The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-03-31

No' y" Hndhtic StatlOn, was transmit
ted to the executive.
1t is herewith laid before the con
gress together with the voluminou,
testimony taken before the court
Its purport is, in brief, as follows:
! When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
ernment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which
she was moored in from five and one.
half TO six fathoms of water.
The state OF discipline on board and
the condition OF her magazines, boilers.
coal bunkers and storage compart.
ments are passed in review. with the
conclusion that excellent order pre-.
vailed and that no indication of any
cause for an internal explosion exist
ed in any quarter.
AT s o'clock in the evening of Feb
ruary 18th everything had been report
ed secure and all vas quiet.
At 40 minutes past o'clock the YES
sci was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosion.
with brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of the
ship very preceptibly; the second,
which was more open, prolonged and
of greater volume, is attributed by the
court to the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was
practically intact and sank in that
! condition very few minutes after the
explosion. The forward part was
completely demolished
Upon the evidence of coacurrent ex-
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
AT frame II the outer she'll of the
ship, from point eleven and one.half
feet from the middle line OF the ship
and six feet above the keel when ia its
normal position, has been forced up so
as to be now about four feet above
the surface of the water. therefore
about thirty-four feet above where it
would be had the ship sunk uniniured
The outside bottom plating is bent
into reverse V shape, the after wing
of which, about fifteen feet broad and
thirty-two feet in length from frame
IL TO frame 25) is doubled back upon it.
self against the continuation of the
same plating extending forward
AT frame Is the vertical keel is
broken in two and the fiat keel is bent
into an angle similar to the angle
formed by the outside bottom plates.
The break is now about six feet below
,,f ,t.,,.
feet above its normal position.
In the opiEion of the court this ef-
feet could have been produced only by
the explosion of mine situated under
the bottom of the ship, at about frame
Is and somewhat on the port side of
the ship"
The conclusions of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not due
in any respect TO negligence on the
part of any of the officers or members
of her crew;
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion of a submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines; and
That no evidence has been obtain
able fixing the responsibility for the
destruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons.
have directed that the finding of
the court of inquiry and the views of
this government thereon he cOmmuni-
Gated TO the government of her ma jesty, |
the queen, and do not permit myself
to doubt that the sense of justice of |
the Spanish nation will dictate course |
of action suggested by honor and the |
friendly relations of the two govern
mentS.
1t will be the duty of the executive |
10 advise the congress of the result,
and in the meantime deliberate con-
is invoked.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, March 2S, 1898.
The following is the full text of the
report of the cOurt of inquiry:
L. 5. : Iowa, lst Rate.
kEY WEST, Fla, March 81, 1898. I
After full and mature consideration
of all the testimony before it the court
finds as follows:
/. That the United States battle
ship Maine arrived in the harbor of
Havana, Cuba, on the twenty-ffth day
Of January, Eighteen Hundred and
Ninety Eight, and was taken 10 buoy
No. 4, in from FIVE and half to six
of water, by the regular gov
ernment 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.
>. The state of discipline on board
he Maine was excellent. and all or
iers and regulations in regard TO the
.are and safety OF the ship were strict
y carried out.
All ammunition was slowed in ac-
,ordance with prescribed instructions,
md proper care was taken with which
was handled.
Nothing was slowed in any one of
he magazines or she'll rooms which
was not permitted TO he slowed there.
The magazines and she'll rooms were
llways locked after having been en-
cred. and after the destruction of the
Iaine the keys were found in their
roper place in the captains cabin,
having been reported Sc
ure that evening at s p m.
The temperature of the magazines
nd she'll rooms were taken daily and J
eported. The only magazine which !,
adj an undue amount of heat was the
tter ten-inch magazine, and that did
90 o ,>1cdo ~ tho fi,na the Maine WAS 4