Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-04-02
REPORT OF COURT OF INQUIRY
THERE WERE TWO EXPLOSIONS
Result of the Investigation of the
Wrecking OF the Hattleship
Maine in Havana Harbor-NO One
ON Board to Blame.

Washington, March 27.-The report
of the court OF inquiry which Investigate
ed the wrecking OF the battleship Maine
is made up of eight parts as follows:
First-The court finds that at the time
of the explosion the battleship Maine
was lying in five and one-half to six faith
oms OF water.
Sccond-The discipline aboard the ship
Wa, excellent: everything stored accord
! ing to ordeis-ammnnition. guns. stores.
etc. The temperature of the magazines
after l0-inch magazine and that did not
explode.
Third-The explosion occurred at 9:4o
o'clock on the evening of February Ii.
! There We're two explosions, with short
interval between them. The ship lifted on
the first explosion.
| Fourth Thee ourt can form no definite
opinion of the condition of the wreck
from the divers evidence except As to the
technical details Of the wreckaoe, from
which the court deduces that a mine was
exploded under the ship on the port side.
SiXth--The explosion was due to no
fault OF those on board.
SpventE-The opinion of the court
states that the explosion of the mine
caused the explosion of two magazines.
Fightll-The court declares that it can
not find evidence to fix responsibility
Report Is Unanimous.
The report is unanimous, and is signed
by all the members of the court. 1t does
not refer to the existence or non-existence
of the mine in the harbor of Havana, ex-
cept in the specific findings that a mine
was exploded under the ship and the
opinion that the explosion of the two
magazines was caused by the explosion of
q mine.
The report as a whole is a formal, dis
passionate recital of facts and bears the
stamp of that strict oilicialism which
marks naval procedure. 1t is brief, not
exceeding 1900 words, and among the
eight points goes to the greatest length
under the second heading, which deals
with the discipline and order of the ship.
This the court specifies with extreme mi
nutcness, the smallest detail of the sat
isfactory condition of everything on
board being given. The normal tempera-
ture OF the large forward magazines at 8
o'clocls-only an hour and 40 minutes be-
fore the eNplosion-diSposes Of the ques
tion of accidental combustion from in
torn HOY halo of
the opinion that the explosion of the
mine under the nort side. Of the ship caus-
ed the explosion of the two magazines.
This will explain the remarkable destruc-
tion wrought, the explosion thus being
shown to have combined the force of
mine without and the two magazines
within. The two explosions. which the
court finds to have occurred with a short
interval between them, is an additional
detail showing that two forces operated
in causing the destruction. The finding
that the ship lifted OH the first eNplos-
ION indicates an external source and one
of tremendous power to be able to lift
battleship OF thousands of tons. The /
character of the wreckage technically de- |
scribed in the fifth part of the report,
from which the court deduces that mine
was exploded under the ship on the port
side. sustains the view taken by some
experts shortly after the disaster, that |
the force OF the explosion was exertpd from
port to starboard.
Captain SiEShee ExOnernted.
The feature Of the report of deepest in
tereSt to the navy is the complete exon
GRAFTON OF Captain Sigsbee and all on
board contained in the second finding,
setting forth the perfect order and dis
ciplne prevailing on the ship, and more
directly stated in the sixth finding, which
declares the disaster to be due to no fault
of those OH board.
The inability Of the court to find evi-
dence to fix the responsibility. as stated
in the eighth part. makes the report so
guarded in expression of blame that
neither Spain nor the Spanish are men
toned throughout