Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-29

| Washington, March 2S.-The inn
mense mass of testimony taken by the
Maine court Of inquiry was sent to the
| Senate to-day, and with the Presi-
dents message the findings of the
court referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations. The testimony
was taken on eighteen different days,
the fourteenth day, however, being de-
voted to viewing the wreck.
Every witness who was known to
have any information that could throw
light upon the great disaster was call
ed to give his testimony The story of
the destruction of the vessel is told,
not graphically, but in a manner which
gives all the obstinate facts. No tech
meal detail is omitted. Every move
ment and incident connected with the
Maine, from the time she left Key
West until the last diver examined the
wreck, slowly sinking into the mud in
Havana harbor, is given.
1t is a story intensely interesting to
the American people. Those who read
it could have little doubt as to whe-
| Their there was an internal or external
explosion.
Perhaps the most significant testi-
mony is that showing the bottom plates
| on the port side OF the Inflated Maine
| to be
| BENT INWARD AND UPWARD.
| a result that hardly could have follow
ed anything save an explosion from
! the outside.
A mass of testimony is submitted,
showing the care exercised on board
| the ship by Captain Sigsbee and his
| officers. and the apparent impossible
| ity of the accident occurring by any
| internal cause, such as the heating OF
the bunkers, spontaneous cofbustion
| or from other causes upon which so
| many theories were based.
The testimony of Captain Sigsbee is
of the greatest importance, and per-
haps is of more general interest than
| that of any other man called before
the board With great care and min
urenes. he gives an account of the man
agement of the ship, how she was han
died, what was done from day to day
on board. how she sailed into Havana,
! her anchorage and what he knew about
it. and in every every point upon which
| the government and the country de-
sires to be informed. Nothing in Cap
tain Sigsbee's testimony shows that
the anchorage was changed or that it
was considered dangerous by any one.
Second to the Importance of the testi-
mony of Captain Sigsbee is that Of En-
| sign Powelson. who had charge of the
divers and knew from day to day what
these divers found, This officer was
infinitely informed as to the construc-
ton of the Maine and everything
about her. His testimony was TO
certain extent technical, bearing upon
the construction of the ship, her plates,
ETC.. but it was from these plates and
this technical knowledge that he was
able to declare that the explosion took
place
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
The divers, Morgan. Olsen and
Smith, all contributed important evil
dence. They testified that the plates
were bent inward on the bottom OF
the port side and outward on the star
board side.
The story of the explosion is told by
different witnesses and adds little to
what Captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related.
Nothing in the testimony fixes re-
sponsibility, no conspirae.' is apparent,
no knowledge OF the planting OF mine
is shown. Captain Sigsbee states that
a somewhat bitter feeling existed
against the American ship and Amer
cans generally and a witness whose
name is suppressed, tells of overhear-
ing a conversation among Spanish Off
GERS and citizen, indicating fore
knowledge of the destruction of the
Maine by intention to blow her up.
An official of the American consulate
tells Of information received anony
mously, tending to show that con-
spiracy existed. But nothing is def
nitely stated which fixes any respon-
L re