The Meeker herald., 1898-04-02
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE couR7

Washington, March 2S.-The full re-
port of the Maine board of inquiry u
document containing about 1U.OO
words, After 1t was sent to the Sen
ate to-day Associated Press reporters
were given access to the report and the
more Important features of the testI-
mony are presented below:
Ensign w. v. N. POwelson was cnll-
ed the third day Of the court. He tes-
titled that he had been present on the
Milne every day from the arrival OF
the boat Fern, and during great deal
OF the diving.
In reply to a question to tell the
court MI about the condition Of the
wraek. ~ said that the forward psrt
or the ship forward Of tlna alter smoke
stack had been to III appearances CONF
pletely destroyed. The coming tower
lay In a position opposite the door lead
Ing to the superstructure aft and to
starboard, inclined about 40 degrees
to the vertical with the top of the con-
ming tower inboard. Continuing he
described with close detail the condI-
tion under the Maine deck on the port
side. The fixtures were completely
wrecked. while fixtures in the same
position on the stnrbOard side were In
some cnses almost intact. The port
ibulkhend between the main and berth
decks Mt the coming tower support
had been blown aft on both sides, but
a great deal more on the port than on
the starhOard side. The fire room
hatch Immediately abaft of the con
ming tower had been blown In three
directions, aft. to starboal and to
port. The protective decks md the
~ hnrt In
two directions, the plates on the star
board side being bent up and on the
larboardi side bent down. a
In reply to nm inquiry whether he
meant with reference to their original
portions Ensign Powelson replied af-
firmatively. The beam supporting the
protective deck few inches abaft of
the nrlnOred tube. to port of the mid
ship line. Just forward of the coming
tower underneath the main deck two
beams met ut right angles; one beam
WAS broken and pushed from port to
starlsoard. A grating was found on
the poop awning Just forward of the
after search-lfght.
The piece of the side plating Just
nbaft OF the starboard turrct was viSi
ble. This plate was bent outward anil
then the forward end bent upward anu
folded backward upon itself.
THIS plating was severed from the
rest Of the plating below the water
line. This plating below the water
line has been pushed out to starboard
The 4rntings of the engine room
Entch were blown OF. A composition
strainer was picked up from the bot
tom on the starloard quarter at a
point about opposite the poop capstan
and about thirty feet from 1t. The
chief engineer thought the strniner
was from the fremen's wash room.
There was not a str:iiner in the ships
side, Near the piece of outside plating
to which witness referred above he
said there were pieces of red shellacetl
planks. On these planks was bolted a
composition track two inches wide and
an Inch thick.
Ensign Powelson then asked IL the
court meant for him to say anything
about what the divers reported or Just
what he saw. W
wOUN like to have him stare any impOr-
txnt discoveries which might lead the
court to draw some conclusion rs to
the cause, and II a diver gave such
information to state the Divers name.
Before doing 30, the judge advocate
asked witness to state II the forward
and after part OF the ship were in line.
Ensign Powelson replied that as far Al
4 NJ could Judge they were not. The
i3nd where the explosion occurred
seemed to be pushed from port to star
ahcartl frum five to ten degrees, he
sfculd Judge, with the apex to ths star
1saaxd
& Ths 4lvers reported to witness that
II i po&nt where the ten-inch aheIl
= ahouh be they discovered ten-luch
2 I9 regularly arranged, bur the ship
down % much that somc c1 TIE
+ 5j1a wese n the mud.
Nj ~ Mcsgan fcported thAt IN