The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-01

E<IlSAEA DNSsSL AI&3 Id1 t[f4EE% pI
the divers and knew from day TO day
what these divers found HIS testimony
was TO a certain extent technical. bear
ing upon the construction Of the ship.
her plates, etc, but il was from these
plates, and this technical knowledge
that he was able to disclose that the
explosion took place from the outside.
The divers. Morgan, Olsen and Smith.
all communicated important evidence.
They testified that the plates were
bent inward CT the bottom port side
and outward on the s~tarboard.
The story OF the explosions is told by
different witnesses and adds little TO
what captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related. Nothing in the
testimony fixes the responsibility,
no conspiracy is apparent. no knowl-
edge Of the planting Of a mine is shown.
EVIDENCE OF A CONSPIRACY.
A witness, whose mama Is suppressed.
tells of overhearing a conversation
dicating a foreknow1edge OF the de-
of the Maine by to
blow her uD.
An official of the American consulate
tells of information received anony-
mouSly tending to show that a con-
spiracy existed But nothing Is def
nitely stated which fixes any response
bility upon Spain or her subjects.
SPANISH AUTHORITIES OBJECT
ED TO THE MAINE COMING.
Consul General Fstzhugh Lee appear
ed before the cou on March Sth. His
testimony related TO the official formal
ties preceding the Names arrival. On
January 24rh he received a message
from the state department saying that
h Maine would be sent to Havana
on a friendly visit to resume the regu-
lar status Of naval relations between
the two countries and he was ordered
to make arrangements at the palace
for the Interchange of official courte-
sizes. After a call at the palace he sent
the state department a cable message
saying: authorities profess to think
the United States has Interior purpose
in sending the ship. Say it will OBJ
struct autonomy and produce excite
ment and most probably a demonStra-
ton. Ask hat it not be done till they
can get instructions from Madrid. Say
that if for friendly purpose as claim
ed. delay is unimportant."
1t was too late, however. the Maine
had already sailed. She arrived the
next day n Lee reported the arrival
to the state department.
SIGSBEES TESTIMONY.
captain o4SobCC SIaI ltd Wis testimony
by describing the arrival of the Maine
in Havan harbor and her anchorage
at what he understood to he one CT the
regular buOys of the place. He could
not state whether the Maine was
placed in the usual berth for men-of-
war, but said that he had heard re-
marks since the explosion, using Cap
tain Stevens, temporarily in command
of the Ward Line steamer City of
Wa h in ptOp q, on, torit1y fny- Tho esto =
ment, that he had never known in all
his experience which covered visits to
Havana for five or six years, "a man.
Of-war to be anchored at that buoy;
that he had rarely known merchan,
vessels to be anchored there and that
it was the least used buoy in the har-
Dor.
In describing the surroundings at
the time of the explosion Captain Sigs-
bee stated that the Alphonso XII was
at her usua berth, about CSC yards to
the nOrthWard and westward of the
Maine.
The Maine coaled at Key West tax
ing On about $50 tons, the coal being
regularly inspected and taken from the
government pile. No report was receiv-
ed from the chief engineer that any coal
had been too long in the bunkers and
that the fire alarms in the bunkers
"Sl , G. III So ldI DIS UlIt u
1ations regarding inflammables and
paints on board, Captain Sigsbee tes-
titled that the regulations were strictly
carried out in regard to storage, and
that the waste also was subject to the
same careful disposition. Regarding
the electric plant of the Maine, Cap
ain SigSbee stated hat there was no
serious grounding nor sudden f1aring
up of the lights before the explosion,
h11f q c1111nn and +otto oaa1i~-a No.
tain Sigsbee said he examined the tenn
p%erature of the magazines himself md
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, as we'll
as Captain SigSbee, the temperatures
were never at danger point. At the time
of the disaster the two after boilers
in the after fire room were in use be
cause the hydraulic system was
leaking. Speaking generally of his
relations with the Spanish authorities,
Captain SigSbee stated that with the
officials they were Outwardly cordial.
When asked whether there was any
demonstration of animosity by people
afiOat, Captain Sigsbee said that there
never was on shore, as he was inform
ed, but there was afiOat. He then re-
lated that ON the first Sunday after
NAfC A~hA~ - @ II oOol 4O"u-
ed densely with people, civil and mill
'tary, returning from a bull fight in
Regla, passed the Maine and about
forty people on board INDUCED in yells,
whistles and derisive calls. During the
stay in Havana Captain Sigsbee took
more than ordinary precaution for the
protection of the Maine.
SIGSBEE DESCRIBES THE WRECK.
The Maine at the time of the explo-
sion was heading approximately north
west. He was writing at his port cabin
table at the time of the explosion and
was dressed. He then went into a de-
scriptiOn of the explosion when he felt
the crash. He characterized it as a
bursting, crashing SOUND or roar of
immense volume, largely metallic in its
character. 1t was succeeded by a me-
tallic sound, probably of falling debris,
a trembling and lurching motion of
the vessel, then an impression Of sub
sidence, attended by an clipse of cleo
trio lights and intense darkness wirhin
the cabin. He knew Immediately thai
the Maine was blown up and that She