The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-29

being especially given by the boats OF
the Spanish cruiser Alphonso MI. and
the Ward line steamer City of Wash
ington, which lay not far distant. The
wounded We're generously cared for by
the authorities of Havana, the hospi-
tails being freely opened to them, while
the earliest recovered bodies of the
dead were inferred by the municipality
in public cemetery in the city. Trib-
utes of grief and sympathy were offer
ed from all official quarters of the is
land.
1.-THE appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force, and for a brief time an intense
excitement prevailed which, in COM
munity less just and self-controlled
than ours, might have led to hasty acts
of blind resentment. This spirit, how
ever, soon gave way to the calm pro-
cess of reason and to the resolve to
investigate the facts and await mater
ial proof before forming q Judgment
as to the cause, the responsibility and
the facts warranted, the remedy due
This course necessarily recommended
itself from the outset to the executive,
for only in the light of a dispassionate-
ly ascertained certainty could it deter
mine the nature and measure of it's full
duty in the matter.
"The usual procedure was followed,
as in all cases of casualty to disas-
ter to national vessels of any maritime
state. A naval court of inquiry was at
once organized, composed of officers
well qualified by rank and practical ex-
| perience to discharge the onerous duty
| imposed upon them. Aided by strong
force of wreckers and divers, the court
| proceeded to make a thorough investi-
| cation on the spot, employing every
| available means for the impartial and
| exact determination of the causes of
| the explosion. Its operations have
| been conducted with the utmost DELHI
Grafton and Judgment, and while indie
pendently pursued, no source of infor-
nation was neglected, and the fullest
| opportunity was allowed for a sinful
taneous investigation by the Spanish
authorities.
THE finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after twenty three days
Of continuous labor, on the 21st of
March instant, and, having been ap-
| proved on the 22d by the commander
| in-chief of the United States naval
force of the North Atlantic station,
was transmitted to the executive.
''It is herewith laid before the con-
gress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court It's
purport is, in brief, as follows:
when the Maine arrived at Havana,
she was conducted by the regular gov
eminent pilot to Buoy No. 4, to which
she was moored in from five and one
half to six fathoms of water. The
state of discipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers
| al-bunkers, and storage compart-
ments are passed in review, with the
conclusion that excellent order pre-
vailed, and that no indication of any
cause for an internal explosion existed
in any quarter.
CAT eight o'clock in the evening OF
February Is everything had been re-
ported secure, and all was quiet. AT
forty minutes past nine o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed. There
We're two distinct explosions, with q
brief interval between them. The first
liftedlthe forward part of the ship very
| p6ItGpllDlyJ tuG ScCOIlu, WIllCll Wds
more open, prolonged, and of greater
volume, is attributed by the court tt
the partial explosion of two or more 0.
the forward magazines.
'The evidence of the divers estab
fishes that the after part of the shiI
was practically intact and sank in tina
condition a very few minutes after the
explosion. The forward part was com
pletely demolished.
upon the evidence Of concurrent
external cause the finding of the cour
is as follows:
cat frame II the outer shell of tn,
ship, from point liz feet from thu
middle line of the ship and feet abov
the keel, when in it's normal position
has been forced up so as to be nov
about 4 feet above the surface of tn
water; therefore, about "a feet abov
where it would be had the ship SUM
uninjured. The outside bottom plating
is bent into reversed V-shape, "A
the after wing of which, about Is fee
broad and 50 feet in length Crane
to frame 25) is doubled back upon it
self against the continuation of TIL
same plating extending forward. A
frame IS the vertical keel is broken i
two and the fiat keel bent into an angl
similar to the angle formed by the out
side bottom plates. This break is nov
about feet below the surface of tn
: water and about 30 feet above it's nor
l NAL position.
SIN the opinion of the court this eff
feet could have been produced only b
the explosion of a mine situated unde
the bottom of the ship at about fran
IS, and somewhat in the port side c
= the ship.
"The conclusions Of the court are:
e '"That the loss of the Maine was nc
] in any respect due to fault or negl
/ gence on the part Of any of the officer
q or members of her crew;
/ "That the ship was destroyed by tn
E explosion of submarine mine, whic
caused the partial explosion of two c
\ more Of her forward magazines; and,
, "That no evidence has been obtaine
BILE fixing the responsibility for the dc
struction of the Maine upon any perso
f or persons.
. IT have directed that the finding {
r the court of inquiry, and the views {
;, this government thereon, be commun
;, Gated to the government of her males
ty, the queen regent, and 7 do not pei
!, NIT myself to doubt that the sense {
justice of the Spanish nation will die