Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-31

3. The destruction of the Maine
occurred at 3: 40 p. m. on the 18th day
OF February, in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, being at the time moored at the
same buoy to which she had been
taken upon her arrival. There were
Two explosions of distinctly different
character, with a very short but dis
unct interval between them, and the
forward part of the ship was lifted
to marked degree at the time Of the
first explosion.
Inc nrst explosion was more in the
nature OF a report, like that
gun; while the second explosion Was
more open, prolonged, and of greater
volume. The second explosion was,
IN the opinion of the court. caused
by the partial explosion OF two or
more OF the forward magazines OF
the Maine
1. The evidence bearing On this
icing principally obtained from di
Vers, does not enable the court to
toIm a definite conclusion as to the
condition Of the wreck, although it
was established that the after part of
the ship was practically intact and
sank IN that condition a very few
minutes after the destruction of the
forward part
The following facts in regard to the
forward part of the ship are, how
ever, established by the testimony:
Of }1n ,;J %
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 80 to about frame Al, was
blown up aft and over to port. The
main deck from about frame So to
about frame IL was blown up aft and
slightly over to the starboard, fold
ing the forward part Of the middle
superstructure over and on top of the
after part.
This was, in the opinion of
| court, caused by the partial explo-
sion Of TWO or more Of the forward
magazines of the Maine.
D. At frame II the outer shell of
the ship, from a point liz feet from
the middle line of the ship and feet
above the keel when in it's FORMAL
position, has been forced up so AS to
| be now about 4 feet above the sur
| face Of the water; therefore about 81
feet above where it would be had the
ship sunk uninjured The outside
| bottom plating is bent into a reversed
" shape, the after wing of which
| (about Is 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 plat
ing. This break is now about six feet
below the surface of the water and
about thirty feet above it's normal
position. In the opinion of the
| court this effect could have been pro-
duced only by the explosion of a
mine situated under the bottom OF
the ship at about frame IS, and some
what on the port side of the ship.
! .. The court finds that the loss OF
the Maine, on the occasion name1,
was not in any respect due to fault
or negligence on the part of any
Of the officers Or members of the
crew of said vessel.
7: In the opinion Of the court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
Of submarine mine, which caused
the partial explosion OF two or more
of her forward magazines
The court has been unable to obtain
evidence fixing the responsibility for
the destruction Of the Maine On any
person or persons.
The report is signed by Captain w.
7. Sampson, president of the board Of
Inquiry, and Lieutenant Commander
A. Mark, judge advocate On the day
following the signing Of the report,
that is, March %, Rear Admiral ST.
card, commander-in- of the
! United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station, endorsed his
approval of the proceedings and find
ings in these words: "The proceed
1ngs and findings of the court OF
inquiry in the above case are ap-
proved"