The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1898-04-09

the court proceeded to make q thor
ough investigation on the spot, employ.
ing every available means for the i'm.
partial aud exact determination Of the
causes of the explosion.
It's operations have been conducted
with the utmost deliberation. and judg-
ment, and while independently pur.
sued, no source Of information was
neglected and the fullest opportunity
was allowed for a Simultaneous inves.
tigation by the Spanish government.
The finding Of the court OF inquiry
was reached after % days Of continu.
Gus labor, on the 21st OF March, in.
slant, and having been approved on
the Dad by the commander n.chief OF
the United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station, was transmitted
to the executive.
1t is herewith laid before the con-
gress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court.
Its purpose is, in brief, as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
eminent pilot to buoy No. 1, to which
she was moored in from five and one
half to six fathoms OF water.
The state Of discipline on board and
the condition Of her magazines, boil
ers, coal bankers and storage compart-
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.
Vessel Suddenly Destroyed.
At 8 o'clock on the evening Of Feb
ruary 18th everything had been re-
ported secure and oil was quiet.
At 40 minutes past o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There we're two distinct explosions,
with brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part Of
the ship very perceptibly; the second,
which was more open, prolonged and
OF greater volume, 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 very few minutes after the
explosion. The forward part was COM
pletely demolished.
Upon the evidence of the concurrent
external cause the finding Of the court
is as follows:
cat frame Is the outer shell of the
ship, from q point eleven and one. half
feet from the middle line OF the ship
and six feet above the keel whom in its
normal position, had been forced up
SO as to be now about four 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 reverse V shape, the after wing
OF which, about 10 feet broad and 80
feet in length from frame II to frame
25), is doubled back up in itself against
the continuation of the same plating
extending forward.
At frame 18 the vertical keel is brok-
en- in two and the fiat keel is bent in
TO an angle similar to the angle form.
ed by the outside bottom plates. The
break is now about six feet below the
surface OF the water and about 80 feet
above Its normal position.
In the opinion of the court, this
effect could have been produced only
by the explosion of mine situated
under the bottom Of the ship at about
frame 10 and somewhat on the port
side Of the ship.
Courts Conclusions.
The conclusions Of the court are;
The loss Of the Maine was not due
to negligence on the part Of any Of the
officers or members of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion Of submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion Of two
or more OF her forward magazines, and
that no evidence has been obtainsble
showing the responsibility of the de-
struction Of the Maine upon any per-
son or persons.
have directed that the finding Of
the court Of inquiry aud the views Of
this government theron be communi.
Gated to the government of her males
ty, the queeuf and lido not permit my
self to doubt that the sense Of justice
Of the Spanish nation will dictate
course OF action suggested by honor
and the friendly relations Of the two
governments.
1t will be duty OF the executive to
advise the congress Of the result, and
in the meantime deliberate considers.
ton is invoked.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, March 20, 1898.
In neither senate or house was there