The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-28
THE TESTIMONY.
Evidence Given Before the
Court Of Inquiry
Investigating the Destruction
of the Maine.
1T is ALL ONE WAY
And Proves Beyond a Shadow
of Doubt
That a Mine Exploded Beneath
the Vessel.
I Is ALL ONE WAY

are portions of the testimony given be-
fore the court of inquiry investigating
the wreck of the Maine:
Ensign w. V. N. PoweIlson 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 a great
deal of the diving.
In reply to a 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 deS-
trOyed. The coming tower lay in a
position opposite the door leading to
=! the superstructure aft, and to STAR
| board, inclined to about 10 degrees to
the vertical with the top of the coming
scribed 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 starbOard side We're in some cases
almost intact The port bulkhead be-
tween the main and berth decks, at the
coming tower support had been blown
aft on both sides, but a great deal more
on the pOrI. than on the starbOard
side. The frs room hatch Immediately
abaft of the coming tower had been
blown in three directions, aft, to star
board and to port. The protective
deck under the coming tower supports
was bent in two directions. the plates
on the starbOard side being bent up and
l.
In reply to an inquiry as to whether
he meant with reference to their orig
inal positions, Ensign POwellson re-
piled affirmatively. The beam sup
porting the protective deck a few inch
es abaft of the armOred tube to port of
the midship line was bent up to star
board of the midship line. Just for
ward of the coming tower underneath
the main deck, two beams met at right
angles; one beam was broken and
pushed from port to starbOard- A
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 forward end bent upward and fold
ed backward upon itself.
That plate was sheared from the rest
of the plating below the water line.
This plating below the water line had
been pushed out to StarbOard.
The armOr gratings of the engine
room hatch were blown off. A cOmpO-
station Strainer was picked up from the
bottom on the starbOard quarter at a
point about opposite the poop capstan
and about 20 feet from it The engin-
eer thought the strainer was from the
firemen's 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 a
composition track two inches wide and
an inch thick.
Ensign POWellSOn then asked II the
court meant for him to say anything
about what the divers reported or just
what he saw.
The judge advocate replied that he
would like to have him state any i'm
pOrtant discoveries, which might lead
the court to draw some conclusions a.
to the cause and if a diver gave such
information to state the Divers name
Before doing so the judge advocate
asked witnesses to state if the forward
and after part of the ship were in line.
Ensign POwellsOn replied that as far
as he could judge they were not. The
end where the explosion occurred
seemed to be pushed from port to star
board, from five to ten degrees, he
should Judge with the apex to the star
board. The divers reported to witness
that at a point where the 1O-inch shell
room should be they discovered 10-inch
shells regularly arranged but the ship
had sunk down so much that some of
the shells We're in the mud
Gunner Morgan reported that in walk
ing on the bottom he fell into a 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 pow
der tank that he saw appeared to be an
empty tank, broken by the explosion as
it was not badly dented and merely
ripped the length of the seam. A ten
inch tank was badly battered out of
any conceivable shape.
Continuing witness said the divers up
to the night before he went on the
stand had not been on the outside of
the ship The mud was too deep for
them to walk on the bottom.
What is the condition of the star
board turret?" witness was asked.
To my knowledge it has not been
found, sir" was the reply. He under
stood something had been found under
the place where the turret formerly was
but its exact character had not been de-
termined.
your mind by the reports so far as you
have quoted them?" Ensign PowelsOn
was asked.
From reports alone, or from the APP
pearance of the wreck"
Either from such reports, or the con-
ditions which you believe to exist
The impression produced upon me, 3"
replied the witness, lis that an eXplO-
sion took place, we'll to port of the mid
about opposite the coming tower
Witness in replay to further ques-
lions said his opinion was based upon
the observation of things above water.
He gave no weight to Mr.. Morgan'S
statement about falling into a hole on
the port side, because Morgan might
have been mistaken about it. Refer
ring to his notes, made of things on the
Maine. Ensign POwelson said that the
arch of the engine room telegraph and
the shaft of the Steerage gear coming
down through the armOred tube (turret)
was bent from port to StarbOard. The
port side of the protected deck was COW
cred with a greasy deposit, the star
board side being comparatively free