davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01

board Tho divers reported to witness
flat at point where the l0inch shell
room should be they discovered 10tnch
shells regularly arranged but the ship
had sunk down 30 much that some OF tho
shells were in the mud S
BE Hole IN the Mud. @'I
Gunner Morgan reported that in walk.
ing on the bottom he fell into a hole on
the port side and went down in the mud
He also reported that, as far rs he could
Judge, everything seemed to be bent up
ward in the vicinity of this hole. He also
reported That the plates seemed to have
been pushed over to the sturbourd and
then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a6-inch
powder tank that he saw appeared to be
an empty tank broken by tho explosion,
as it was not badly denied and merely
ripped the length Of the seam. A lO-inch
tank was badly battered out of any con-
ccivable shape
Continuing. witness said the divers up
to tho night before he was then on the
stand had not been on the outside Of the
ship. The mud was too deep for them to
walk ON the bottom. 4.
"What is the condition of the starboard
turretp" the witness was asked.
'To my knowledge 1t has not been
found, sir" was tho reply.
What impression is produced upon
your mind by tho reports SO fur as you
havo quoted thcm?" Ensign Powelson
was asked.
From reports alone or from the appear
ance of tho wreck"
EITHER from such reports or the condl-
lions which you believe to exist"
1.-The impression produced upon me-"
replied the witness, "is that an explosion
took place we'll to tho port of the midship
line, and at a point in the length about
opposite tho coming tower.
Based Oh Observation.
Witness, in reply to further questions,
said his opinion was based upon the OBJ
servation of things above water. He gave
no weight to Mr.. Morgnn's statement
about falling into II holo OH the port side,
because Morgan might have boon mis-
taken about 1t. Referring to his notes
made of things Oh the Maino, Ensign
Powclson snid that the arc Of the engine
room telegraph and tho shaft Of the steer
gear coming down through tho armorei
tube (t,lrrct) was bent from port to star
board The port side Of the protected
deck was covered with Il greasy deposit,
the starboard side being comparat vely
FREQ from 1t.
Tho forward smoke pipe, between the
main and superstructurc decks, did not
show signs of tho internal pressure Of
cases. On the main deck forward Of the
coming tower, where the fore and after
angle bulb beam WAS To- atod, tho plank
ing was blown of on the only remaining
plato of tho main deck on tho port
side, while tho wood was still
hat tina
stnrbonrl side between tho coming tower
b,lse and the turrcts. What Witness saw
would indicate that tho pressure lifted
tho protective deck up on tho port side,
and the protective dock on tho starbotrd
side hold fast and bont that deck down.
ward. Witness here exhibited two
sketches to the court showing diagram Of
various parts of tho sunllcn ship anu ex-
nlninel them to tho court.
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
REPORT OF THE COURT

Text OF the Findings Of the Maine Board
oS IpQuiry.
The following 10 q full text of the 70
port OF the court Of inquiry:
United States steamship Iowa, LIST rate.
Key West. Fla, Monday. March VI.
1888.
After full and mature consideration
of all tho testimony before it, tho court
finds as follows:
1. 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
five and half to six fathoms OF water,
by the regular government pilot.
The United States consul general at
Havana had notified the authorities 1t
that place. the previous evening. OF
tho intended arrival Of the Maine.
2. 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 car.
Eied out.
All ammunition was slowed away In
accordance with instructions, and
proper care WAS taken whenever am
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
FIRST UNDER WATER.

