Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-03-02
EXPLOSION FROM BENEATH
CONFIRMED BY THE DIVERS.
Evidence That the Magazines on the
Battleship Maine Had Nothing to
DO With the Initial Explosion,
and Played = Small Part In the
Affair.

New York Feb. pa dispatch to the
Herald from Havana says:
| There is no longer any reason to doubt
that the explosion which wrecked the
Maine came from underneath the vessel
and that the magazines had nothing to dc
with the initial explosion and played a
much smaller part in the great disaster
than was at first supposed.
The evidence that has served to con.
vince the board was obtained by Ensign
Powellson, an officer attached to the Fern
Mr.. Powellson was formerly in the con-
struction corps and took two years spe-
cial course in the Glasgow school of naval
architecture. He is therefore competent
witness.
What he discovered was that the for
ward part of the keel of the Maine, with
its ribs and plates, was stove upward so
far that parts Of the shattered double bot
tom show out of water, and in places Sec
tions of the green-painted outer hull are
visible.
Corroborative Of evidence given by Pow
ellison, and of equal significance and i'm.
portance, is the result of the close exami-
Ia'loh MADE oy the d,Vers. "hat they
.ouhd ihdicates that the explosion came
from a point oeheath the keei. A pump
line dropped from point just forward Of
the coming tower would have iaid the
iead eAae'iy ON tne SPIT where the expo
SION occurred that move Keel and plates
ana rins almost TO the surface Inc man
iorce OF the explosion seems TO nave been
exerted shshtiy on the port SIDE oi the
vessel.
Ihis Is CONSISTENT with the iacts hither-
10 asceftained. Coliectiveiy these now IN
uicate that the contents Oh the reserve siN-
inch magazine We're exploded by the III
itiai oiast ana that there was no explosion
IN eithef Oh the other TWO. In tne reserve
magazine was slowed 2ooo POUNDS OF pow
DER IN copper tanks, each OF which con-
tanned Zoo POUNDS several OF these tanks
nave oeeh iouhd oy the di'ers all IN
crushed ana shapeiess masses
IL Is important to note That IN the SIN
men ana io,ihch TANKS recovered 'he eN'
~ ;.;,,.,' So, a., - 80. IN. no,,.
de-, stored in the s;x.;ncb reserve - maaa.
.,. - e.. -I...:.,-. -.
IT, IT, ,,,oa.a;',a ;.n.,s . r.r -. r., ha.,
,aft e. shov whor. n w.s onoo Iooa,.d
Tho ,,ndo. nar. of .ho m ;r,h ,,,ana.;,o
70 ,,.h,,,,r ;aa"a.ss;I,a - a;,ans +. ,ho
rnnor ,,a., ;s ,;nh,I,, ,ro5nod ,,ass -
nardor ovI;nd.ra Too haavv for tbo d;vors
to avtr;cato h,,. onna ra,,l, onn,o;n;n,,
,,n.xniodod nhoraos ~ no,ydcr Tha nor,
- - IS AZ. ~ ,,.s hoa, ~
ao.ad ~ .ho ,urooI' t. H. ~ ,ho aa,r;s
fa.,u.,a suLn,.r.J so,.o.aI Co.., -. ,ra
tor " "' ' ''
m. h,,, ;s ~ o,hoaaoa :, ,ho ,a a.
.,o don.h ~ a;oht to.t Tho d;vo'a s;nr
a. .,.s;s A. sI - A.
aroa.os, a;s;or,tn ;n nrosoon,;nn ,ha;r
work Tbose engaged on the forward mart
of the shin are under charge of Gunner
Charles Morgan. ar officer specially detail.
ed from the flagship New York for that
purpose.
M Doubt Remains.
- ~, =,
New io,k' req. m. Io.LIne man 'na n rA
press pr'h's '"e io'io"'hs' aa'eu ~ h"'
'a,M: ma.
"n'e VI .oui'e Tue uhe,''pe'' =, '"e
eou'' oi inquiry ~,h NO. u,N io' Puo,ica
.,o", ! am 'hiorieu oi' .he n's"es' ao'"o''
NY 'ha' 'ne e''uence ., Di'er Ao'ssh as
~ 'he eohu''oh vi .ne Ma'ne SHOWS ai'hoS'
oeyohd tne Poss,o''''y oi aouo.' IN .he
oPih,oh oi my ,h'o''hah.' ,ha' 'he Hin'he
was down up ny an OUTSIDE agent rur'
tnermore' morgans opinion Is Ver'nea py
o'ne' H'"ei''"" u''e'' ""o uee"'eu "
Tho oo,,,+ w;,, finish ia worl bero 70.
morrow and nroo.ad 20 Kev W.st 70 t.te
.as.;,,onr :. a. s,,,,,;vors .h.r. 7, h.s
49,, doa;aoJ not - -. - ua;.na an
;nto..o,;o,, -. .. AZ. go. - an. d;s.s,or
h.,,;nn 49, soom.oa
spain "ah" war;
Lohdon, req. So'-hccoroihg 10 speciai
u'SPa'e" from Sraal'u .ne reports received
mere i'o,i 'he oh''ea o,a'es' 10 the ehec'
.hs' Puo''c opinion m .ne iatei country
Is becoming more eNcited owing 10 'he I'M
Pressioh that the Maine disaster was not
que 10 an accident, are resthring popular
ieeihg mere TN maorid'' ana the eohVic-
t,on 10 increasing IN mihisteriai circles
tnat the worst must De expected Con-
tinuing' the dispatch says;
The government has no choice II the
United States adopts threatening atti-