davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

The most ludicrous being in the world is
ne VINO 10 tres to be unhappy and cant.-De.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

fooiisbIvu ,b would rather spend five doI,...
in his pocket ns' g lose nickel through bols
No''-" washington Democrst hoie
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

merits became very strong. About two
years later had a running sore on my
foot. 1t developed into srysipelas and
affected the entire limb. At that time
I was
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

sumption 't to snRsId PisO's Cure for Con.
Townsend, f. suq Hoss f from Asthms-E G 3.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

Ol. 1t wipes them out.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

=, oac,9ue ,religious-the young woman who
uses the church to advertise her new clothes
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

Haies YYiI onnss Of Of Coughing are stopped ~
Pixies TootbHscJS'on hSrehognd and Tar. :"
""ehe Drops Cure in one MINT.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

hand knew csp,aarator-not letting your rich.
New Yo oIw what your left is doins~RPngTnafI
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

foio%p',se u always laugh at the first m., -
adopt tAtc fashion and at the last one 70 70
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24
HOme-seekers, Excursion.

On April 9Th and 10Th, the Chicago Nil.
Waukee d st; Paul R'y will sell ro9nd. tr;,,
o H,l, tickets good 81 days. from CbI.
GGlgo' Milwaukee and other points on O ;ts
Nne, TO great many points in Soutb and ~.
, Morln Dakota and other western and south.
Testern states, at greatly reduced rates
d - Ne "TRIP west and see what an amount of
S s' ldhd can be purchased for the least
i"US' rurther Information as to rates
obtained on application 10 any co,ro mdy pe
et agent or by addressing The fo ,I% .'9n,
named persons: w Z. Powell GenT tn" Imls
Agent, 40 DID Colony RIdg IN I'm
,Hgoi H. r. Hunter. Immigration 40, III co.
rTDutn Dakota; POI Dearborn St. Chez 'or
Gorge II. IleaGold General PasseeU U, or
agent, Chicago. Illinois. "' aSsehger
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

core COre and stiff? Cold. ST. Jacob. o,.
"'e' IL warns and relaxes VII the
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24
''oooH TOURIST slrrpro.
''a' ors- for Pugs, soma ,,.,

from KS aSrs from st. I.oui. rvr.
orado TSs nls City via Denys@ srs
ALLY co Sas Lake-a great feature scen,c Col
for esna SnUeTEp. The success ~ . 49,
WAERLSy q northwest travel. WrisaT fA, %
~ I. A.. st. Louis. Ne - w.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

worst I pcGp,e who get the least mail aro a..
inrton Demnw when the mail is ate1 1pe .he
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

eobss 0iI TOR ,oT years? Pshawl why s. T..
N'0' VII VIII cure rprains right of 81 sn ia
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

~ Empty wagons rattle most WI,
tIa.l Democrat. ' "'oS''-"ashington
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

On low low, TO dissolve boncs-feed the Children
New voI Vn NEAL tat meat pie and cake.-RuraI
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

Bumped and bent. Lame back did u
straight and sound. st. Jacobs OF AZ =
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

as had been troubled with dyspepsia.
The drain on my system was so severe
and my stomach was so weak became a
ready victim of malaria. I feared I
could never regain my health. My stom-
achrebelled at the simplest food, and the
medicines prescribed for me gave but
little relief. Isent for bottle of Hoods
and had taken this medi-
cine but three days when began to inn
prove. Continuing with ii, am now
better and stronger than ever expect
I'd to be. 1t has purified my blood and
given good circulation. l have had no
return of my old troubles since" Mrs.
". KANE, Media, Pa. Hoods Sarsa-
larilla is
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24

&C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass:
"Gentlemen;-"My first experience
with Hoods Sarsaparilla was when I
used il as n tonic and spring medicine.
It did me so much good my faith in its
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-24
Tho Medicine For You

TITO W0uICIU6 FOT T0U
Because of what it has done for others;
because you ought this spring to take
that which will do you the most good.
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

