The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-04-02
REPORT OF COURT OF INQUIRY
THERE WERE TWO EXPLOSIONS
Result of the Investigation OF the
Wreckin@ of the Battfeshfp
Maine I'm Havana Hsrbor-No One
On Board to BIame-

Board to Blame-
Washington, March 27.--The report |
of the court of inquiry which investigat-
ed the wrecking of the battleship Maine
is made up of eight parts as follows;
First-The court finds that at the time !
of the explosion the battleship Maine
was lying in five and one half to six faith
oms Of water.
Second-The discipline aboard the ship
was excellent; everything stored accord
ing to REORGANIZATION guns, stores, |
etc. The temperature of the magazines
at p. m. was nominal, except in the
after l0-inch magazine, and that did not
explode.
Third-The explosion occurred at 9:40
O'Clock ON the evening of February 10.
There We're two explosions, with a short
interval between them. The ship lifted on
the first explosion.
Fourth--Thec curt can form no definite
opinion of the condition of the wreck
from the divers evidence except as to the
technical details of the wreckage, from
which the court deduces that a mine was
exploded under the ship on the port side.
Sixth--The explosion was due to no
fault of those on board.
Seventh-The opinion of the court
states that the explosion of the mine
caused the explosion of two magazines.
Eighth-The court declares that it can
not find evidence to fix responsibility.
Report Is Unanimous.
The report is unanimous, and is signed
by all the members of the court. II does
not refer to the existence or non-existence
of the mine in the harbor of Havana, eX-
cept in the specific findings that mine
was exploded under the ship and the
opinion that the explosion of the two
magazines was caused by the explosion of
a mine.
The report as Q whole is formal, dis
passionate recital of facts and bears the
stamp of that strict ofiicialism which
4 marks naval procedure. 1t is brief, not
= exceeding 1900 words. and among the
I eight points goes to the greatest length
under the second heading, which deals
with the discipline and order of the ship
This the court specifies with extreme mi
:. nuteness, the smallest detail OF the sat
: isfactory condition of everything OF
: board being given. The normal tempera
r ture of the large forward magazines at
n o'clocl<--only an hour and 40 minutes be
;, fore the Xplosion-disposes of the ques
l. ton of accidental combustion from III
teInal causes, they are nevertheless o
e the opinion that the explosion of tn
- mine under the port side of the ship caus
= ed the explosion of the two magazines
); This will explain the remarkable destruc
e tion wrought the explosion thus bein
q shown TO have combined the force of
mine without and the two magazine
within. The two explosions, which tn
court finds to have occurred with a shor
m interval between them, is an additions
IS detail showing that two forces operate
fl in causing the destruction, The findin
that the ship lifted on the first eXplo:
ion indicates an external source, and on
N cf tremendous power, to be able to lift
20 battlcship of thousands of tons. III
- character of the wreckage, technically d.
scribed in the fifth part of the repor
es from which the court deduces that min
in was exploded under the ship on the POI
side. sustains the view taken by son
experts shortly after the disaster thi
= the force of the explosion was eXertt d fro
, port to starboard
=. Captain Sigsbce ExoBersted.
N The feature of the report of deepest il
ii terest TO the navy is the complete eXol
"a Grafton of Captain Sigsbee and all {
IS board contained in the second findin
ne setting forth the perfect order and di
e. cphne prevailing on the ship and mo
IN directly stated in the sixth finding, whit
of declares the disaster to be due to no fau
lie OF those on board
d, b. The inability of the court to find es
es denee to Fix the responsibility, as stat,
Is, in the eighth part, makes the report
We guarded in expression of blame tn
ed neither Spain nor the Spanish are me
n toned throughout.