Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-28

Ensign Powelson then said that six
irch powder tank that he saw appeared ID
be an empty tank. broken by the explo-
sicn. as 1t was not badly dented and mere
1y ripped the length OF the seam. A ten
inch tank was badly battered cut of all
conceivable shape.
Continuing. witness said the divers up
to the night before he was then on the
stand had not been on the outside of the
ship. The mud was too deep for them TO
walk en- the bottom.
starb0nrd Turret Not Found.
What is the condition CT the starboard
tUIret?" witness was asked
ITO my knowledge it has not been found.
sir" was the reply.
He understood something had been found
under the place where the turret formerly
was. but its exact character had not been
determined.
What impression is produced upon your
mind by the reports far as you have
quoted them?' Ensign Powelson was asked.
From reports alone or from the appear
ance of the wreck"
Either from such reports or the condi-
tens which you believe to exist
THE impression produced upon me-. re-
Ilied the witness. lis that an explosion
took pls ce well to port of the midship
lire. end at point in the length about
opposite the coming tower
Witness. in reply to further questions,
said his opinion was based upon the obser-
walton of things above water.
He gave no weight to Mr.. Morgan's state
n ent about falling into a hule on the port
side. because Morgan might have been mis-
taken about it. Referring to his notes
made Of things On the Maine. Ens:Sn
Powelson stated that the arc of the engine
room telegraph and the shaft of the steer
ing gear coming down through the armored
tube turrcD were bent from port to star
board. The port sid of the protective
deck was covered with a greasy deposit.
the starbcard side being comparatively free
fro m it,
The forward smokepipe hatch, between
the main and superstructure decks. did not
show signs of the internal pressure of
gases. On the main deck forward of the
coming tower, where the fore and aft
angle bulb beam was located. the planxin:,
v as blown off on the only remaining plate
of the main deck on the port side while
the wood was still attached to, that part
on the starboard side between the coming
tower base and the turrets. What witness
s;,w would indicate that the pressure lifted
the protective deck up on the port side,
and the protective deck on the starboard
side held fast and bent that deck down.
ward. Witness here exhibited two sketches
to the court. showing diagram of various
parts of the sunken ship and explained
them to the court
ResaIt of Soundings.
The witness evidence about the strip on
the starboard side of the outside plating
of the ship which was folded and rolled
hack was recalled to him and Poweson
said he could see the plate underneath it
was bert outward as he could see it, as it
was only two feet under water where the
shear occurred.
Witness had taken sOundngs and had
found five fathoms of water on both sides
of the Maine down to the mud taking a
fourteeii-pound lead line and dragging with
n wherry for Instructions on the port side.
Dragging close to where he thought the
waterways would be found he found no
distractions whatever. On the starboard
side he found distractions for twenty feet
where he had reason to believe the water
ways had originally been.
In answer to questions witness said there
was nothing left of the part plating at all.
He dragged along the outside to see if
anything had fallen out and found moth
ing. Witness thought the ship on the
port side was entirely gone opposite
point indicated on a diagram handed the
court. 1t was entirely blown out.
This concluded Ensign Powelson's testi-
mony on tie third day.
POwelson Recalled.
Ensign Powelson was recalled on the
sixth day. when he said that since his last
fact he bad
fcations of the Maine. Refreshing his
memory from these records he said the
plates of the protective deck were one inch
thick, weighing forty pounds per square
foot.
Ensign Powelson. wishing to give some
testimony regarding the condition Of the
wreck. Gunner's Mate Olsen, the diver was
admitted in order that he, might correct
any erroneous statement, the two having
worked together.
Mr.. Powelson said that on February %
Diver Olsen reported to him that on COM
ing up from below he had followed the
forward and after wings of the V-shape
made by the bottom plating at frame II,
and said on the forward wing Of the v the
plates ran down on very steep slant and
then turned under and out under the star
board side; that just above where the
plates turned to go under the starboard
side he found two dents, as if the platings
had been bulged in between the frames
from the outside in.
The court asked the size Of these two
dents Mr.. Powelson replied they were
about two and one-half feet hong and
bulged In about six inches. He further
testified that Olsen again went down and
came 10 the surface at IL o'clock, saying
he thought he had found the fiat keel
Olsen had reported that the keel was sIop-
ing downward about forty-five degrees
and to port with the after part Of the keel
uppermost. He said he had explored the
after wing of the and had found a semi
circular hole about two feet in diameter
with rivet holes all around 1t. He said
that semi-circular hole was about twenty
feet from the top of V. mode by the bot
tom plating. He said the plate presented
a jagged appearance as If it had been torn
and that crack had extended from the
bottom edge of the semi-circle hole to a
distance of about eight inches, and that
Plates about this hole were bent away
from the green side Of the plating
Mr. Powelson continued to say that