The Advocate and news., 1898-03-30

Deen inspected LnaL Oay Dy the engineer
oGlcer on duty.
The ire alarms In the bunkers we're
In working order, and there had never
been 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 auxiliary purposes only, with a COM
paFatiVely low pressure or steam, and
being tended by reliable watch. These
boilers have gince been found by the
divers, and are in fair condition.
On the night Of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported se-
cure for the night, at 8 p. m, by reliable
persons, through the proper authorities,
to the commanding officer. At the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet and therefore least liable to accl-
dent caused by movements from those on
board.
3. The destruction Of the Maine oc-
CURED at 9:40 p. m, on the 18th day Of
February, 1898, in the harbOr Of Havana,
Cuba, being at the time moOred to the
same buoy to which she had been taken
upon her arrival.
There were two explosions OF a dis
tinctly different character, with a very
short but distinct interval between them,
and the forward part Of the ship was
lifted to a marked degree at the time of
the first explosion.
The first explosion was more In the
nature of a repirt, like that of a gun;
while the second explosion was more
open, prolonged and Of greater volume.
This second explosion was, In the opin-
ion Of the court, caused by the partial
explosion Of two or more of the forward
magazines Of the Maine.
4-The evidence bearing on the condl-
tiOn of the wreck being principally OBJ
tanned from divers, did not enable the
court to form definite conclusion as
to the condition Of the wreck, although
1t 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, however,
established by the testimony:
That portion of the port side OF the
protective deck which extends from
about frame 30 to about frame 40 was
blown up aft and over to port. The
main deck from about frame 80 to about
frame Al was blown aft and slightly over
to starboard, folding the forward part of
the middle superstructure over and on
top Of the after part.
This was, in the opinion Of the court,
caused by the partial explosion Of two
OF more of the forward magazines of the
Maine.
Sat frame II, 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 so as to
be now about four feet above the sur
face Of the water, therefore about thirty
four feet above where 1t 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 In
length (from frame II to frame 25), is
doubled back upon itself against the con-
tinuation Of the same plating extending
forward.
At frame 18 the vertical keel is broken
In two, and the fiat keel bent into an
dHBIS SAHhlIdE W Lno angie LOEneu ny INC
outside bottom plating. This break is
now about six feet below the surface
of the water and about thirty feet above
its normal position.
In the opinion Of the court this effect
could have been produced only by the
explosion of mine situated under the
bottom Of the ship at about frame Is,
and somewhat on the port side Of the
ship.
6--The court finds that the loss Of the
Maine, on the occasion named, was not
in any respect due to fault or negli-
gence on the part Of any of the officers
or members Of the crew Of said vessel
Tin the opinion OF the court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
Of submarine mine, which caused the
I'll - IA.