CAPTAIN Of the city Of Warrington Tells
Of the Explosion. /.
Captain Frank Stevens of the City Of
Washington testified he was standing
amidships Of his ship where he could look
towards the Maine when she was blown
up. He heard q dull, muffled explosion
and commotion, us though it was under
the water, followed instantly by o terrific
explosion, lighting up the sky with a dull
red glare and filing the air with flying
missiles which fell around him. He felt
q trembling of his ship at the last OF tho
explosions on the Maine. There was .
decided interval between the first no,se
and the explosion. He was standing
where he COZ. d SIC The Maine lift. !
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
fcers or members Of tho crew Of said
Nine Wns the ca use.

ncers or mombers OF the crew Oh s"A"
vessel. r..,-.
Mine Nns the Cauas.
z. In the opinion Of the court tho
Maine was destroyed ny the explosion
of submarine mine, which caused the
partial explosion OF two or more OF her
forward magazines.
8. The court has been unable to OBJ
tain evidence fixing the responsibility
for the destruction of the Maine upon
any person or persons.
w. T. SAMPSON, Captain y. S. n.
49,, President.
A. MARK, Lieutenant Commander
U. S. n, Judge Advocate.
The court having finished the in
quiry it was ordered to make, ad.
journed at ii q. M, to await tie action
OF the converting authority.
w. T. SAMPSON. Captain U. 8. N.
rs, President.
A. MARK, Lieutenant Commander, U.
S.N. Judge Advocate.
U. S. flagship New York, March ~.
1898. of Key West, Fla.
The proceedings and, findings OF the
court OF inquiry in the above case are
approved.
NJ. E. S1cARD, Rear Admiral, Com.
mander.i in. Chief Of the U. $. naval
force on the North Atlantic station.
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
SlGSBEE ON THE STAND.

Commander Of the Maine Tolls What He
Knows Of the Disaster.
Captain Sigsbec, in testifying before the
court of inquiry which convened in the
harbor of Havana, Monday, Feb. 81, said
that he assumed command of the Maine
on April 10, 1887, and that his ship arrived
in the harbor of Havana the last time
Jan. Is, $685. The authorities at Havana
knew of tho Names coming, Consul Gen.
eral Lee having informed the authorities,
according to official custom. He took in
the pilot sent by the captain Of the port Of
Havana and the ship was berthed In tho
msp-of-war anchorage of the Machina,
or tho Shears, and according to his under.
standing, was one Of the regular buoys
of, the place. He then stated that he had
been in Havana in 1872, and again In 1888.
He could not state whether the Maine
was placcd in the usual berth for men-of-
war. but said that he had heard remarks
since the explosion, using Captain Stew
ems. temporarily in charge of the Ward
liner City of Washington, authority for
the statement that he had never known in
all his experience, which covers visits to
havana for five or six years, vessel OF
war to be anchored at that buoy; that ho
had rarely known merchant vessels to BIO
anchored there, and that it was the least
used buoy in the harbor. In describing
the surroundings when first moorcd
to this buoy, Captain Sigsbee
stated that the Spanish man.
of.war Alfonso XIII was moored
In position now occupied by the Fern
about Is yards to the northward OF the
wre:kage Of the Maine. Tho German
ship Griesenau was anchored at the berth
now occupied by the Spanish man-of-war
Legaspe, which is about 400 yards about
due north from the Maine. He then To-
Gated the German man-of-war Charlotte,
which came into the harbor day or two
later, which was anchored to the south
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
Conclusion Reached That the
Vessel Was Wrecked by a
Submarine Mine.
MESSAGE ACCOMPANIES IT
Formal Statement From the
President, but No Rec
concentrations.
Spain Is Notified, and Is Re-
lied Upon to Do the
Proper Thing.

WASHINGTON, March 29.-The presi.
dent has sent to congress the report OF
the Maine board Of inquiry into the loss
Of that battleship. Accompanying the
report was the following message to
congress-:
To the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit OF
the Name to Havana harbor our con.
sular reports pointed out the advan.
tages to follow from the visit OF ma
tionai ships to the Cuban waters in ac'
oustoming the people to our flag as the
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01

