The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-04-01
TOLD BY WITNESSES.
Extract of Important Testimony
Taken by the Court.


Lieut.. PowelsOn's Story Told on the
Third Day OF the SessiOn-Im-
pOrtant Discoveries Made
Up to That Time.
Washington, March 2S.-The following are
portions of the testimony:
Ensign w. v. N. Powelson was called
the third day Of the court. He testified
that he had been present on the Maine
every day from the arrival of the boat
Fern and during q great deal of the diving.
In reply to question to tell the court
all about the condition of the wreck, he
said the forward part of the ship forward
of the after smokestack had been to all
appearances completely destroyed. The
coming tower lay in q position opposite
the door leading to the superstructure aft
and to starboard, inclined at about ITO de-
grees to the vertical with the top of the
coming tower in board. Continuing, he
described with close detail the condition
under the main deck on the port side. The
fixtures were completely wrecked, while
fixtures in the same position on the star
board side were In some cases almost In
tact. The port bulkhead between the main
and berth decks at the coming tower sup
port had been blown aft ON both sides, but
q great deal more on the port than on the
starboard side. The fireroom hatch imme-
diatalv ahaft OF. the coming. tower had been
blown in three dfrectrons-art, TO STAR
board and to port. The protective deck
under the coming tower supports was bent
in two directions, the plates on the star
board side being bent up and on the lar
board side bent down..
In reply to an inquiry as to whether
he meant with reference to their original
positions Ensign Powelson replied affirma-
ttxrn1 fno
tective deck a few inches abaft Of the ar
mored tube, to port of the midship line.
was bent up to starboard Of the mid
ship line. Just forward of the coming
tower, underneath the deck, two beams
met at right angles; one beam was broken
and pushed from port to starboard. A
grating was found on the poop awning
just forward Of the after searchlight.
a piece of the side plating just abaft
Of the starboard turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward and then the for
ward end bent upward and folded back
ward upon itself. '"This plate was sheared
from the rest Of the plating below the
water line. This plating below the water
line has been pushed out to starboard."
The armored gratings of the engine room
hatch were blown off, A composition
strainer was picked up from the bottom
on the starboard quarter at point about
opposite the poop capstan and about 70
feet from 1t. The chief engineer thought
the strainer was from the firemen's wash
room. 1t was not strainer in the ships
side.
Near the piece of outside plating to
which witness referred above he said there
were pieces of red shellaced planks. On
these plankS was bolted O composition
track two inches wide and an inch thick.
Ensign Powelson then asked If the court
meant for him to say anything about what
A. .t..A 4.
The judge advocate replied that he would
like to have him state any important dis
coveries which might lead the court to
draw some conclusion as to the cause,
and II q diver gave such information to
state the divers name. Before doing so
the judge advocate asked witness to state
IL the forward and after part of the ship
were in line. Ensign Powelson replied
that as far as he could Judge they were
not. The end where the explosion oc-
CURED seemed to be pushed from port
to starboard from five to ten degrees, he
should judge, with the apex to the STAR
board. The divers reported to witness that
at a point whore the ten-inch she'll room
should be they discovered ten-inch shells
regularly arranged, but the ship had sunk
down so much that some of the shells were
in the mud.
Gunner Morgan reported that in walking
on the bottom he fell into q hole on the
port side and went down in the mud. He
also reported that as far as he could judge
everything seemed to be bent upward in
the vicinity of this hole. He also reported
that the plates seemed to have been pushed
over to the starboard and then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a six
inch powder tank that he saw appeared to
be an empty tank broken by the explosion,
as 1t was not badly denied and merely
ripped the length of the seam. A ten-inch
4 q n mn ha1 haNA -
ceivable shape.
Continuing, the witness said the divers
up to the night before he was then on the
stand had not been on the outside Of tho
Ship The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom.
what is the condition Of the starboard
turretT witness was asked
ITO my knowledge 1t has not been found,
sir" was the reply.
He understood something had been found
under the place where the turret formerly
was, but its exact character had not been
determined.
Impressions Of Ensign POveisOn.
what impression is produced upon your
mind by the reports, as far as you have
quoted them?" Ensign Powelson was asked.
From reports alone or from the appear
ance of the wreck?'
EITHER from such reports or the condi-
lions which you believe to exist"
1.-THE impression produced upon me-" re-
piled the witness, 'is that an explosion took
place well to port of the midship line, and
at q point in the length about opposite the
coming tower"
Witness in reply to further questions said
his opinion was based upon the observation
Of things above water. He gave no weight
to Mr.. Morgans statement about falling
into hole on the port side because Nor
gan might have been mistaken about It.
Referring to his notes made of things on
the Maine, Ensign Powelr 'n said that the
arc of the engine room telegraph and the
shaft of the steering gear coming down
through the armored tube (turreD was bent
from port to starboard. The port side Of
the protected deck was covered with
greasy deposit, the starboard side being
comparatively free from IL.
The forward smoke pipe, between the
main and superstructure decks, did not
show signs of the internal pressure Of
gases. On the main deck forward Of the
coming tower where the fore and after
angle bulb beam was located the planking
was blown off on the only remaining plate
Of the main deck on the port side while the
wood was stu attached to that part on the
starboard side between the coming tower