Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-03-28
REPORT OF THE BOARD.
synopsis of the Findings as Submitted
to Congress.

WASHINGTON, March 28-Following
is the report of the Court of inquiry in
part: key West. Fla, March I'll, 1888.
After full and mature consideration
of all the testimony before it, the court
finds as follows:
Position of tho Ship.
/. That the United States battleship
.Maine"arrived in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 2lst day Of January, 1898,
and was taken to buoy No. 4, 10 from
FIVE and a half to six fathoms of water,
by the regular government pilot The
United States consul general at Havana
had notified the authorities at that
place, the previous evening, of the in
tenoed arrival of the "Maine-"
Excellent Discipline.
2. The state of discipline on board
the "Maine'' was excellent. and all
orders and regulations in regard to the
care and safety of the ship were strictly
carried out. All ammunition was
slowed away in accordance with in
structions, and proper care was taken
whenever ammunition was banded
Nothing was stored in any magazines
or shell rooms which was not permitted
to be stored there. The magazines and
shell rooms aWere always locked after
having been opened; and after tho
destruction of the Maine" the keys
we're found in their proper place, in the
captains cabin, everything having been
reported secure that evening at 8 p. m.
v.,,narotura Corract
The temperature of the magazines
and shell rooms were taken daily and
reported. The only magazine which
had an undue amount of heat was the
after ten-inch magazine, and that did
not explode at the time the "Maine" was
destroyed. The report then gives the
disposition of the various dangerous
explosives, showing that they could
not have been responsible for the af-
fair; says the coal bunkers, four of
which were empty, had been carefully
inspected, and adding: "The fire
alarms 10 the bunkers were in WORKING
order and there had never been case
of spontaneous combustion of coal OIL
board the MAINE" strs-ss
Low Pressure of Steam.
The two after boilers of the shiI
were in use at the time of the disaster
but for auxiliary purposes only. with ;
comparatively low pressure of steam
and being tended by a reliable watch
These boilers could no have caused th,
explosion of the ship. The forwart
boilers have since been found by tn
divers and are in a fair condition.
Details are Given. tf
The report thengives details of th
explosions. as shown by the testimony
the FIRST of which lifted the .Maine'' il
a marked degree. and says: 'The frs
explosion was more In the nature of
report, like that of q gun, while th
second explosion was more open, pro
lonQed and Of greater volume. Thi
second explosion was, in The opinion 0
the court, caused by the partial expIt
sion Of two or more OF the forWar
magazines Of the "Maine.r
Report Of tho nfvers.
The balance Of the report gives Il
conditions Of the wreck as reported
the divers, which is taken to prove a
outside explosion, which with the cor
illusions of the court In that regard, II
quoted By the president IN his messag
The report is signed by Captain SAM
son. president; Commander Mari
indae advocate, and approved
Admiral Sicafd