The captain told of the escape from tho
sinking boat and in reply to the direct
question of whether any of tho magazines
or she'll rooms were blown up the captain
said it WAS extremely difficult to como to
any conclusion. The center Of the ex.
piosion was beneath and little forward
Of the coming tower on the portside. In
tho region of the center Of tho explosion
was the 6-inch reserve magazine which
contained very little powder, about 800
pounds. The l0-inch magazine was in the
same general region but on the starboard
side. Over the 1O-inch magazine in tho
loading room of the turret and in the ad.
Joining passage number Of 10-incb
shells were permanent y placed Accord
ing to Captain Sigsbee 1t would be diff.
cult to conceive the explosion involved
lO.inch magazine because Of the location
of the explosion.
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01
BIG MASS OF TESTIMONY.
Court Occupied Eighteen Days In Hear
Ing Evidence.

Court Occupied Eighto~n Days In Hear
Ing Evidence.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The i'm.
mense mass of testimony taken by the
Maine court of inquiry was sent to the
senate, and with the presidents mes
sage and findings of the court was re-
terred to the committee on foreign
relations. The testimony was taken
on Is different days, the 18th day, how
ever, being devoted to viewing the
wreck. Every witness who was known
to have any information that could
throw light upon the great disaster was
called to give his testimony. The story
of the destruction OF the vessel is told
not graphically but in manner which
gives all the obtainable facts. No TECH
meal detail is omitted. Every move
ment and incident connected with the
Maine from the time she left Key West
until the
Last Diver Examined tho Wreck.
slowly sinking in the mud Of Havana
harbor is given. 1t is story intensely
interesting to the people. Those who
read it could have little doubt Us to
whether there was an internal explo'
sion. Perhaps the most significant
testimony is that showing the bottom
Plates on the port side OF the Inflated
Maine to be bent inward and upward,
result that hardly could have FOL.
lowed anything save an explosion from
the outside. A mass of testimony Is
submitted showing the care exercised
on board the ship by Captain Sigsbee
and his officers and the apparent lm.
possibility OF the accident occurring by
any internal cause.
siesbee's story tho Most Important.
The testimony of Captain Sigsbee ID
Of tho greatest importance Ind perhaps
is Of more general interest than that OF
any other man called before tho board.
With great care and minutenes she gives
an account of the management OF the
ship, how she was handled, what was
done from day to day on board, how
she sailed into Havana, her anchorage
and what he knew about it and in fact
every point upon which the govern.
ment and the country desires to be in.
formed. Nothing in Captain Sigsbee's
5testim ony shows that the anchorage
was changed or that it was considered
dangerous by any one.
= Second to the Importance OF the tes'
timony of Captain Sigsbee is that OF
Ensign Powelson who had charge OF
the divers and knew from day to day
whit tho Divers Found.
This officer was infinitely informed az
to the construction Of the Maine and
everything about her. His testimony
was to q certain extent a technical
bearing upon tho construction Of the
ship, her plates, ETC., but it was from
these plates and this technical knowl.
edge that he was able to declare that
the e1 piosion took place from the out
side.
The divers, Morgan, Olsen and
Smith, all contributed important evi.
dence. They testified that the plates
were bent inward on the bottom port
side and outward on the starboard side.
Nothing in the testimony fixes re.
sponsibility. No conspiracy is ap-
parent and no knowledge Of the plant.
ING of q mine is shown.
Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01

ship, from q point 1111 feet from the
middle line Of the ship and 6 feet above
the keel when in its normal position,
has been forced up 20 - to 10 now
about 4 feet above the surface Of the
water; therefore, about "a feet above
where it would be had the ship sunk
uninjured. The outside bottom plating
il bent into . reversed ~" shape, the
after wing Of which 10 about Is feet
broad and 81 feet in length (from frame
II to frame 25), 10 doubled back upon
itself against the continuation Of the
same plating extending forward.
At frame Is the vertical keel 10 brok.
en- in two and the fat keel bent into an
angle similar to the angle formed by
the outside bottom plating. This break
10 now abo1t six feet below the surface
Of the water, about 30 feet above its
normal position. In the opinion of the
court this effect could have been pro-
duced only by the explosion OF q mine
situated under the bottom Of the ship
Ut about frame l8 and somewhat on
the port side of the ship.
q. The court finds that the loss OF
the Maine on tho occasion named was
not in any respect due to fault of neg
ligsncs on the part Of any Of the or
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
SCHEME TO GET A FREE RIDE.
Story of Enforcement Told by
Thomas Beckwit to Chicago Police.