That portion of the port side Of the pro-
tective deck which extends from about
frame 80 to about frame Al was blown up
aft and over to port. The main deck
from about frame 30 to about frame IL
was blown up aft and slightly over to
starboard, folding the forward part of the
middle superstructure over and on top of
the after part.
This was, in the opinion Of the court,
caused by the partial explosion of two or
more of the forward magazines of the
Maine.
Plates Forced Up.
s. At frame II, the outer shell of the ship
from a point liz feet from the middle
line of the ship and six feet above the keel
when in its normal position, has been
forced up so as to be now about four feet
ABOVE the surface of the water, therefore
about "a feet above where it would be had
the ship sunk uninjured. The outside bot
tom plating is bent into a reversed V
shape, the after wing Of which, about Is
teet broad and 80 feet in length (from
frame II to frame 20, is doubled back upon
itself against the continuation of the same
plating extending forward.
AT frame Is the vertical keel is broken in
two. ana the flat keel bent into an angle
similar to the angle formed by the outside
bottom plating. This break is now about
SIX feet below the surface of the water, and
about 80 feet above its normal position.
Caused by a Mine.
In the opinion of the court, this effect
could have been produced only by the ex-
plosion Of mine situated under the bot
tom of the ship at about frame 49, and
somewhat on the port side Of the ship.
6. The court finds that the loss of the
Maine, on the occasion named, was not in
any respect due to fault or negligence on
the part of any Of the officers or members
of the crew of said vessel.
T. In the opinion Of the court the Maine
was destroyed by the explosion of a sub
marine mine, which caused the partial ex-
plosion Of two or more of her forward
magazines.
8. The court has been unable to obtain ev-
idence fixing the responsibility for,the de-
srruction of the Maine upon any person or
persons.
W. T. SAMPSON,
Captain. U. S. N, President
'. A MARK,
Lieutenant Commander. U. S. N, Judge
Advocate.
The Findings Approved.
The court, having finished the inquiry IT
was ordered to make. adjourned at II a. m.
to await the action of the converting au-
thority.
W.T.. SAMPSON,
Captain. U. s. NJ, President
A. MARK.
Litutenant Commander. u. S. N. Judge
Advocate.
u. s. Flagship New York. March p, 1898.
Of Key West. Fla--The proceedings and
findings Of the court of inquiry in the above
case are approved.
Rear Admiral. Commander in Chief of the
U. s. Naval Force on the North Atlantic
Station.
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

In reply to an inquiry as to whether
he meant with reference to their original
positions Ensign Powelson replied affirma-
lively. The beam supporting the pro-
tective deck few inches abaft Of the ar
mored tube, to port of the midship line,
was bent up to StarbOard of the mid
ship line. Just forward of the coming
tower underneath the deck, two beams
met at right angles; one beam was broken
and pushed from port to starboard. A
grating was found on the poop awning
just forward Of the after searchlight.
a piece of the side plating just abaft
of the starboard turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward and then the for
ward end bent upward and folded back
ward upon itself. This plate was sheared
from the rest Of the plating below the
water line. This plating below the water
line has been pushed out to starboard."
The armored gratings of the engine room
hatch were blown off. A composition
strainer was picked up from the bottom
on the Starboard quarter at point about
opposite the poop capstan and about 20
feet from it. The chief engineer thought
the strainer was from the firemen's wash
room. 1t was not a strainer in the ships
side.
Near the piece of outside plating to
which witness referred above he said there
were pieces of red shellaced planks. On
these planks was bolted a composition
track two inches wide and an inch thick.
Ensign Powelson then asked if the court
meant for him to say anything about what
the divers reported or just what he saw.
The judge advocate replied that he would
like to have him state any important dis
coveries which might lead the court to
draw some conclusion as to the cause,
and if a diver gave such information to
state the divers name. Before doing so
the judge advocate asked witness to state
if the forward and after part of the ship
were in line. Ensign Powelson replied
that as far as he could judge they were
not. The end where the explosion oc-
Cured seemed to be pushed from port
to starboard from five to ten degrees, he
should judge, with the apex to the star
board. The divers reported to witness that
at a point where the ten-inch shell room
should be they discovered ten-inch shells
regularly arranged, but the ship had sunk
down so much that some of the shells were
in the mud.
Gunner Morgan reported that in walking
on the bottom he fell into a hole on the
port side and went down in the mud. TIe
also reported that as far as he could Judge
everything seemed to be bent upward in
the vicinity OF this hole. He also reported
that the plates seemed to have been pushed
over to the starboard and then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a six
inch powder tank that he saw appeared to
be an empty tank broken by the explosion,
as 1t was not badly dented and merely
ripped the length Of the seam. A ten-inch
tank was badly battered out Of any con-
ceivable shape.
Continuing. the witness said rho divers
UP to the night before he was then on the
stand had not been on the outside OF the
shir. The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom.
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

amount of heat was the after ten-inch mag
aZine, and that did not explode at the time
the Maine was destroyed.
The torpedo war heads were all slowed
in the after part of the ship under the ward
room, and neither caused nor participated
in the destruction of the Maine.
The dry gun cotton primers and deton-
atorS were slowed in the cabin aft and
remote from the scene of the explosion.
The waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine to obviate danger. Spe-
cial orders in regard to this had been given
by the commanding officer.
Varnishes dryers alcohol and other COM
bustibles of this nature were slowed on
or above the Maine deck and could not
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

