberate consideration
/ is invoked
| WILLIAM M'KINLFY,
| Executive Mansion, March IS, 1898. >