CHICAGO, Dec. 3.-Thomas Beckwith, of
Boston, walked into the Harrison-street po-
lice station to-day and asked to be arrested.
He confessed to the embezzlement of $15, 600
from Niles & Co., Boston His request was
promptly complied with. Beckwith, who had
but $3.50 left Of the $4,000, said that he
chose to give himself up rather than COM
nit suicide, which course he had first de-
cided on. Beckwlth broke down completely
and cried like a child.
According to his confession, Beckwith
was up to three weeks ago secretary for
Niles brothers, pork packers, at n and 70
South Park street, Boston. Six years ago
he began to take small amounts of money,
the implicit faith of the firm put in him
drink" said Beckwith. II had never used
liquor till then, nor gambled, but the amount
finally grew so large that / needed some
thing to brace me and l drank. Three weeks
ago l went on hunting trip in Maine and
while there / received a, message from my
family saying my private bank account had
been attached by the firm. l knew then that
/ was discovered and boarded the first train
for Chicago, reaching here with $1,000. Last
night drank excessively and when / awoke
this morning / found l had been robbed or
500" BeckWith said he then determined to
wife made him change his mind. Beckwith's
home is in Summervile, Mass.
In response to inquiries the police mere
received message this afternoon from the
Boston police saying BeckWith was not
wanted there that so far as they knew he
was not a defaulter and that he had prob
ably told his story to the chicago ponce IN
order to be sent back to Boston free.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04

(of Nov. 10, 1889 has to say about the great
firm Of D. H. Baldwin & Co.:
The house of Baldwin is one of the oldest in
the country. It has its original houses In Ohio,
Indiana and Kentucky, besides being represented
in ST Louis as well Chicago, and all the larger
cities OF the United States. The various factories
are located at Chicago and Cincinnati.
Is there another institution in the piano and
organ trade just like this house of Baldwin either
in character of its general business and industrial
proceedings or the method of its transaetions2
Sdmitting the extent and diffusion of its assets,
this house has them all firmly within its grasp,
an evidence Of the scientific character OF its bus-
ness system.
Notwithstanding the elaboration and extent OF
ite Recruitment Of manufactures, consisting Of a
number Of piano factories in Cincinnati and the
Hamilton organ factory in Chicago, the me-
chanical system is so thoroughly organized that
scientific basis, reared upon careful study of in
dustrial laws applied especially to pianos and
organs Following upon this system OF produc-
ton there is another and separated system OF
distribution that is just as thoroughly organized
plan is reduced to one organism, representing a
complete illustration of fin de sieoSa piano and
organ business which cannot be duplicated, and
other Institution in this piano and organ business
just like the house OF Baldwin,"
No: there is not
The causes behind this? Well they are not 50
far to seek. The members OF this great corpora
ton are endowed with that intellectual fiber that
assimiIates with the constantly progressing
ment OF the period that includes them and their
activity. They anticipate the approaching con-
ditions and, instead Of contending against them
they absorb them when they apply to their par
ticuIar line. Possessing comprehensive and In
teligent grasp Of the whole field. they can readily
cultivate all its possibilities through the COM
rland they hold over its resources. Such is the
concentrated philosophy Of the Baldwin phe-
no-nenOn. one Of the most suggestive and sig
nifcant in the musical instrument industry OF the
Union
We carry full line or Baldwin, Ellington
Howard Valley Gem and Hamilton pianos. all
products OF the factories at Cincinnati and Chi
cage and invite the closest inspection. d III
baldwin q Co.. l4s and ii7 North Pennsylvania
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04

