Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-30

and after the destruction of the Maine the
keys were found in their proper place in
the captains cabin, everything having
been reported secure that evening at s
o'clock
The temperatures of the magazines and
shellr0oms were taken daily and report
ed. The only magazine which had an I'M
due amount Of heat was the after 10-inch
magazine, and that did not explode at the
time the Maine was destroyed. The tor
pedO war heads were all slowed Ill the
after part of the ship under the wardroom
and neither caused nor participated in the
destruction of the Maine.
1he dry guncOtton primers and detOn-
at0Is were slowed in the cabin aft and re-
mote from the scene Of the explosion.
The waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine to obyiate danger Spe-
cial orders i'll regard to this had been
given by the commanding officer. Var
nishes, dryers, alcohol and other corn
bustibles Of this nature were slowed on
or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the de-
struction Of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the WardrOom and remote from the
scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were
slowed below III any Of the other store
rooms.
The coalbunkers were inspected. Of
those bunkers adjoining the forward
magazines and shellrooms. four were
empty: namely, B3 b, B5, B6. Alb
had been in use that day ana A16 was
full Of new river coal. This coal had
been carefully inspected before receiving
it Oh board. The bunker in which it was
slowed is accessible on three sides at
all times, and the fourth side at this
time Oh account of bunkers B4 and B6
being empty. This bunker A16 had been
inspected that day by the engineer Of
ficer on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were in
working order, and there had never been
q case Of spontaneous combustion Of coal
on board the Maine.
The two after-boilers Of the ship were
in use ct the time Of the disaster but for
auxiliary purposes only, with a compare
lively low pressure of steam and being
tended by a reliable watch. These boil
ers could not have caused the explosion
of the ship, The four forward boilers
have since been found by the divers and
are in fair condition.
On the night Of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night at S D. m, by reliable
persons, through the proper authorities,
to the commanding officer AT the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet and therefore least liable to acct
dent caused by movements from those on
board.
The Explosions.
3. The destruction of the Maine occurred
at $40 p. N. on the 10Th day Of Feb
ruary, in the harbor Of Havana, Cuba,
being at the time moored at the same
buoy to which she had been taken upon
her arrival. There were two explosions
of distinctly different character with
very short but distinct interval between
them, and the forward part of the ship
was lifted to a marked degree at the time
of the first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the ma
ture Of q report, like that of gun; while
the second explosion was more open, pro-
longed and Of greater volume. The sec
ond explosion was, in the opinion of the
court, caused by the partial explosion of
two or more of the forward magazines
of the Maine.
Condition of the Wreck.
4. The evidence bearing on this being
principally obtained from divers, does not
enable the court to form a definite con-
clusion as to the condition of the wreck,
although it was esta blshed that the after