The Meeker herald., 1898-04-02

DTWo11nB 0a mo 0oftOm Nc Ae1A b@t0s
Z hole on the port side and went dOwn2n
the mud. 70 also reported that As 9r
as he could judge everything seemetfo fo
be bent upward in the vicinity Of u
hole. He also reported that the plaks
. seemed to have been pushed over 10
the starboard and then bent down.
Ensign PoweIson then said that .
powder tank that be saw appeared TO
be an empty tank broken by the r.
pl0sion, as 1t was not badly dented I'D
merely ripped the length Of the sean.
The ten-inch tank was badly battefd
out Of any conceivable shape.
Continuing, witness said the divfs.
up to the night before he was the4On
the stand, had not been on the Outfde
Of the ship. The mud was too deep
for them to walk on the bottom.
What IL the condition Of the ttar-
board turretT' witness was asked.
ITO my knowledge 1t has not been
found, sir.'' was the reply. He uider-
stood something had been found near
the place where the turret formerly
was, but its exact location had not
been determined.
About what impression Is produced
upon your mind. 50 far rs you have
| quoted them?' Ensign Powelson was
asked
From reports alone or from the ap-
pearance of the wrecky'
Either from such reports or the con-
dition Of which you believe to exist"
4 1.-The impression produced upon me"
replied the witness. els that an explos-
! ion took place well to port Of amid
ships line and at point in the length
and about opposite the coming tower"
Is Witness then replied to further ques-
tions, and his opinion was based upon
the observation of things above water.
He gave no weight to Mr.. Morgnn's
i the port side because Morgan might
have been mistaken all the time.
| Referring to his notes made of things
on the Maine, Ensign Powelson said
that the arch of the engine room tele-
graph md the shaft of the steering
gear coming down through the arm
ored tube (tufret was bent from port
to stnrbOard. ] he port side of the pro-
tected deck Was covered with greasy
deposit. the s.arbOarl side being COM
paratively free from It.
The forwar'; smokepfpe between the
main and superstructure decks did not
show any signs of the internal pres
sure Of gases. On the main deck for
ward of the coming tower. where the
fore and aft angle bulb was located,
| the planking was blown of on the only
remaining plate of the main deck on
the port side. while the wood was still
attached to that part on the starboard
side between the coming tower base
and the turrets. What witness saw
would indicate that the pressure lifted
the protective deck up on the port side,
s,,,I At,x, 4Nr ST, "
board side held fast and bent that
deck downward. Witness here exhib-
tied two sketches to the court. showing
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
plating of the ship, which was folded
and rolled backwards, was recalled to
him, and POwelsOn said he could see
the plate underneath II was bent out
ward, ~ he could rec 1t was only two \
feet under water whefe tins spear sOc-
CURED. Witness had taken sountltngs,
and had found five fathoms OF water
ON both sides Of the Maine down to the
mud. Taking fourteen-pound lead
line and drnggiDg with a wherry for
distractions on the port side, dragging
close to where he thought the water
ways would be found. lie found no OBJ |
structiOns whatever On the starboard
side he found distractions for twenty
feet, where he had reason to believe
the water ways had originally been.
In answers to questions, said there |
was nothing left OF the port plating at |
nll. He dragged along the outside to
zee IL anything had fallen out and |
found nothing. Witness thought the
ship on the port side was entirely gone |
opposite point indicated on tlia-
gram handed to the court, 1t was en- |
tirely blown mp.
This concluded Ensign Powclson's |
Testimony on the third day.
Ensign Powelson was recaNed on the /
sixth day, when he said since his last
testimony he had received n book of
specifications from the Maine Re-
freshing his memory from these rec
ords he said the plates on the protect
i've deck were one inch thick, weigh
ing forty pounds per square foot.
Ensign POwelson, wishing to give
some testimony regarding the condi-
ton of the wreck. Gunners' Mate Ol-
sen, the diver, was admitted in order
that he might correct any erroneous
statement, the two having worked to
gether. AIR. PowelsOn said that on |
AUtu DlNVt w AoOA EElSUIttu
to him that on coming up from below
he had followed the forward and aft |
wings Of the V-shape made by the bot
tom plating Mt frame 10, and said Mt
the forward wing Of the v the plates
ran down on very steep slant and
then turned under End, out under the
starboard side: that Just above where
the plates turned te ~ under the star
hoard side he found Two dents as II
the plating had been bulged In be-
tween the frames from outside in.
The court asked the size Of these two
dents. NJ. Powelson replied that they
were about two and one-half feet long
and bulged In about six inches. He
further testified that Olsen again went
down and again came to rne surface at
II o'clock. saying he thought he had