Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-04-01
Report on Destruction of the Maine

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all the testimony before it, the court finds
as follows:
First-That the United States battle shin
Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on January IS, 1893, and was taken
to buoy No. 4, in from FIVE and half to six
fathoms OF water by the regular government
pilot. The United States consul-general at
Havana had notified the authorities at that
place the previous evening of the intended
arrival OF the Maine.
Second-The state Of discipline on board
the Maine was excellent, and all orders and
regulations in regard to the care and safety
OF the ship were strictly carried out. All
ammunition was slowed in accordance with
prescribed instructions, and proper care was
taken whenever ammunition was handled
Nothing was slowed in any one of the mag
azlnes or shell. rooms which was not per.
mitted to be slowed there
The magazines and shellrooms were al
ways locked after having been opened and
after the destI uction Of the Maine the keys
were found in their proper place In the Cap
tain's cabinet, everything having been re-
ported secure that evening at p. NJ. The
temperature OF the magazines and shell.
rooms was taken daily and reported. The
only magazine which had an undue
amount OF heat was the after ten-inch mag
azine and that did not explode at the time
the Maine was destroyed The torpedo war
heads were all slowed in the after part of the
ship, under the wardroom, and neither
caused nor participated in the destruction
of the Maine.
The dry gun cotton primers and detonators
were slowed in the cabin aft, and remote
from the scene of the explosion. Waste was
carefully looked after on board the Maine
to obviafe danger. Special orders In regard
to this had been given by the commanding
officer. Varnishes, dryers, alcohol an other
combustibles of this nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could
not have had anything to do with the de.
struction OF the Maine. The medical stores
were slowed aft, under the wardroom, and
remote from the scene of the explosion. No
dangerous stores of any kind were slowed
below in any of the other storerooms
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
or those bunkers adjacent to the forward
magazines and shelrooms, four were empty,
namely, "B 3, B 4, B5 g." "A l5" had
been in use that day and "a 10" was full of
New River coal. This coal had been carefully
inspected before receiving on board. The
bunker in which it was slowed was access
ible on three sides at all times, and the
fourth side at this time on account of bunk
ers "B 4" and "B 6" being empty. This
bunker, "a &c." had been inspected that day
by the engineer officer on duty. The fire
alarms in the bunkers were in working
order, and there had never been a case of
spontaneous combustion of coal on board
the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship were in
use at the time of the disaster, but for auxil-
larry purposes only, with comparatively
low pressure of steam and being tended by
q 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 fair condition.
The finding of the court Of inquiry was
reached after twenty-three days of continu-
GUS labor, on the 21st of March instant, and
having been approved on the 22nd by the
commander-in. chief of the United States
naval force on the North Atlantic station
was Transmitted to the Executive.
On the night Of she destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported secure
for the night at 8 Z. NJ. by reliable persons,
through the proper authorities, to the com.
manding officer. At the time the Maine
was destroyed the ship was quiet, and there
fore least liable TO accident caused by move.
ments from those on board.
Third-The destruction of the Maine oc.
Cured at 0 40 p. M, on February 10, 1898,
in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, she being
at the time moored to the same buoy TO
which she had been taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of a distinctly
different character, with a very short but
distinct interval between them, and the for.
ward part of the ship was lifted TO marked
degree at the time of the first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the nature
of report, like that Of gun, while the
second explosion was more open, prolonged
and of greater volume The second explo.
sion was, in the opinion Of the court, caused
by the partial explosion of two or more OF
the forward magazines Of the Maine.
Fourth-The evidence bearing upon this,
being principally obtained from divers, did
not enable the court TO form definite con-
clusion as TO the condition Of the wreck, al
though it was established thatthe after part
of the ship was practically intact and sank
in that condition very few minutes after
the destruction Of the forward part.
The following facts in regard to the for.
ward part Of the ship are, however, estab
lished by the testimony.
That portion Of the port side of the pro.
tective deck which extends from about
frame 80 TO about frame Al was blown up /
att and over TO port. The main deck, from
dDOub ~ W Who
blown up at and slightly over 10 starboard,
folding the frame forward part Of the mid.
die superstructure over and on top Of the
after part
This was, 10 the opinion Of the court,
caused by the partial explosion Of two or
more of the forward magazines Of the
Maine.
Fifth--At frame II the outer shell OF the
ship, from point eleven and one half feet
from the middle line Of the ship and six feet
above the keel when In its normal position,
has been forced up 30 as TO be now about
four feet above the surface Of the water;
therefore about thirty four feet above where
it would be had the ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent into a
reversed V shape, the after wing Of which,
about fifteen feet broad and thirty two feet
ne