The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-04-06

waterways would be found. he found no
distinctions whatever On the stnrboard
side he found obstructions Tor - feets
where he had reason to believe the water
ways had originally beeu-
Nothing Left OF Port Plating.
IN answer TO questions he said there was
nothing left OF the port platihg at all he
dragged along the outside 70 see II any
thing had fallen out and found nothing
Witness thought the ship on the rort side
was entirely eonc opposite point indi
Gated on diagram handed The court 1T
was entirely blown out.
Ensign Powelson was recalled on the
sixth DAY. when he said thar since his last
testimony he had received book ~ sprcl-
1cations or thr Maine. Refreshing his
memory from these rscords he said fhe
plates Of the protective deck were one
Inch thick, welghing 40 pounds per
square foot
Ensign Poweison, wishing TO give some
Testimony regarding the coalition OF the
wreck. Gunuer's Nate Olsen. the diver.
was admitted In order that he might COR
rect any erroneous statenent. the two ha1r
Ing worked together.
Mr.. Powelson said that Feb 20 Diver
Olsen reported 70 him thar on coming up
from below he had followed the forward
and after wings OF the v shape made by
the bottom plating at frame II and said
on the forward wing OF the the plates
ran down on very steep slant and then
turned under and out under the starooerd
SIDE Ln1r lurI uuoNe Wnett lut IlltG1
turned to 80 under the starboard side he.
/ found two dents ns II the plating had been
buIsed IN between the frames from out-1
aide In.
Round the Flat Keel.
The court asked the sibe OF these Two
dents. Mr. powelson replied they were
about two and one-halc feet long and bulg-
ed In about six inches. He further testi-
ned that Olsen again went down and came
TO the surface at II o'clock. saying he
thought he had found the nat keel
Olsen had reported that the keel was
sloplng downward about 15 degrees and 10
port with the after part OF the keel up
permost. He said he had explored the aft
or wing OF the v. and had found semi
circular hole about two feet In diameter
with rIyet holes all around II. BE said
from the top OF the V made by the bottom
plating.
he said the plate presented 5a@ged
appearance ns II II had been torn and
that a crack had extended from the bottom
edge OF the semi-clrculnr hole TO n dis
tanee OF about eight inches and hat the
plates about this hole were bent away from
| the green side OF the plating
MT. Powelson continued to say that Oh
sen told him he had found hole In a,
plate % feet from the angle OF the and
line was found by him sioping down 05 de-
grees below the horizontal and TO port.
The point where he had found the keel
\ was about 20 feet under water. He had
| mot followed the keel at that point ns
the platings between which he Was wedged
opened out so that he had nothing to sup
| ,'s Mr. Poweispn said Olsen testified chat
about 20 feet from the sluiee valve he
fodTt. an opening in the ships side. He
had fonife boarding near the sea suction In
\ apartment Ase about ~ feet from the
sluiee valve In an aln1oss vertical position,
although 1t was originally horiynntai
Captain siEsbee.
/ In testifying before the court of inquiry,
/ which convened In the harbor of Havana
/ SIonday February 21. said that he as
sn,nesl nd OF the MaIne ON April TO-
1897. and that his ship arrived In the
/ harbor of Havana the Inst time january
24. 1893
The authorities mt Havana knew OF the
i Names comipe. Consrl General Lee having
informed the authorities according to orl-
cial custom.
fhe captain Of the port OF Havana. the
ship was berthed In the man-ofwnr an
ehorage on the dachlna. or the shears,
and according to his Understanding was
one OF the regular bucys OF the place
i He then stated that he had been In
Havana In 1872 and again in 1875 He
Il eould not state whether the Maine was
placed In the usual berth for men-of-Wnrs
/ 3ut said that he had heard remarks since
the explosion. using Captain stevens, tenn
! Porarily in command OF the Ward line
i steamer City OF washington as authority
i Tor the statement that he had never known
Il
Havana for dve or six years, for man
l1f-wnr TO be anchored Mt that buoy; that
he had rarely known merchant vessels TO
i le anchored there and that IL was the least
Hsed buoy In the hnrbor.
4 In describing the surroundings when 0-st
moored 10 this buoy, Captain Sigsbee ssased
Il that the Spanish man-of-wnr eAlphsspse
/ !.IIs was moored In position now oc-,.peea
/ by the Fern about $50 yards to the
northward and westward OF the Maine
/ The German ship "Griesenau was an
Spanish man-of-war LeEaspe, which he
i about 400 yards about due north from the
ls3Iaine.,s He then located the German
lman-of-war -Charlotte.v which came Into
/ the harbor a day or two later, which was
Il anchored to the southward OF the Matne9
\ berth about four or I'VE hundred yards.
/ A corporal OF the guard was especially
Instructed to Iok out for the port gang
i way, an dthe ofieer OF the deck and quar-
i termaster were especially Instructed to
look out for the starboapi saneway; quar-
/ ter watch TO look on deck all night, their
arms kept loaded; steam was kept up on
1.-TWO boilers Instead OF one and positive IN
Istructions were given 70 watch carefully
all the hydraulic gear and report de-
i Night Was Calm and stil1.
In Describing the surroundings at the
time OF the explo1ion. Captain Sissbee stat
ed that the night was calm and stIil- The
/ l'sAlphonso KIP was Mt the same BERTH
/ The small Spanish dispatch boat .ISegnspe's
/ had come out the day before aud taken
the berth occupied by the German man-of-
war. the .'Gricsenau.s which had left The
steamer City OF washington was anchored
about two hundred yards 10 the south and
east OF the Names stern slightly on the
port quarter.
The Maine eonled at Key West taking
on about $50 tons, the coal being regularly
Inspected and taken from the government
coal pile. This coal was placed generally
In the forward bunkers No report was
received from the chief engineer that any
i haH ffsfat ION m
that the fire alarms In the bunkers were
sensitive.
In so far as the reguiations regarding
Indammables and paints on board, Captain
s.i.-.l... aiat