The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-29
POWEllSON'S STORY.
He Was Present During the Operations
of the Divers.

Washington. March 2S.-The follow
ing are portions of the testimony: En-
sign w. V. n. Powellson testified that
he la been present on the Maine eN-
cry day, from the arrival of the boat
Fern, and during "a great deal Of the
diving. He said the forward part of the
ship, forward of the after smokestack,
had been to all appearances completely
destroyed. The coming tower lay In a
position opposite the door leading to the
s~uperstructure aft and to the starboard,
inclined at about 10 degrees to the
vertical with the top of the coming
tower on board. He described the con-
dition under the main deck on the port
side. The fixtures were completely
wrecked, while fixtures in the same po-
sition on the starboard side were In
some cases almost intact. The port
%bulkhead, between the main and berth
deck at the coming tower had been
blown aft on both sides. but a great
deal more on the port than on the star
board side. The fire room hatch, imme-
diately abaft of the coming tower. had
been blown in three directions. ait, 10
starboard and to port. h protective
decks n the coming tower supports
were bent i'm two directions. the plates
on the port side being bent up and on
the %starboard sid bent down.
The divers reported to the witness
that a point where the 1O-inch shell
room should be they lo-incn
shells regularly arranged. but the ship
sunk down so much that some OF the
shells were in the mud.
Gunner Morgan reported that in walk
ing on the bottom he fell into a hole
on the port side and went down in the
mud. He also reported as far as ne
could judge everything seemed To be
bent upward In the vicinity of this hole.
He also reported that the plates seemed
A., ba..a haan nnSht.i over 10 the star
board and then bent down.
Ensign Powellson then said that n
powder tank that he saw appeared 10
be an empty tank broken by the ex-
plosion. as Il was not badly denied, ana
merely ripped the length of the cam.
The f0-inch tank was badly battered out
Of eny conceivable shape.
The impression produced upon me,
said the witness. lis that an explosion
took place well to port of midship line
and at a point in the length about OPP
posite the coming tower
Witnes aid his opinion was based
upon the observation of things above
water. He gave no weight To Mr.. Nor
gan's statement about falling into n
hole on the port side because Morgan
might have been mistaken.
Powellson said there was nothing left
of the port plating at all. He dragged
along the outside to see II anything had
IdlltH tuN aho lphiu w ''ssNf@
thought the ship on the port side was
entirely blown up.
He said that on Feb. &c Diver Wilson
reported to him that on coming up
from below he had followed the for
ward and aft wing of the V shape,
made by the bottom plating at frame
IL. and said the forward wing of h V
the plates ran down on a very steep
slant and then turned under n out
under the starboard side. that just
above where the plates turned to go
under the s~tarboard side. he found two
dents. as If the plating had been bulged
in between the frames from outside in.
These two dents, Powellson said, We're
about two and a half feet long and
bulged in about six inches. He further
testified that Olson again went down
and again came To the surface at IL
o'clock. saying he thought he had found
the fiat keel. Olson had reported that
the keel was sloping downward about 10
degrees and To port. with the after part
of the keel uppermost. He sal he had
explored the after wing Of the V and
had found a semi-circular hole about
two feet below the rivet holes.
He said that a semi-circular hole was
abou 20 feet from the top from the V.
made by the bottom plating. He said
the plate presented a jagged appear
ance. as IL IL had been torn, and that a
crack had extended from the bottom
edge of the semi-circular hole to a dis
lance of about eight inches. and that
the plates about this hole were BENT
away from the green sid Of the plat
inE.
Olson a told him he had found a
hole cut in a plate 25 feet from the
angie g. the v, and exhibited a sketch