The age-herald., 1898-03-29

Lieut.. Geo. W. Holman, 1n hls te stimony, said the explosion sounded like a mine, and he had heard mine explosions in the sea.
 Washington, March 2S.-The immense mass of testimony taken by the Maine court of inquiry was sent to the senate to- day and with the presidents message and findings of the court referred to the com mittee on foreign relations. The testimony was taken on eighteen different days, the fourteenth day, however, being devoted to viewing the wreck.
 Every witness who was known to have any information that could throw light upon the great disaster was called to give his testimony. The story of the destruction of the vessel tod, not graphically, but in 8 manner which gives all the obta&nalo!e facts No technical detail is omitted. Every movement and incident connected with the Maine from the time she left Key West until the last diver examined the wreck slowly sinking into ithe mud of Havana harbor, Is given.
 1t is story intensely interesting. to the American people. Those who read 1t could have bittle doubt as to whether there was an internal or external explosion. Perhaps the most significant testimony is that showing the bottom plates on the port side of the iu-fated Maine to be bent inward and not outward, a result that could hardly have followed save anything but from the outside. A mass of testimony is submitted showing the care exercised on board the ship by Captain Sigsbee and his officers and the apparent impossibility the accident occurring by anything internal as the heat ing of the boilers, combustion or anything upon so many theories were based.
 Most Important Testimony
 The testimony of Captain SigsIbee Is of the greatest importance and is perhaps Of more general interest than of any other man called before the board With great care and mdnuteness he gave an account of the management of the ship, how she was handed, what was done from day to day on board, that shows sine sailed into Ha- vana, her anchorage and what he knew about 1t, and in fact every point upon which the government and the country de- sres to be informed. Nothing In Captain Sigsbee's testimony shows that the anchor age was arranged, or that 1t was considered dangerous by any one.
 Second to the importance of the testimony of Captain Sigsbee is that of Ensign Pow eison who had charge of the divers and who knew from day to day what these divers found This officer was minutely informed as to the construction of the Maine. and everything about her. His tes- tirnony was to a certain extent technical, bearing upon the construction of thtCShip, ber plates, but 1t was from these plates and this technical knowledge that he was able to declare that the explosion took place from the outside.
 The divers, Morgan, Olsen and smith, all contributed important evidence. They tes- tified that the plates were bent inward on the bottom side port and outward on the starboard side The explosion Is told by different witnesses, and adds little to what Captain Sigsbee and Commander Vain wright related Nothing in the testimony fixes responsibility, no conspiracy is appar- ent; no knowledge of the planting of a mine is shown Captain Sigsbee states that a somewhat bitter feeling existed against the American ship and Americans generally, and a witness whose name is suppressed, tells of overheaIing a conversation. among Spanish officers and a citizen indicating fcrelEnowledge of the destruction of the Maine by intention to b.owo her up. An official of the American consulate tells of information received anonymously tending to show that a consplfacy existed. But nothing is definitely stated which fixes any responsibility upon Spain or her sub jects. gs.t Se Capt. Sigsbee in testifying before the court of inquiry which convened in the harbor of Havana Monday, Feb. 21, said that he assumed command of the Maine on. April 10 1897, and that his ship arrived in the harbor of Havana the last time Jan. 24, 1898.
 The Maine coaled at Key West taking on about 15O tons, the coal being regularly in- spected and taken from the government coal pile. This coal was placed generally in the forward bunkers No report was received from the chief engineer that any coal had been too long in the bunkers and that the fire alarms in the bunkers were sensitive.
 In so far as the regulations regarding in- flammables and paints on board Capt. Sigs- bee testified that the regulations were strictly carried out in regard to storage and that the waste was also subject to the same careful disposition. As for regula- tions affecting the taking of temperature of the magazines, etc., Capt. Sigsbee said there were no special regulations other than the usual regulations required by the department He examind the temperature himself and conversed with the ordnance officer as to the various temperatures and the contents of the magazines and accord ing to the opinion of this officer we'll as Capt. Sigsbee, the temperatures were never at danger point.
 "I do not think there was any laxity In this direction" said the captain in reply to a question of Judge Advocate Mark. He had no recollection of any work going on in the magazine or shell rooms on the day of the explosion. The keys were called for in the usual way on the day in question and were properly returned.
 Two Boilers in Use
 At the time of the disaster the two after boilers in the after fire rooms were in use because the hydraulic system was some what leaking. Speaking generally of his relations with the Spanish authorities Capt. Sissbee stated that with the off, clals they were outwardly cordial. The nernosis of the autono onistio council of the government, however, seemed to have brought to the attention of the navy de- partmsnt the fact that he did not visit them and that fact brought embarrass-
 (Continusd on Eighth page)