The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-29


be able to find, perhaps. intact. powder
tanks farther down; that the ones on
| top had been broken up by these plates"
| Osher evidence along the same lines
was given by MIR Powelson on this day,
all of which tended to prove that the eX-
plosion was external and was from port
| to starboard
In his testimony on the fifth day of the
| sitting Ensign Powelson explained how
he identified a part of the bottom plat
ing which was found four feet above
water. Much of this explanation was
| technical in character and of the nature
| of the plates, their peculiar location, etc.
| Ensign Powelson showed that the bot
tom plating about eleven feet from the
| keel had been raised to a point four feet
| out OF water. This bottom was directly
under the forward port edge of the for
| ward siX-inch magazine. During the
course of a long examination Ensign
Powelson said he was convinced from the
! character of the damage that the ship
was thrown up and not out. This damage
was done on the port side and the upper
! plate was between eleven and fifteen feet
! from the center line of the ship; in other
words this plate had been lifted about
thirty-eight thirty-nine feet from its
original position when the ship was float
ing The ensign also told how he had
discovered the green paint with which
the bottom of the ship is painted on the
plates that We're thrown above the wafer
With respect to the hole found in the
ships side, Ensign PowelsOn said he di-
Tected the diver to examine it carefully
and make measurements. The plating
the port side was torn from that on the
starboard side and the ammunition from
| the siX-pounder magazine was pushed
over to starboard
Technical Testimony.
Captain John Haggerty. a submarine
diver of the Merrick Wrecking Company,
a diver of 81 years experience. was called
and examined by the judge advocate on
the sixteenth day In answer to ques-
tons he stated that he had been down to
examine the wreck of the Maine on seven
days at three and one-half hours per day.
He told in technical terms of the condi-
ton Of the wreck
After examining William Henry DWyer,
a submarine diver, who also gave a tech
nical description of the wreck, the court
proceeded to the wreck and on it's return
Ensign PoWelson former witness was
called by the court.
He said that he had made some further
discoveries since his last testimony, but
had not completed his work
Chief Gunner's Mate Andrew Olsen. a
former witness, was recalled and said
that he had done some diving since he
I,
, for the armor plate which he had pre-
Viously reported but was not able to find
it. He thought it had sunk in the mud
at that point. He said that he had SCOOP
ed up some loose powder and mud and
sent them to Ensign Powelson.
| Q.-What is the direction of the keel of
this part of the ship forward Of frame
III?
A.-The keel there is up and over to
starboard and aft at an angle of about
60 degrees with the horizontal.
Odd you see anything of deep de-
preston in mud forward there?
Ayes, sir; right at the bow of the
ship.
Q.-Under the bow, you mean?
Alright where the keel goes into the
mud ! found a big hole in the mud
could go right down into the hole, and
extend my arms and feel the top of the
hole. 1t was about level with my arm
pits.
Olsen said the hole was about four or
, five feet deep and seemingly more solid
at the bottom than any other mud higher
up. The hole extended out from the ship
about four or five feet, and abaft and
2 around the keel. The ship was rapidly
sinking into it, he said, and the hole clos
| ing up. He said the quantity of powder
mixed with the mud did not seem to be
large.
Gunner's Mate Thomas Smith was re-
: | called and said that he had been down
since his testimony to search for the side
armor plate he had previously reported,
but could not find it and thought it must
| have sunk in the mud. In describing the
hole he had reported previously he said
that he should judge it was about seven
' feet deep and seven feet wide.
I Gunner's Mate Rundquist was recalled
0 and said he had been sent down to look
j for the side armor plate. He said he had
4 been unable to find it but was confident
/. he had found ii when he was down be-
n fore. He said that when down last he
n had found lots of shells, six Founders and
: ten-inch, and also some powder tanks
= which he had sent up.
t Rundquist said that on the side armor
n the backing looked to be all ragged, but
e on the back of the transverse armor the
: backing was all in good condition.
$ Gunner's Mate SchIuter was recalled
I and said that he had been sent down to
8 search for the side armor plate, but was
:, unable to find it. He had found some
n six-pounder tanks, some with the shells
: in them and some with the shells out and
e there was still some dark stuff left that
y looked like powder. He had also found
= some six FOUNDER empty tanks with the
e sides burst out, and the top of a ten-inch
/. tank. He had found the tanks right
n around the ten-nch magazines.
g Lieutenant Commander WainHris :. hi
stated that about thirty-fve six-inch and
y ten teII-inch powder tanks had been sent
: up. He had seen one ten-inch tank an(
> two six-nch tanks that contained pow.
:. der in bags, and the remainder were
:. either empty or contained parts of eX-
= celsior packing and parts of powder bags
: All tanks were more or less injured, &
: large proportion opening lengthwisc
r along the seam Nearly all the tanks
L show signs of having been subjected tc
e outside pressure-as if pressed agains
n the powder inside, and their ends are
also crushed in. He did not think any o.
the tanks had been exploded by Tho
If bursting of powder on the inside. H,
said the Maine was fast TO her buoy by
the bow chain at the time of the eXplo
J. sion, and ne did not know of any powder
e on board not belonging to the Govern
lie Inent.
If On the next day Lieut. II. Hutchins
r L. S. N, was called, and said that h,
IS had been in Havana aboard the Mont
lie gomery since the 9Th inst. and will
is Lieut.. Fields of the Montgomery, haC
t made soundings about the wreck of tn
lie Maine and presented the court with
l. chart prepared from these soundings.
r Chief Engineer Howell was recalled
T. and stated that coal bunkers 3, b 8
n b and b on the Maine were painted
t. between February l and TO- The frs
r paint used contained dryers, but afte
lie that the paint was without turpentin
r. and dryers. He said the bunkers wer
s. not kept closed in such a manner L
l. endanger any accumulation Of combusti
Is bic gases.
& -.