]. Knapp, United States navy; Capt Henry
H. Whitney, United States army; Senator's
Shelby NJ Cullom, Henry Cabot Lodge,
Charles w. Fairbanks, Charles j. Faulkner,
George l.. Shoup: Representatives Nelson
Dingley, Robert r. Hit, Champ Clark;
Gen. Felix Agnus Maryland; T. Jefferson
Coolidge, Massachusetts; Charles G. Dawes,
controller of the currency; Gen. Granville
M. Dodge; Charles II. Duell commissioner
of patents; II. Clay Evans, commissioner of
pensions; Charles DENLY, eX-minister to
China; John w. Foster. eX-secretary of
state; David j: Hill, assistant secretary of
state; George D. Meikeljohn, assistant sec
rotary OF war; 1. A. Pradt, assistant attor
ney general; John Addison Porter, secretary
to the President; Prof. Henry S. Pritchett,
United States coast survey; DR.. Walter
Wyman. United States marine hospital serv
ice; ]. d. Yeomans, interstate commission
err; John Russell Young, librarian of Con-
gress; Scott c. Bone, Washington Post;
George 3. Cortelyou, assistant secretary to
the President; Charles H. Cramp, Philadel-
phia; Henry w. Fuller, general passenger
agent of the c. e. Q. Railroad; T. M. Hep
burne, England; Joseph Letter, Illinois;
Gonzales de Quesada, Cuba.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
PATENT LAWS MAY BE CHANGED.
Prospective Recommendations of the
Federal Commission.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3-The government
patent commission which has been inquiring
into needed changes in the system, expects
to submit it's report to Congress about the
beginning of the new year. 1t has prac-
tically decided to recommend that applicants
for patents who applied abroad previous to
filing here be given priority here from the
date of application abroad If application is
flied here within seven months thereafter.
The effect of this is to antedate the appli-
cation here giving it the date when it was
filed in the foreign country. 1t also doubt
less will recommend abolishing caveats. The
trade mark matters, however, present great
difficulties The commission is seeking to
proceed as far as possible and is anxious
to effect general trademark law, to
which, however, o recent Supreme Court de-
cision stands in the way. This decision held
the law for the general registry of trade
marks to be invalid, and that Congress
could only provide for registering trade
marks for use in foreign, interstate or In
dian commerce. The only trade mark now
issued is specifically required to be used in
foreign commerce. There are thirty-three
States having trademark registry system,
and the commission would like to have
general law in force if by any means posi-
bic. The commission is now considering
proposition to include in its scope the con-
sideration of these matters in the new terri
torial acquisitions of the United States.
Whether 1t is authorized to do so is not
quite determined, but if its duties are so
extended it opens up a wide field Of labor,
involving important complications, princi-
pally in the way of a conflict with the orig
inal schemes in the islands acquired. Hawaii
has a patent law of its own under which
up to the last year 1888 patents had been
issued. Under Spanish patent law, which
has applied to all its colonies there have
been 1900 patents issued since 1878 and up
to last year The Spanish patents are sub
ject to annual taxes to keep them alive, and
probably not over one-qudrter of them are
now in force. These patents already
granted, if now in force, it is contended,
ought to be continued in force for the
periods for which issued, these terms not be-
ing uniform. On this point it is cited that
Congress cannot impair the validity of con-
tracts. these points being unquestionably
good, considered as contracts The issue is
thus raised whether the United States will
grant patents applying to the United States
proper to the whole country as so ex-
tended. though the latter is believed to be
the more feasible course. AS to Cuba, whose
exact future status is not settled, the ques-
ton is thus rendered the more puzzling,
while the American citizens who go there
will want the same protection as here.
There doubtless will be an immense amount
of sugar, agricultural, pumping and other
machinery implements, etc, taken in there
and protection for which win be sought.