The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-31
NO dangerous stores OF any kind
we're slowed below in any of the other

uaiiy' vi thoSe bunkers adjacent (.
the forward magazines and shell
rooms, four were empty: namely
"B 3, B4, B5, BE-" "a -" had bee,
in use that day, and "A 10" was full O
New River coal This coal had beer
carefully inspected before receiving i
on board. The bunker In which i
was slowed was accessible on thre,
SIDES at all times, and the fourth sid,
at this time on account of bunker,
"B 4" and "B 6" being empty. Thi,
bunker, "A 16," had been inspected
that day by the engineer officer OF
duty.
The fire alarms in bunkers were il
working order, and there had never
been case of spontaneous com bustior
OF coal on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the shir
were in use at the time of the disaster
but for auxiliary purposes only, with
a comparatively low pressure of steam
and being tended by reliable watch,
These boilers could not have caused
the explosion of the ship. The -four
forward boilers have since been found
by the divers, and are in a fair condi,
ton.
On the night of the destruction OF
the Maine everything had been report
ed secure for the night at p. m., by
reliable persons, through the proper
authorities, to the commanding officer.
At the time the Maine was DESTROYED
the ship was quiet, and therefore least
liable to accident caused by movement
from those on board.
EXPLOSIONS.
The destruction of the Maine oc-
Cured at 9:40 p. m. on the 18th dav of
January, 1898, in the harbor of Ha-
vana, Cuba, she being at the time
anchored to the same buoy to which
she had been taken upon her arrival
There were two explosions of dis
tinctly different character, within
very short, but distinct, interval be-
tween them, and the forward part of
the ship was lifted to a marked degree
at the time of the first explosion.
CONDITION OF THE WRECK.
The evidence bearing upon this
being principally obtained from divers,
did not enable the court to form a def
mite con nclusion as to the condition OF
the wreck, although II was established
that the after part of the ship was
practically intact and sank in that
condition in very few minutes after
the destruction of the forward part.
The first explosion was more in the
nature of report like that of a gun;
while the second explosion was more
open, prolonged and of greater vol
ume. This second explosion was. in
the opinion of the court, caused by the
partial explosion of two or more Of the
the forward magazines of the Maine.
The following facts in regard to the
forward part of the ship are however
established by the testimony.
That portion of the port side Of the
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 30 to about frame Al was
blown up, aft and over to the port.
The main deck from about frame 80 TO
about frame Al was blown up, aft. and
slightly over to starbOard folding the
forward part of the middle superstruc-
ture over and on top of the after part.
This was in the opinion of the court,
caused by the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines of
the Maine.
). AT frame II the outer shell of the
ship, from a point III feet from the
middle line of the ship, and 6 feet
above the keel when in its normal po-
stion. has been forced up so as to be
now about feet above the surface of
the water; therefore about "a feet
above where it would be had the ship
sunk uniniured. The outside bottom
plating is bent into reversed V shape
(V) the afterwing of which, about -
feet broad and 80 feet in length from
frame II to frame 25) is doubled back
upon itself against the continuation of
the same plating extending forward.
At frame IS the vertical keel is
broken in two, and the fat keel bent
into an angle similar to the angle
formed by the outside bottom plating.
This break is now about six feet below
the surface of the water. and about 30
feet above its normal position.
In the opinion of the court. this |
effect could have been produced only |
by the explosion of mine situated un-
der the bottom of the ship at about |
frame 49, and somewhat on the port |
side of the ship.
G. The court finds that the loss of the |
Maine, on the occasion named, was not |
in any respect due to fault or negli- |
yence on the part of any of the officers |
1r mem bers of the crew of said vessel
:. In the opinion of the court, the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
IF a submarine mine, which caused
he partial explosion of two or more
IF her forward magazines.
s. The court has been unable to OBJ
ain evidence fixing the responsibility
or the destruction of the Maine upon
my person or persons.
". T. SAMPSON, Captain u. ). ~,
President.
\. MABIx, Lieut.. Commander, L. 5. N,
Judge Advocate.
The court, having finished the in
Iury it was ordered to make, ad-
ourned at II a. IN. TO await the action
Il the convening authorities.
v. r. SAMPSON, Captain u. s N,
President.
!. MARK, Lieut.. Commander, u. S. N,
Judge Advocate.
u. s. FLAGSHIP New YORK.
,ff Key West, Fla, March 22, 1895. I
The proceedings and findings of the
ourt of inquiry in the above case are