The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-26
UNOFFICIAL STATEMENTS.

Claim That There Is No .Doubt hut What
tbs uaititship aIains. was Wrecked by
an E1pio,ion From Underneath.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-A dispatch to
the Herald from Havana says:
There Is no longer any reason to doubt
that the explosion which wrecked tho
Maine came from underneath the vessel
and that her magazines had nothing to
do with the Initial explosion and played
amuch smaller part in the general dis
aster than was at firs, supposed.
The evidence that has served to con-
vince the board was obtained by Ens!sn
Powellson, an officer attached to the
Fern. Mr.. Powellson was formerly in
the construction corps, and took two
years special course In the Glasgow
scnool OF naval architecture. He Is
therefore a competent witness.
what he discovered was that the for
ward part OF the keel OF the Maine, with
lbs ribs and plates was stove upward so
tar mat parts OF the shattered double
bottom Show out ot water, and In places
sections or the green painted outer hull
are visible. 'Ge5 gs3i
corroboratlve OF evidence given by
Ensign Powellson and OF equal signifl-
canoe and Importance Is the result OF the
close examination made By the divers.
What they found Indicates that the ex-
plosion came from a point beneath the
keel. a plumb line dropped from
point Just forward OF the coming tower
would have laid the lead exactly on the
spot Where the explosion occurred that
move Keel and plate and ribs almost TO
the surface.
The main force OF the explosion seems
to have beeen exerted 81 git y en- III PORT
SIDE Oh the vessel. This Ia consistent with
the facts hitherto ascertained.
collectively these now indicate that
the contents OF the reserve six-inch
magazine were exploded by the initial
olast and that there was no explosion In
either OF the other two. In the reserve
magazine was slowed 1900 pounds OF
powder. in copper tanks, each OF which
contained 200 pounds.
: Several OF these tanks have been found
by the divers. all incrushed and shape
less masses. tits important 10 note that
In the six-inch and ten-inch tanks recov-
cred the excelsior used for packing the
r~is4i SO oAtohs A0 iHJuES iIOIu Ilillle OF
gases.
The powder stored in the six-inch re-
serve magazine was used for salut!ng
purposes only. The magazine itself ap-
pears to have been utterly destroyed,
only few traces being left to show the
spot where 1t was once located.
9 The under part OF the ten-inch maga-
zine Is wholly inaccessible to divers. In.
the upper part is tightly wedged mass
OF powder cylinders, too heavy for divers
to extricate but apparently containing
unexploded charges OF powder. The
Dow torpedo tube OF the Maine has
been located in the wreck. 1t lies In The
debris forward, submerged several feet
under water.
The hull Is now imbedded In the mud
to the depth OF eight feet. The divers
sink to their arm pits In the mud and
have the greatest difficulty In prosecu-
ting their work. Those engaged on the
forward part OF the ship are under
charge OF gunner Charles Morgan, an
officer specially detailed from the nag
ship New York for that purpose and
who has the reputation OF being the most
efficient Of his rank.