Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-31
FINDING OF THE COURT.

The First EXplos.on Caused by n
Mine Under chc Ship.
The following is the full text Of the
report of the court of inquiry:
U. S. S. Iowa, 1st rats: Key West, Fla,
Monday, March 2l, iSas-After full and
mature consideration of all the testimony
before it, the court finds al follows:
l. That the United States battleship
Maine arrived in the Harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 25th day of January, 1898.
and was taken to buoy No. 4, in from
live and one-half to six fathoms of water,
by the regular government pilot The
United States consul-general at Havana
had notified the authorities at that place,
the previous evening, of the intended ar
rival of the Maine.
@ The state OF discipline on board the
Maine was excellent, and all orders and
regulations in regard to the care and
safety of the ship Were strictly carried
out. All ammunition was slowed away
in accordance with instructions, and
proper care was taken Whenever ammu-
milton was handled Nothing was slowed
In any one of the magazines or shell
rooms which was not permitted to be
slowed there. The magazines and she'll
rooms were always locked after having,
been opened ;and after the destruction of
the Maine the keys were found in their
proper place in the captains cabin, every
thing having been reported secure that
evening at p.
The temperatures OF the ma aSazines and
shell rooms were taken daily and re-
ported. The only magazine which had an
undue amount Of hest was the after ten
inch magazine, and that did not explode
at the time the Maine was destroyed. The
torpedo war heads were all stored in the
after part Of the ship under the ward
room, and neither caused nor participated
in the destruction of the Maine.
The gun cotton primers and intonaters
were stored in the cabin aft and remote
from the scene Of the explosion. The
waste was carefully looked after on board
the Maine to obviate danger. Special or
ders in regard to this had been given by
the commanding officer. VArntshes, dry
ers, alcohol and other combustiles Of this
nature were slowed on or above the main
deck and could not had anything to
do with the
Destruction of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft un-
der the ward room, and remote from the
zone of the explosion. No dangerous
stores of any kind were slowed below In
any Of the other store rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected. OF
those bunkers adjoining the forward ma
gazines and shell rooms four were empty,
namely g. B 4, B 5, B 6. "A 49, had
been in use that day and "A 16' was full
Of new river coal. This coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving it on
IL
was accessible on three sides at all times.
and the fourth side at this time OH ac-
count Of bunkers "B A. and "B 6" being
empty. This bunker "a 49, had eben in
spected that day by the engineer officer
on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were In
working order. and there had never been
a case of spontaneous combustion of coal
on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship were
in use at the time of the disaster. but for
auxiliary purposes only with u 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 p. 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 acci-
dent caused by movements from those on
board.
The destruction ct the Maine occurred
at 0:4O D. M, on the 18th day Of Febru-
ary 1885, in the harbor Of Havana. Cuba,
being at the time moored In the same
buoy to which she had been taken upon
her arrival