Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-04-02

sinking Of the hull Prompt assistance
sells anchored in the harbor. aid being
especially given by the boats of the
Spanish cruiser Alphonse XII and the
Ward lire steamer City Of Washington.
which lay not far distant. The wound
ed We're generously cared for by the
authorities OF Havana, the hospitals
being freely opened to them. while the
earliest recovered bodies Of the dead
were inferred by the municipality in
the public cemetery in the city. Trib-
utes of grief and sympathy were Of
fered from all official quarters of the
island
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force, and for brief time an intense
excitement prevailed, which in a COM
munity less just and self controlled
than ours might have led to hasty acts
of blind resentment. This spirit. how
ever, soon gave way to the calmer pro-
cesses of reason and to the resolve to
investigate the facts and await mate
rial proof before forming a judgment
as to the cause, the responsibility. and,
as the facts warranted, the remedy.
This course necessarily recommended
itself from the outset to the executive.
for only in the light Of a dispassionate-
~ ascertained certainty could it de-
termine the nature and measure of its
full duty in the matter.
The usual procedure was followed,
as in all cases of casualty or disaster
to national vessels of any maritime
state. A naval court of inquiry was at
once organized, composed of officers
well qualified by rank and practical
experience to discharge the duty inn
posed upon them. Aided by a strong
force of wreckers and divers. the court
proceeded to make a thorough investi-
cation on the spot, employing every.
available means for the impartial and
exact determination of the cause of
the explosion. It's operations have been
conducted with the utmost delibera-
ton and judgment, and while fndepend-
emily pursued no source of informa-
ton was neglected, and the fullest OPP
pOiluill9 was dliONtd ibi q SihidA7
taneous investigation by the Spanish
authorities
The finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after % days of continu-
Gus labor on the 21st of March, and
having been approved on the 22d by
the eommander-in- chief of the United
States naval force on the North At
executive.
1t is herewith laid before the con-
gress together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court
Its purport is in brief as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted to the regular gov
eminent pilot buoy No. 4, to which she
was moored in from five and one-half
to six fathoms of water.
The state of discipline on board and
the condition of her magazines, boilers,
coal bunkers and storage compart-
ments are passed in review, with the
conclusion that excellent order prevail
ed. and that no indication Of any cause
for an internal explosion existed in
any quarter.
AT o'clock in the evening OF Feb.
Is everything had been reported secure,
and all was quiet. At 40 minutes past
9 o'clock the vessel was suddenly de-
stroyed.
There were two distinct explosions,
with a 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 the partial explosion of two or
more of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was
practically intact and sank in that con-
dition very few minutes after the ex-
plosion. The forward part was com
pletely 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 a point liz feet from the
middle line of the ship and six feet
above the keel when in its normal po-
sition, has been forced up so as to be
now about four feet above the sur
face of the water, therefore about "a
feet about where it would be had the
ship sunk uhinjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent
into reversed VNshape, the after wing
of which. about is feet broad and 80
feet in length frame II to frame 25),
is doubled back upon itself against the
continuation of the same placing ex-
tending forward.
At frame is the vertical keel Is
broken in two and the fiat keel bent
into an angle similar to the angle form
ed by the outside bottom plates. This
break is now about six feet below the
surface of the water and about 80 feet
above it's normal position.
In the opinion of the court this effect
could have been produced only by the
explosion of a mine situated under the
bottom of the ship, at about frame IS,
and somewhat on the port side of the
ship.
The conclusions of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not