Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-29
MAINE TESTIMONY.
II is Sent TO The Senate and Appropn-
ately Referred.
IUTpuCpfV INTpppcTINC CTnpV
INTENSELY INTERESTING STORY.
Those Who Read II Can Have No DOub
Explosion Was External.
GENERAL LEE ON THE SHIPS VISIT.
Spanish Authorities Pretended to Be-
Iicve That This Country Had
UIterior Motive I'm Sending the
Vessel-sigsbee and PoweIson.

WASfflNGIONs MARCH 8-lne I'M
mense mass OF testimony taken by the
Maine court of inquiry was sent to the
Senate to-day. and with the Presidents
message and the findings of the court.
referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations. The testimony was taken on
eighteen different days, the fourteenth
day, however, being devoted to viewing
the wreck. Every witness who was
known 10 have any information that
could throw light upon the great disaster
was called to give evidence. 1t is in
tensely interesting reading to the Ameri-
have no doubt as to the explosions
having been external.
The testimony shows the bottom plates
on the port side Of the Maine to be bent
inward and upward. a result that could
hardly have followed anything save an
explosion on the outside.
A mass OF testimony is submitted to
show the care exercised on board the
ship by Captain Sigsbee and his officers,
and the apparent impossibility of the
accidents occurring by any Internal
causes. such as the heating OF the bunk
srs spontaneous combustion, or other
causes upon which so many theories were
based.
The testimony OF Captain Sigsbee Is or
the greatest importance. and perhaps IS
of more general interest than that OF
anv other man called before the board.
with great care and minuteness he
Gives account Of the management OF the
ship-how she was handled, what was
done from day to day on board, how she
called into Habana harbor her anchorage
and what he knew about 1t, and In fact'
every point upon which the government
end the country desires to be informed.
ANCHORAGE NOT CHANGED.
Nothing in Captain sigsbee's testimony
shows that the anchorage was changed,
or that It was considered dangerous by
any one.
Second to the Importance Of the testi-
mony OF Captain Sigsbee is that OF En-
SIGN Powelson, who had charge of the
divers. and knew from day to day what
these divers found. His testimony was
to a certain extent technical bearing
upon the construction OF the ship, her
plates. ETC., but 1t was from these plates
and this technical knowledge that he was
able 10 disclose that the explosion took
place from the outside.
The divers, Morgan, Olsen, and Smith,
sll contributed important evidence. They
testified that the plates were bent inward
on the bottom port side, and outward on
the stsrboard side.
The story of the explosions is told by
d,ferent witnesses. and adds little TO
what Captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related. Nothing in the tes-
timony fixes the responsibility, no con-
spiracy is apparent, no knowledge OF the
nlanting OF a mine is shown. witness
whose name is suppressed, tells OF over
hearing a conversation among spanish
officers and citizen, indicating tore-
knowledge of the destruction or the
Maine by intention TO blow her up. An
official OF the American consulate tells
Of information received anonymously
tending to show that a conspiracy existed.
But nothing is definitely stated which
fixes any responsibility upon Spain or
her subjects.
GENERAL. LEE ON MAINE VISIT.
Consul-General F1tzhugh Lee appeared
before the court on March Sth. His tes-
timonv related to the official formalities
nreceding the Names arrival. on January
oath ne received message from the State
Department. saying that the Maine would
he sent on a friendly visit, TO resume the
regular status OF naval relations between
the two countries, and he was ordered 10
make arrangements at the Palace for the
interchange of official courtesies. After
a visit he sent the President the follow
ing message:
"The authorities pretend to believe that
the United States had an Interior motive
in sending the ship. Say it will obstruct
autonomy and produce excitement, and
most probably a demonstration. Ask that
IL be not done till they can get instruc-
tions from Madrid. Say that If for friend
ly purpose, as claimed, delay is unimpor-
tant."
II was too late, however The Maine
had already sailed. She arrived next
day, and General Lee reported her ar
rival TO the State Department.
WHAT SIGSBEE SAYS.
Captain Sigsbee started his testimony
by describing the arrival Of the Maine in
Habana harbor. and her anchoring to
what he understood TO be one OF the
regular buoys of the place. He could
not state whether the Maine was placed
in the usual berth for men-of-war. but
said that he had heard remarks since the
explosion, using Captain Stevens. tenn
porarlly in command OF the Ward-Line
steamer, City OF Washington. as authority
for the statement, that he had never
known, in all his experience, which
covered visits to Habana for five or six
year, a man-of-war TO be anchored at
that buoy; that he had rarely known mer-
chant vessels TO be anchored there.
and that IL was the least used harbor
buoy in the harbor.
In describing the position OF the ship
at the time OF the explosion. Captain
Sigsbee declared that the Alphonso XII.
was at her usual berth, about go yards
to the northward and westward of the
Maine.
The Maine coaled at Key West, taking
on about $50 tons. the coal being regu-
larly inspected, and taken from the gov
ernment coal-pile. No report was re-
ca,yed from the chief engineer that any
coal had been too long In the bunkers.
or that the ire-slarms in the bunkers
were sensitive. In so far as the regula-