New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-29
THE TESTIMONY IN DETAIL.
OFFICERS OF THE MAINE, Di'ENo n->D
OTHERS BEFORE THE COUNT
oI. INQUIRY.

ovr,crps OF THE MAINE DIVERS AND
OTHERS BEFORE THE COURT
OF INQUIRY.
uosh,r,,on March 2s.-The most important
.,-o, =, tho testimony taken by the Maine
Court Of Inquiry are as follows:
CAPTAIN sIGsBEE'S STORY.
captan sigsbee in testifying before .he ,9ur. - y.
rr,,,rv which convened IN the Harpor oi n~'
Monday. February 2l said that ne assumed In "-
n,ond of the Maine on April 10. 1897. and that ms
,i rr,,,od in the haroor OF Havana the last ume
Jnvorv .. 1895 The authorities at Havana khe"
of the Names coming, Consul-Generai Lee na'n's
informed the authorities, according 10 oinca' @u
tom, After he took on an ofclal p'ioe se',' ~ N
Can.a,n OF the Port OF Havana, the snip Wa
herthed in the man-ofwar anchorage OF inc NO
h,ra or the Shears which, according 10 MS unoer-
standing was one OF the regular buoys OF the p'ace'
He then stated that he had been IN havana IN
,e-o and again in 1873 He could not state "he'ne'
,ha Maine was paced in the usual berth Tor men
of-var but said that he had heard remarks s'ncs
,ha axnIos,on using Captain Stevens. Temporarily
,r command OF the Ward Line steamer Cly OF
Washington as authority for the Statement. 'nae u"
had never known in all his experience "nich Gov
cred visits 10 Havana for five or six years man.
o,-war TO be anchored at that buoy: that ne had
ara,v known merchant vessels to be anchored
there and that II was the least-used buoy III INC
barhor In describing the surroundings wheh nrs'
moored to his buoy. captain sigsoee stated 'ha' IN"
cnanish tnan-o.- Alphonso XII was mooreo IN
the nosition now occupied by the Fern about TWO
hu,dred and hfty yards 10 the northward and west
ard q, ,he Maine. The German ship Gniesenau
nos anchored at the berth now occupied by the
Snanish man-of- f-war Segaspe. which Is ABOUT -FOUR
hundred yards about due north from the Maine ~
,ha, located the German man-of-war Charlotte.
which came into the harbor day or two later.
h,cb was anchored 10 the southwark OF the
Names berth about four hundred or i've hundred
yards.
THE NIGHT OF THE EXPLOSION.
T. aescr,b,ng the surroundings at the time OF the
exnlosion Captain Sgsbee stated that the night was
calm and still The Alphonso XII was at the same
berth The small Spanish dispatch-ooat Segasps
had come out the day before and taken the berth
occupied by the German man-of-war. the Gniess-
nau which had left The steamer city OF Wash
,,p,on was anchored about two hundred yards 10
the south and east OF the Manes stern. slightly
on the port quarter The Maine coGled at Key
West taking on about one hundred and nifty tons.
the coal being regularly Inspected and taken from
the Government coal pile. This coal was placed
generally in the forward bunkers. No report was
received from the chief engineer that any coal
had been too long in the bunkers. and that the nrs
alarms In the bunkers were sensitive
| Concerning the regulations regarding inhamna-
h,s. and paints on board. Captain sigsbee testi-
aed that the regulations were strictly carried ous
In regard to stowage. and that the waste was Also
.b,ected 10 the same careful disposition As 70 the
| .,,ua.ion OF the paintroom. he fixed II a. IN the
."vs. q, ,hs shin" jus, below the berth deck. the
.~,r.r. forward compartment. AS for the as
| position OF innammables they were stowed |"
| shests according to regulations. ana wnen imam
| nabies were in excess OF chest capacty '"sy
Allowed to be kept In the bathroom OF tns
] cabin Regarding the electric plant % t''