Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-31

forming judgment as to the cause. me
responsibility and, If the facts warrant
ell. the remedy due. This course neces-
sarily recommended itself from the out
set to the executive for only in the light
Of a dispassonately ascertained certain
ty could it determine the nature and
, measure of it's full duty in the matter.
The usual procedure followed, as In all
cases Of casualty or disaster to national
vessels Of any maritime state naval
court of inquiry was at once organlzeo
composed Of officers we'll qualified by
rank and practical experience to dis
charge the onerous duty imposed upon
them. Aided by a strong force OF wreck
ers and divers the court proceeded to
make thorough investigation on the
, spot, employing every available means 1or
tho impartial and exact determination OF
their uses OF the explosion. Its opera
tions have been conducted with the ut
most doliberaticn and judgment, and
while Independently pursued no source
OF information vas neglected and the
fullest opportunity was allowed for
| Simultaneous investigation by the Span
ish authorities
| The finding of the court of inquiry was
reached after twenty-three days Of con-
tinuous labor OF the 21st of March inst,
and having beer approved on the ed by
the commanGer-in-ch1ef OF the United
States naval force on the North Atlantic
station, was transmitted to the eXecu-
tive.
It is herewith! laid before the congress,
together with the volumlnous 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
ernment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which she
was moored in from five and one-half to
ak fathoms OF water.
The state Of discipline on board and
the condition of her magazine. boilers,
coal bunl1ers 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 quarter.
At 8 o'clock in the evening of Feb. 10
everything had been reported secure and
ell was quiet.
At forty minutes past nine o'clock tine
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions,
with brief interval between them. The
hrst lifted the forward part Of the ship
very perceptibly; tho second, which was
more prolonged, Is attributed by the court
20 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-
tically intact and sank in that condition
a very few minutes after the explosion
! The forward part was completely do
nolished.
Blown Up by a Mine.
Upon the evidence of concurrent ex-
ternal cause the finding of the court Is a.
follows:
At frame II the outer shell Of the ship
from a point liz feet from the middle
line of the ship and feet above tho
keel, when in its normal position. has
been forced I'D so as to be now about 1
feet above the surface Of the water;
therefore about "a feet above where it
would be had the ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating Is bent into
u reversed ''V'' shape, the after wing of
which, about Is feet broad and 81 feet
in length (from frame II to frame 25) is
doubled back upon itself against the con-
tinuation of the same plating extending
is broken in two and keel bent into an
angle singular to the angle formed for
the outside plates.
This break is about six teet below the
surface Of the water and about eighty
feet above it's normal POSITION. In the
opinion of the court this effect could have
been produced only by the explosion OF d
minc situated under The bottom cf the
ship. at about frame Is and some
what 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 negligence on
the part of any officers or members of
her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the e&-
plosion of d submarine mine. which
caused the partial explosion OF two or
moro of her forward magazines. and
that no evidence has eben ohtainable fix
ing the responsibility for the destruction
of the Maine upon any person or persons.
I have directed that the finding of the
court OF inquiry and the views OF this
government thereon be con,munca ted to
the government of her majesty. the
~ Gen and 1 do not permit myself to