Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-03-31
a SYNOPSIS.
What the Report of the Board Tends
to Show.

to Show.
It's purport is. in brief, rs follows:
"When the Maine arrived ut Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
ernment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which
half to six fathoms of water.
"rhe state of discipline on board
and the condition of her magazines.
boilers, coal bunkers and storage
compartments are passed in review.
with the conclusion that excellent or
der prevailed and that no Indication
of any cause for an internal explosion
existed in any quarter.
AT o'clock in the evening of Feb
ruary Is everything had been reported
secure, and all was quiet.
"At forty minutes past nine o'clock
the vessel was suddenly destroyed.
"There were two distinct explosions,
with II brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of the
which was more open, prolonged and
of greater volume, is attributed by the
court to partial explosion of two or
more of the forward magazines.
"The evidence of the divers estab-
fishes that the afterpart of the ship
was practically intact, and sank in
that condition a very few minutes
after the explosion. The forward
part was completely demolished"
Upon the evidence of a concurrent
external cause, the finding of the
court is as follows:
At frame II, the outer shell of the
ship, from II point eleven and one
half feet from the middle line of the
ship and six feet above the keel when
up so as to be now about four feet
above the surface of the water, there
fore about "a feet above where it
would be had the ship sank unin-
jured.
The outside bottom plating is bent
into a reversed N-shape, the after
wing of which, about fifteen feet
broad and thirty-two feet in length
Crane II to frame 25) is doubled
back upon itself against the continue
ton of the same plating extending
forward
At frame IS the vertical keel is
broken in two and the fiat keel bent
into an angle similar to the angle
formed by the outside bottom plates.
This break is now about six feet be-
low the surface of the water and
about thirty feet above its normal
position.
In the opinion of the court, this
effect could have been produced only
by the explosion of mine situated
under the bottom of the ship at abou,
frame Is, ana somewhat on the shore
side of the ship.
The conclusions of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not
in any respect due to fault or negl-
gence on the part of any of the Off
GERS or members of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion of Il submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion of two or
more of her forward magazines; and
That no evidence has been obtain
able fixing the responsibility for the
destruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons.
L have directed that the finding of
the court of inquiry and the views of
this government thereon be commune
Gated to the government of her ma
jesty, the Queen Regent, and | do not
permit myself to doubt that the sense
of justice of the Spanish nation will
dictate course of action suggested
by honor and the friendly relations
of the two governments.
1t will be the duty of the executive
to advise the congress of the results
| and lin the meantime deliberate coz
sideration is involved.
WILLIAM MKINLEN.
Executive Mansion, March IS, 1858