What is the condition Of the starboard
turret?' witness was asked.
To my knowledge 1t has not been found.
sir" was the reply.
He understood something had been found
under the place where the turret formerly
was, but its exact character had not been
determined.
Impressions of Ensign POwelsOn.
What impression Is produced upon your
mind by the reports, as far as you have
quoted themT' Ensign PowelSon was asked
from reports alone or from the appear
ance Of the wreckT"
Either from such reports or the condI-
lions which you believe TO exist"
1.-THE impression produced upon me-" re-
piled the witness, us that an explosion took
place well to port OF the midship line, and
at point in the length about opposite the
coming tower"
Witness in reply to further questions said
his opinion was based upon the observation
of things above water. He gave no weight
to Mr.. Morgans statement about falling
into hole on the port side because Nor
gan might have been mistaken about It
Referring to his notes made Of things on
the Maine, Ensign Powelson said that the
arc OF the engine room telegraph and the
shaft Of the steering gear coming down
through the armored tube (turret) was bent
from port to starboard. The port side Of
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

l. That the United States battleship Maine
arrived in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, on
the 18th day of January, 1885, and was taken
to buoy No 4, in from five and half to six
tathoms Of water by the regular govern
ment pilot The United States consul gen.
eral at Havana had notified the authori-
ties at that place the previous evening of
the intended arrival Of the Maine.
Discipline Was Excellent.
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 &C
cordance with instructions, and proper care
was taken whenever ammunition was
handled.
Nothing was slowed in any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was not
permitted to be slowed there
The magazines and shell rooms were al
ways locked after having been opened; and
after the destruction of the Maine the keys
were found in their proper place in the cap
tain's cabin, everything having been re-
ported secure that evening at eight p. m.
Temperature Was Normal.
The temperatures Of the magazines and
shellrooms were taken daily and reported.
The only magazine which had an undue
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01
Scale l-32 inch to one foot.


held fast and bent that deck downward.
Witness here exhibited two sketches to the
court showing diagram Of various parts of
the sunken ship and explained them to the
court.
The witnesses evidence about the strip
on the Starboard side of the outside plat
ing of the ship which was folded and
rolled back, was recalled to him, and Pow
elson said he could see plate underneath it
was bent outward, as he could see it, as it
was only two feet under water where the
shear occurred.
Witness had taken soundings and had
found five fathoms of water on both sides
of the Maine down to the mud. Taking a
14-pound lead line and dragging with a
wherry for Instructions on the port side,
dragging close to where he thought the wa
ter ways would be found, he found no OBJ
structions whatever On the starboard side
he found Instructions for 20 feet where he
had reason to believe the waterways had
originally been.
In answer to questions he said there was
nothing left of the port plating at all. He
dragged along the outside to see if anything
had fallen out and found nothing Wiz
ness thought the ship on the port side was
entirely gone opposite a point indicated on
diagram handed the court. 1t was en-
tirely blown out.
This concluded Ensign Powelson's tes-
timony on the third day.
Divers Story.
Chief Gunner's Mate Olsen, of the United
States steamer Iowa, told how he had been
sent to Havana for the purpose of doing
diving duty on the wreck. He had descend
ed four times, making about eight or nine
hours of total examination.
Olsen told how on his first descent he
went over the forward part of the ship.
TO use his own expression, he said: Il
found the wreck all blowed up. I found a
lot of crate bars down there" The second
time he went down further forward and
there located a lot of ten-inch shells. For
ward Of these the plates were bent inboard
over them.
Asked if he imagined himself looking for
ward he stated that he did. Going over the
plates he struck into lot of six-inch shells
with the sings on them. Going to the right
witness stated he found lot of wreckage
1t seemed to have been blown over the star
board. Olsen stated that he put his hand
into the cranks and brought out several
Six-pounder SHELLS.
The next time he went down Olsen testi
ned he went outside the ship forWard Of
the crane on the port side. He followed the
bottom along and found that the ships
side was blown cupboard and along The
crane 1t could be walked on
Al the part where she is blown up COM
pietely, witness said. part of her bottom
plates are turned up. Then you follow the
bottom from there up, and the plates are
blown cupboard. At the top and underneath
the bottom they are blown inboard and
Dent IN. Apout three feet forward of that
spot there is piece of iron laid along the
ouIknead. The skin of the inside of the
double bottoms Is curled like sheet of pa
per inboard from stem TO stern.
"Amidships on the same place there Is IN
armor plate, one plate complete. the top OF
the plate standing up. TIE plate Is inclined
over the starboard con. :'letely. 1t stands
1t Is inclined forward. and over to star
board
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

