The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-04-06

der zine. whica contained little Cow
6er. .a5cus see pounds. The 10-i9ch
ms~aziLe was IN the same general re-
zion, but on !he S.arboarG SIDE Over
the 10 inch magazire IS the loading
rccn al the turret 2ad IN the adjoining
:.,,.-.--sage 2 number o; 10 inch Shells
were nermarently plGced. Accord
irg 70 Captain Siq5ee, i would be dif-
:IUl. 70 conceive the explosion IL
voived lHe 10 inch nlsgsziHe. bscaus.
= ta3 lection OF the explosion, and
that no repor:s show thst any 10 Inch
shells we're hurled into the sir because
Of the explosion
He sai3 the discipline Of The ship
was excellent. In the engineers ce-
partment, The vessel was always ready
ard always responsive. He paid trl
bu.e TO the crew ana said that QUie,
Ter, better n2iured lot ofmen he had
never known on beard shy vessel II
whichhe had served. On his examina-
ton bv the ccurt, Captain Sigsbee said
nat the highest temperature be could
reyrem bsr vss 1I2 but that was IN the
after magazine, the temperature IL
the forward 1nagsz;ne being consider,
ABLY lover. There was 20 loose pow
der kept IL the nafszine. The coal
bunkers were ventilated through air
tubes, examined weekly by the chief
engineer, and were connected, electri,
cally, 10 the annunciator near his cs-
bin door. The forward coal bunker,
on the port side. was full. The for
wsrd coal bunker, on the starboar0
side, was half full, and it was being
used at the time of the ex Wainwright
whispered to the captain that he
thought the 10-inch magazine. forward
had been thrown up into the burning
mass and might explode in time
Everybody was then directed to get
into the boats ever the stern which
was done, the captain getting into the
gig and tnen proceeding to the City
of Washington" where he found the
wounded in the dining salon being
carefully attended by the officers and
crew OF the vessel.
Various Spanish officials came on
board and expressed sympathy and
sorrow for the accident. The repre-
sentarives, OF General Blanco and tn,
admiral OF the state were among the
Spanish officials who rendered their
respect. Eighty-four or SIS men were
found that night who survived. In
reply 10 the direct question of whether
any Of the magazines or she'll rooms
were blown up, the captain said II
was extremely diffcultto come to any
conclusion. The centre of the explo-
sion was beneath and little forward
of the coming tower, on the port side.
IN the region of the centre or axis Of
the explosion, was the 6inch reserve
magazine.
Captain Sigsb=e gave, as his opin.
ion, that if coal bunker "a 16' had
been so hot SIS to be dangerous to the
6-inch reserve magazine that this con,
dihon would have been shown on
three sides where the bunker was ex-
posed and that men constantly pass
ing to and fro by it would have neces-
sarily noticed the undue heat.
Captain SIgsbee was examined IS to
the ammunition on board the Maine.
He stated that there were no high ex,
plosives, gun cotton, detonators or
other material in the magazines or
shell room which the regulations pro
hibiIeG. He testified that no war
heads had been placed on torpedoes
since he had command Of the ship.
Consul General Fitzhugh Lee 40.
pearad before the court on March s.
His testimony related to the official
fornaiities preceding the Names arrl
val. On January p he received q
message from the state department,
saying that the Maine would be sent
to Havana On a friendly visit TO re-.
sumo the regular status Of naval rela
tons between the two countries, and
hs was ordered to make arrangements
ct the palace for the Interchange OF
official courtesies. After call at the
palsce ne sent the state department a
cipher message, saying: "AUthorl-
ties profess to think the United States
has ulterior purpose in sending the
ship. Say it will obstruct autonomy
aud produce excitement and most pro
badly demonstration. Ask that II
not be done til they get instructions
from Madrid. Say that if Tor friendly
purpose, SIS claimed, the delay is un-
important"
It was too late. however, the Maine
had already sailed. She arrived next
day and Lee reported her arrival to
the state department.
Ensign W. Y. N. Powelson was
called the third day Of the court. He
testified that ne had been present on
the Maine every day from the errival
OF the Fern snd during grea! deal OF
the diving.
In reply to question to tell the
court all about the condition OF the
wreck he said the forward psrt OF the
ship forward of the after smokestack,
had been to all appearances complete
ly destroyed.
The fixtures were completely wreck,
ed, while fixtures in the same position
on the starboard side were IN some
cases almost intact. The port bulk.
head between the main and berth decks
at the coming tower support had been
blown aft OF both sides, but great
deal more on the port than on the
starboaro side. The protective deck,
under the coming tower, supports
was bent in two directions, the plates
on the starboard side being bent up
and on the port side bent down.
Just forward ofthe coming tower,
underneath the msin deck, two beams
met at right angles; one beam was
broken and pushed from port to star
board. 4 grating was found on the
poop awning just forvard OF the after
search light. :.
A piece of the side plating just abaft
of the starboard turret was visible.
This plate was bent outward and tnen
the forward end bent upward and
folded backward upon itself. This
plate wss sheared from the rest OF the
plating below"
Pafer~;op to his notes made of things