The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-03-30
NO ACTION is SUGGESTED
Maioe Sent to Havana on General Tee
Request-Her Mission Purely One
OF Peace - spain Informed OF
Maine Inquiry Findings
Full Text Of the
Document


port, findings and testimony, whicb
forms a document OF about 100, 0Ot
words The message was read in both
houses and promptly referred, without
debate, TO the foreign affairs commit.
tees. The findings of the court of in
quiry were also read in the Senate,
and were then, together with the tes.
timony, referred to the foreign affairs
committee. Two thousand copies Of
the report and findings were ordered
printed for the use OF senators and
representatives
The report IS very brief, and con.
tains nothing hat was not covered in
the abstract which was printed yes
terday.
President McKinley's message was
as follows:
ITO the Congress of the United States.
For some time prior to the visit OF the
Maine to Havana har Dor onr consular rep
resentatives pointed out the advantages to
flow from the visit Of national ships to the
Cuban waters In accust0ming the people to
the presence Of our flag as the symbol of
good will and Of our ships In the fulhllment
of the mission Of protection to American
interests, even though no immediate need
therefor might exist
Accordingly on the oath of January last
after conference with the Spanish minister
In which the renewal of visits of our war
We ssels 20 Spanish waters was discuss ed
and accepted, the penlnsular authorities
at Madrid and Havana were advised of The
purpose of this government to resume
frie1dly naval visits at Cuban ports and
that In that view the Maine would forth
with call at the port Of Havana
This announcement was received by the
Spanish government with appreciation of
the friendly character of the visit Of the
Maine and with notification Of intention to
return the courtesy by sending Spanish ships
10 the principal ports of the United States
meanwhile the Maine entered the port
OF Havana on the 25th day OF January, her
arrival being marked with no special Incl
dent besides the exchange of customary
salutes and ceremonial visits
The Maine continued in the harbor Of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival No appreciable excitement
attended her stay Upon the contrary. a
ieeHng OF relief and confidence followed the
resumption of the long Interrupted friendly
intercourse. SO noticeable was this imme.
date effect of her visit that the consul
general strongly urged that the presence
OF our ships in Cuban waters should be
kept up by retaining them at Havana. or
In the event Of her recall, by sending there
a Nthscl 20 take uer place.
AT forty minutes past 9 In the evening
on the 10Th of February the Maine was de-
stroyed by an explosion, by which the en-
tire forward part Of the ship was utterly
wrecked. In this catastrophe two oficers
and 26O OF her crew perished. thoss who
were not killed outright by her explosion
being penned between decks by the tangle
OF wreckage and drowned by theimme al ate
sinking Of the hull Prompt assistance
was rendered by the neighboring We ssels an
chored in the harbor, aid being especially
given by the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Alphonso Nj and the Ward line steamer
city OF Washington, whichlay not far dis
tant The wounded we're generously cared
Tor by the authorities OF Havana the hos
pitals being freely opened to them, while
The earliest recovered bodies Of the dead
were Inferred by he municipality In a pub
Tic cemetery In the city The tributes Of
grief and sympathy were offered from ali
omcial quarters OF the island
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing force
and for brief time an intense excitement
prevailed, which, IN community less lust
and selt-cOntrollcd than ours. might have
lea TO asty acts Of blind resentment This
spirit however soon gave way to the
calmer processes OF reason and 10 the re-
solve 70 investigate the fac Is aud await the
material proof before forming Judgment
as TO the cause, the responsibility aud. II
the facts warranted the remedy due.
'Ihis course necessarily recommended
itself from the outset TO the executive. FOR
only In the light of dispassionately ascer-
tained certainty could il determine the na.
lure ana measure Of its fnll duty IN the
matter
This mode OF procedure IS proce eded with
In an cases Of casualty or disaster 10 na-
uonal vessels OF any maratime state. A
haVai court OF inquiry was at once organ
yea composed OF oniccrs well qualified by
ran ana practical experience to DISCHARGE
the onerous duty imp posed upon them. Aided
by strong force OF wrsc ckers and divers,
the court proceeded 10 make a thorough
investigation ON the spot, employing every
available means for the impartial aud ex-
act determination of the causes of the ex-
plosion Its operations have been conducted
with the utmost deliberation and Judgment
ana while independently pursued. no
source of Information was neglected and
the fullest opportunity was allowed for a
simult taneous Investigation by the Spanish
authorities.
"rne finding OF the court Of inquiry was
re achcd after twenty three DAYS OF contin-
uous labor, on the 2lst of March. instant.
ana having been approved on the 22d by
the comm ander-ln- chief Of the United
states naval force on the North Atlantic
station was transmitted TO the executive.
II IS herewith laid before Congress to-day,
taken before the court
Its purport Is In brief as follows: when
the Maine arrived al Havana she was con-
Quoted by the regular government pilot TO
buoy No a. 70 which she was mOored in
FROM ave and one half to six fathoms OF
water
The state OF discipline on board and the
eondluon OF her magazines boilers. coal
bunkers ana storage compartments are
passed In review, with the conclusion that
Ncellent order prevailed and that no iudl-
cation OF any cause for an internal explo-
sion existed In any quarter
AT o'clock ia the evening Of February
10 everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet
"At forty minutes past Q O'Clock the ves-
sci was suddenly DESTROYED
There were two distinct explosions with
brief interval hetween thers The hrst
htted the forward part OF the ship very
pereeptbly. the second, which was more
prolonged Is attributed BY the court 10 The
partial explosion OF two or more of me ior-
ward magazines
The evidence Of the divers essablishe
that the after part of the ship Was practi
caiy intact and sank In that condition
very few minutes after the explosion. Tn
forward part was completely dc molished
Upon the evidence Of concurre nt exter
nal cause. the hnding Of the court is as fol
lows;
''fhat frame ~, the outer shell ~ IN
ship from point eleven aud one-half fec
from the middle line Of he ship and ST
feet above the keel when Ia its normal DC
hiuon, has been forced up so as 10 be nol
about four feet above the surface of th
water; therefore about thirty-four fee
above where Il would be had the ship sun
puiujured
'rhe outside bottom plating Is bent int
reversed " shape. the after wing Z
which, about afieen feet broad and thiriy