The record-union., 1898-03-29
| ship. The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom.
sTARBOARD TURRET GUNS.

ship. The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom.
STARBOARD TURRET GUNS.
What is the condition of the starboard
turret2 witness was asked.
ITO my knowledge, il has net 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 deter
mined
About what impression is produced
upon your mind?' Ensign Powelson was
From ships alone. or of the appearance
Of the wreck2"
Either from such reports or the con-
dltlon which you believe to exist
The impression produced upon me-" re-
piled the witness "is that an explosion
took place well to port of midship line,
ana at point in the length about oppo-
site the coming tower"
Witness then replied to further ques-
tlons that his opinion was based upon the
gave no weight 70 Mr.. Morgan's state
ment about falling into a hole on the port
side, because Morgan might have been
mistaken all the time. Referring to his
notes made of things on the Maine, En-
sign PoWellSOn said that the arch of the
englne-room telegraph and the shaft OF
me steering gear coming down through
the armored tube (turreD was bent from
port 10 starbOard. The port side of the
protected deck was covered with a greasy
deposit, the starboard side being compar-
ON MAIN DECK FORWARD.
The forward smoke pipe and the super
structure decks did not show any signs
OF the internal pressure of gases. On the
main deck forward of the coming tower,
where the fore and aft angle bulb was To-
Gated. the plankng was blown of on the
only remaining plate of the main deck on
the port side while the wood was stu
attached to that part of the starboard
side by side between the coming tower
base and the turrets. What the winess
saw would indicate that the pressure lift
ed the protective deck up on the port
side, and the protective deck on the star
| board side held fast, and bent that deck
downward.
Witness here exhibited two sketches to
the court showing a diagram OF various
parts of the sunken ship. and explained
them TO the court.
The witness evidence about the strip
on the Starboard side of the outside plat
ing of the ship. which was folded ana
rolled backward was recalled TO MN
! Powelson said he could see the plate
bent outward as it was only two feet
under water where the spear occurred.
Witness had. taken SoundingS, ana mad
found five fathOms of water on Dotn SldeS
of the Maine down to the mud. Iaking
a 14-pound lead line and dragging with
a wherrv for distractions on the port side.
dragging close to where he thought the
water ways would be found, he found no
side ne found obstructions for twenty feet.
where he had reason to believe the water
ways had originally been.
NOTHING LEFT OF PORT PLATING.
In answer to questions, Powellson said
there was nothing left of the port plating
at all. He. dragged along the outslde TO
see if anything had fallen out, and found
nothing. Witness thought the ship on
the port side was entirely gone opposite
a point indicated in diagram handed
to the court II was entirely blown up.
This concluded Ensign PoWellson s tes-
timony for the day.