The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-30
Evidence That Was Presented.

WAsHINGToS, March 2s.-The immense
mass of testimony taken by the Maine
court of inquiry was sent 10 the Senate
today. and, with the Presidents message
and findings of the court, referred to the
Committee on Foreign relations The tes-
timony was taken on eighteen different
days, the fourteenth day, however, being
devoted to viewing the wreck. Every
witness who was known to have any in
formation that could throw iightu upon the
great disaster was called to give his testi-
nony. The story of the destruction of
the vessel is told. not graphically, but in
a manner which.gives all the obtainable
facts. No technical detail is omitted.
Every moment and incident connected
with the Maine, from the time she left
Key West until the last diver examined
the wreck, slowly sinking in the mud Of
Havana harbor is given. 1t is story in
tensely interesting to the American peo-
pie. Those who read it could have little
doubt as to whether there was an internal
or external explosion. Perhaps the most
significant testimony is that showing the
bottom plates on the port side of the i'll
fated Maine TO be bent inward and up
ward, result that hardly could have fol-
lowed anything save an explosion from
the outside. A mass of testimony is sub
miited showing the care exercised on
board the ship by Captain Sigsbee and
his officers, and the apparent impossible
ty of the accident occurring by any inter-
nal cause, such as the heating Of the
bunkers, spontaneous combustion, or
from other causes upon which so many
theories were based.
The testimony of Captain Sigsbee is of
the greatest importance, and, perhaps, is
of more general interest than that of
any other man called before the board.
With great care and minuteness he gives
an account of the management of the
ship, how she was handled, what was
done from day to day on board, how she
sailed into Havana, her anchorage, and
what he knew about it, and, in fact,
every point upon which the government
and country desires to be informed.
Nothing in Captain Sigsbee's testimony
shows that the anchorage was changed,
or that it was considered dangerous by
any one.
Second to the importance OF the tesu-
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
minutely informed as to the construction
of the Maine, and everything about her.
His testimony was, TO a 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 Morgan, Olsen and Smith
all contributed important evidence They
testified that the plates were bent inward
on the bottom port side, and outward on
the starbOard side.
The story of the explosion is told by
different witnesses, and adds little 10
what Captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related.
Nothing in the testimony fixes respon-
sibility, no conspiracy is apparent, no
knowledge of the planting of mine is
shown. Captain Sigsbee states that
somewhat bitter feeling existed against
the American ship and Americans gener-
ally, and witness, whose name is sup
pressed, tells OF overhearing a conver-
sation among Spanish officers and citi-
zen, indicating a foreknowledge of the
destruction of the Maine by intention
to blow her up. An official of the Amer
lean consulate tells of information re-
ceived anonymously, tending to show
that conspiracy existed. But nothing
is definitely stated which fixes any re-
sponsibility upon Spain or her subjects.