The Eddy current., 1898-04-02
EXTERNAL EXPLOSION.
REPORT TRANsmlTTEp TO CON.
DRESS ~ THE PRESIDENT.
Finding Of the couE, IN the isyss,igatlos
of the Report.

finding of the CouFt IN the investigation
of the Report.
Washington. March 2S-The follow
ing 10 the full text Of the report Of the
board Of inquiry.
United States ship Iowa. hrst rate.
Key West Fla, Monday. March q.
1898: After a full and mature consider
alton ~ all testimony before Il. the
court nnds A. follows
I. That the United States battleshlp
Maine arrived In the harbor OF Havana.
Cuba. on the twenty-nith day OF jan
uary. 1898. and was taken 20 buoy No.
4. In from ave and one-haf to alx
fathoms OF water, by the regular gov
ornment pilot The United States con-
sul general at Havana had notified the
authorities At that place the previous
evening OF the Intended arrival OF the
Maine.
2. State OF discipline on board the
Maine was excellent: aud all ordersland
regulations In regard 20 care and afelety
Of the ship were strictly carried iout.
All ammunition was slowed away a &C.
cordance with instructions and proper
care was taen. whenever ammuulton
was handled Nothing was slowed In
any on, cs the magazines and shell
rooms which was not permitted b be
slowed there. Magazines and shell
rooms were always locked after having
been opened; and after destruction OF
the Maine the keys we're found In their
proper place In the capt .ln's cabin, ev-
erythlng having been reported secure
that evening at 8 p. m. The temperature
Of magazines and shell rooms were ta-
ken daily and reported. Only the mag
azlne. which had an undue amount OF
heat. was the aft iO-lnch magazine. and
that did not explode at the time the
Maine was destroyed The torpedo
war-heads were all slowed In the af-
ter part OF the ship under the ward
room and neither caused nor .particl-
pated In the destruction of the Maine.
Dry gun cotton primers and detona-
ters were slowed In the cabin aft and
remote from the scene ot the explosion
Waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine 70 obyla,e danger
Special orders In regard to this had
been given by the commanding officer
varnihes dryers. alcohol and other
combustibles OF this nature, wer,
slowed on or above the man deck and
with the destruction Of the Maine. Tn,
medical stores we're slowed aft under
the ward room and remote from the
scene OF the explosion, No dangerou,
stores OF any kind we're slowed away Ia
any Of the other store rooms. The Goa
bunkers we're Inspected, OF those bunk
ers adjoining the forward magazinel
and shell rooms four we're empty
namely; u 3, B4, 30, B6.
"a 10" had been In use that day anC
"a iG" was full OF New River coal
This coal had been carefully inspecte,
before receiving Il on board. Th'
bunker In which II was stored was ao
cesslbe on three sides At all times. AM
the fourth side at this time. on ac
count OF bunkers u Z and 1876 benl
empty, This bunker. "A 49," had beef
inspected that day by the engineer ON
Ger on duty.
Fire alarm IN bunkers were In work
ing order and there had never been
case Of spontaneous combustion Of Goa
ON board the Maine. The two afte
boilers OF the ship were IN use at th
time OF the disaster but for auxiliar
purposes only. with comparatively los
pressure OF steam. and being tended b
reliable watch.
These boilers could not have cause
the explosion Of the ship. -Four for
ward boilers have since been found b
divers. and are In fair condition.
on the night OF the destruction OF IN
Maine everything had beon reporte
secure for the night AZ D. m, by relI
able persons, through the proper az
thorities. TO the commanding once
Al the time the Maine was destfoye
the ship was quiet, and therefore th
/ least liable 10 accident caused b
movements OF those on board.
: 3. The destruction OF the Maine O
= CURED At $40 p, m.. on the 18th day
p January. 1898, In the harbor OF Havanl
. Cuba. being At that time moored to d
same buoy 10 which she had been take
I upon arrival. There we're two expl'
{ slons Of distinctly different oharacte
= with a short but distinct interval b
: tween them. and the forward part
L the ship was lifted 20 a marked degr'
j. al the time OF the explosion. The ar
a explosion was m9Tn ~ the nature,of
n ioport, iike" that OF a gun, while q
o second explosion was more open, pr
10 longed, and OF greater volume tn
, second explosion was, In the opinion
a the court. caused By a partial explosls