St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-30
COURTS FINDING.
Full Report of Officers Who Investigated
the Maine Disaster.

=
the Maine Disaster.
The following is the full text Of the
report of the court of inquiry:
United States steamship Iowa, first
rate, Key West, Monday, March 21.-Af-
ter full and mature consideration Of all
as follows:
/. That the United States battleship
Maine arrived at the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 25th day of January, 1898,
and was taken to buoy No. 4, in from
five and 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
intended. arrival of the Maine.
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 in accord
ance with prescribed instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever am
munition was handled.
Nothing was slowed in any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was not
permitted to be slowed there.
The mazagines and shell rooms were
always locked after having been opened,
and after the destruction of the Maine
the keys were found in their proper
place in the captains cabin, everything
having been reported secure that even
ing at p. m.
The temperature of the magazines and
shell rooms were taken daily and re-
ported. The only magazine which had
an undue amount of heat was the after
1O-inch magazine, and that did not ex-
plode at the time the Maine was de-
BtYoyed.
The torpedo war heads were all slowed
in the after part Of the ship, under the
ward room and neither caused nor par
ticipated in the destruction Of the Maine.
The dry guncotton primers and deto-
majors were slowed in the cabin aft, and
remote from the scene of the explosion
Waste was carefully looked after on the
Maine to obviate danger. Special or
ders in regard to this had been given by
the commanding officer.
Varnishes, dryers, alcohol and other
combustioles Of this nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the de-
struction of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the ward room and remote from
the scene Of the explosion. No danger
GUS stores Of any kind were slowed be-
low in any of the other storerooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
OF those bunkers adjacent to the for
ward magazines and shell rooms, four
were empty, namely "B3, B4, BIZ, BE-"
"A15'' had ben in use that day and
"A16" was full of New River coal. This
coal had been carefully inspected be-
fore receiving 1t on board. The bunker
in which it was slowed was accessible
on three sides at all times and the fourth
side at this time on account Of bunkers
"B4" and "B6" being empty. This bun
ker, "A16," had been inspected that day
by the engineer officer on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were 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
paratively low pressure Of steam and be-
ing tended by reliable watch. These
boilers could not have caused the ex-
plosion of the ship. The four forward
boilers have since been found by the div
ers, and are in fair condition.
On the night of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night at o'clock by relia-
BILE persons, through the proper authori-
ties. to the commanding officer. At the