The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-03-31
MAINE REPORT.
Complete Abstract of Findings by the
Court of Inquiry On the Disaster to
The ShiD

WAsHINGTON, March 27.-The AS
sociatcd Press presents herewith a
complete abstract OF the report of
the Court of Inquiry which investi-
gated the wrecking of the battleship
Maine. This abstract is made from
the report itself, access to which was
obtained to-day, despite official Sc
crecy unparalleled in the handling
Of official papers.
The report is made up of eight
parts, as follows:
First-Thc court finds that at the
time of the explosion the Maine was
lying in from five and one-half to six
fathomS of water
Second-The discipline aboard the
ship was excellent; everything was
slowed away. according to orders
ammunition, guns, stores, &c. The
temperature of the magazines at 8
F. NJ. was normal except in the after
lo-inch magazine, and that did not
explode.
Third-The explosion occurred at
$40 O'Clock on the evening of Febru
airy 10. There were two cxplos ions
with very short interval between
them. The ship lifted on the first
explosion.
Fnurth-Ihe court can find no def
mite opinion of the condition of the
wreck from the divers evidence.
Fourth This part of the report
contains technical details of the
| wreckagc. from which the court de-
duces that a mine was exploded
under the ship on the port side.
| SiNth-The explosion was due to
no fault of those on board.
Seventh-Th.s section contains
/ the opinion of the court stating that
| the explosion Of the mine caused the
explosion of the ships two magazines.
Eighth-The court declares that it
cannot find evidence to fix the re-
sponsibility.
The report is unanimous and is
| signed by all the members of the
court. 1t does not refer to the exist
| cncc or non-existcnce of mines in the
harbor of Havana except in the spe-
| cilic finding that mine was ex-
plodcd under the ship and the opin-
ion that the explosion of the two
magazines was caused by the e1plo-
| sion of a mine.
The report. as 4 whole. is a formal.
dispassionate recital of facts and
bears the stamp of that strict official
ism which marks naval procedure.
1t is brief. not exceeding 800 words.
and among the eight parts goes to
the greatest length under the second
heading which deals with the dis.
ripline and order of the ship. This
the court specifies with extreme
minuteness. the least detail Of the
condition of everything on board
being given.
The normal temperature of the
large forward magazines at 8 o'clock
only an hour before the explosion
Is said to dispose of the question of
accidental combustion within these
magazines. The court holds that
these magazines did not explode from
internal causes but that the explo-
sion of the mine under the port side
Of the ship caused them to explode
This will explain the remarkable de-
struction wrought. the explosion
thus being shown to have combined
the force of 4 mine without and two
magazines within.
The finding that the ship lifted on
the first explosion indicates an ex,
ternal source and one of tremendous
power to he able to lift battl eShiI
weighing thousands of tons.
The character of the wrcckage
technically described in the fifth part
of the report. from which the court
deduceS that mine was exploded
under the ship on the port side. Sus
talnS the view taken by some eN
pertS soon after the disaster that tn.
force OF the explosion was exertet
from port to starbOard.
The feature of the report of deepes
interest to the navy is the complct.
eNoneration OF Captain SigSbee anC
all who were on board the Maine
The inability of the court to fin,
evidence to fix responsibility make:
the report extremely guarded in ex
preston. Neither Spain nor tn,
Spanish are mentioned in the docu
ment.