use at the time of the disaster, but for
auxiliary purposes only with a compare
lively low pressure of steam, and being
tended by reliable watch. These boilers
could not have caused the explosion of the
ship. The four forward boilers have since
been found by the divers, and are in fair
condition.
On the night of the destruction Of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night at eight p. m. by re-
liable persons, through the proper author
tiles, to the commanding officer. At the
time the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet, and therefore least liable to accident
caused by movements from those on board.
Were Two Explosions.
8. The destruction Of the Maine occurred
at $40 p. m. on the 18th day Of February,
1885, in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, be-
ing at the time moored on the same buoy to
which she had been taken upon her ar
rival
There were two explosions of distinctly
different character with a very short but
distinct interval between them, and the
forward part of the ship was lifted to
marked degree at the time Of the first ex-
plosion.
The first explosion was more in the ma
ture of a report, like that of a gun, while
the second explosion was more open, pro-
longed and Of greater volume. This sec
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01
TOLD BY WITNESSES.
Extract of Important Testimony
Taken by the Court.
Lieut.. POwelsOn's Story Told ON the
Third Day of the Sesa1On-Im-
pOrtant Discoveries Made
Up to That Time.

portions of the testimony:
Ensign W V. n. Powelson was called
the third day of the court. He testified
that he had been present on the Maine
every day from the arrival OF the boat
Fern and during a great deal of the diving
In reply to a question to tell the court
all about the condition of the wreck he
said the forward part of the ship forward
of the after Smokestack had been to all
appearances completely destroyed. The
coming tower lay In a position opposite
the door leading to the superstructure aft
and to starboard, inclined at about 10 de-
grees to the vertical with the top of the
coming tower in board. Continuing, he
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was prac-
tically intact and sank in that condition d
very few minutes after the explosion. The
forward part was completely demolished.
Upon the evidence of concurrent external
cause the finding of the court is as follows:
AT frame II the outer shell Of the ship,
from point 1112 feet from the middle line
of the ship and six feet above the keel
when In its normal position. has been
forced up so as to be now about four feet
above the surface of the water; therefore,
about "a feet above where il would be had
the ship sunk uninjured.
Plates Bent Inward.
The outside bottom plating is bent into
reversed v shape. the after wing of
which. about Is feet broad and 80 feet
In length (from frame II to frame 25 is
doubled back upon itself against the con-
tinuation OF the same plating extending
forward.
AT frame IS the vertical keel is broken in
two and the keel bent into an angle singu-
lar to the angle formed for the outside
plates. This break is about six feet be-
low the surface OF the water and about
30 feet above it's normal position.
I'm the opinion Of the court this effect
could have been produced only by the ex-
plosion of mine situated under the bot
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

described with close detail the condition
under the main deck on the port side. The
fixtures were completely wrecked, while
fixtures in the same position on the star
board side were in some cases almost in
tact. The port bulkhead between the main
and berth decks at the coming tower sup
port had been blown aft on both sides, but
a great deal more on the port than on the
starboard side. The flreroom hatch imme-
diately abaft of the coming tower had been
blown in three directiOns-aft, to star
board and to port. The protective deck
under the coming tower supports was bent
in two directions, the plates on the star
board side being bent up and on the lar
board side bent down.
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

the protected deck was covered with a
greasy deposit, the starboard side being
comparatively free from it.
The forward smoke pipe, between the
main and superstructure decks, did not
show signs of the internal pressure of
gases. On the main deck forward of the
coming tower where the fore and after
angle bulb beam was located the planking
was blown off on the only remaining plate
Of the main deck on the port side while the
wood was still attached to that part on the
starboard side between the coming tower
base and the turrets. What witness saw
would indicate that The pressure lifted the
protective deck up on the port side, and
the protective deck on the starboard side
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

been in use that day. and A Is was full
OF New River coal. This coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving # on
board The bunker in which it was slowed
was accessible on three sides a all times
and the fourth side at this time on az.
count OF bunkers B and being empty.
Ihis bunker, is, had been inspected
lnat oay by the engineer officer on duty
The fire alarms in the bunkers uara ~
working order. and there had never bee,
case OF spontaneous combustion of coal
on board the Maine.
After Boilers Only In Use.
The two after boilers Of the shin were IN
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01

have had anything to do with the destruc-
ton of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft I'M
der the ward room and remote from the
scene Of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were
slowed below in any Of the other store
rooms.
Coal Bunkers Inspected.
The coal bunkers were inspected. Of
those bunl1ers adjoining the forward mag
azine and shell rooms four were empty,
namely B 8. B 4, B and g. A Is had
The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-04-01
PROFILE VIEW.

ond explosion was. in the opinion of the
court, caused by the partial explosion of
two or more of the forward magazines of
the Maine.
Condition of the Wreck.
4. The evidence bearing on this, being
principally obtained from divers, did not
enable the court to form a definite con-
clusion as to the condition Of the wreck
although it was established that the after
part of the ship was practically intact,
and sank in that condition very few
minutes after the destruction of the for
ward part.
The following facts in regard to the for
ward part of the ship are, however, es-
tablished by the testimony: