The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-03-30

Maine inquiry report, is in the care OF
| the committee on foreign relations OF
both the house and senate, where il
was referred after the reading, which
was listened to intensely by members
and great throngs of people. The mes.
sage said:
| To the Congress of the United States:
For some time prior to the visit Of the
Maine to Havana harbor our consular rep
| resentatives pointed out the advantages
| to flow from the visit of national ships
| to the Cuban waters, in accustoming the
| people to the presence of our flag as the
| symbol of good will and of our ships in
| the fulfllment of the mission of proteo.
ton to American interests, even though
no Immediate need therefore might exist.
Acc rdingly on the gath of January last,
after conference with the Spanish minis
| ter in which the renewal of visits of our
war vessels to Spanish waters was dis.
cussed and - eeg!ed, the peninsular au-
thorities at la ri and Havana were ad.
vised of the purpose Of this government
to resume friendly naval visits at Cuban
ports and in that view the Maine would
forthwith eall at the port of Havana.
This announcement was received by the
G. he fsi, ndly character of the visit OF
the Maine and with notification of the
| intcDtio to return the courtesy by send
ing SHES to tie principal ports of the
United Stakes. Meanwhile the Maine en-
tered the port IIavona on the 2jth of
lnnu ny, her arrival being marked with
10 special incident besides the exchange
OF customary salutes and ceremonial
visits.
No Reason to Expect Trouble.
The Maine continued in the harhor of
Havana during the three weeks following
her arrival 80 applicable excitement
ATTENDED her stay ca the contrary a feel
ing oi resief ana confidence followed the
resumption OF the long interrupted
friendly intercourse. So noticeable was
this immediate effect of her visit that the
consul general ST Ugly urged that the
presence of our SHIPS in Cuban waters
should b. kept up by retaining the Maine
at Havana or, in the event or her recall.
by sending another vessel there to take
her place.
At 40 minutes past in the evening of
the 10Th OF February the Maine was de-
stroyed by an explosion, by which the
entire forward part of the ship was ut
teriy wrecked. In this catastrophe two
officers and S64 of her crew persisted, those
who were not killed outright by her ex-
plosion being penned between decks by
the taneie OF wreckage and drowned by
the immediate sinking of the hull
Prompt assistance was rendered by the
neighboting vessels anchored in the har-
Dor. aid being especially given by the
boats of The Spanish cruiser Alphonso
Mi and the Ward line steamer City of
Washington, which lay not far distant
Inc wounded were generously cared for
by. the aut horities of Havana, the hospi-
tails being freely opened to them, while
the earliest covered bodies of the dead
were intcifai by the municipality in a
public cemetery in the city. Tributes Of
grief and sympathy We're offered from all
Official quarters of the island.
Appalling Calamity to Our People.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing force
and for brief time an intense excitement
prevailed, which, in community less lust
and selfcontrolled than ours, might have
led to hasty acts of blind resentment.
This spirit, however, soon gave way to the
calmer processes of reason and to the re-
solve to investigate the facts and await
material proof before forming Judgment
as to tlle cause, the responsibility and if
the facts warranted, the remedy due This
course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive, for only
in the light of a dispassionately ascer-
tanned certainty could it determine the
nature and measure of it's full duty in the
matter
The usual procedure was followed, as
in all cases of casualty or disaster to ma
tlonal vessels of any maritime state. A
naval court of inquiry was at once organ
lied, composed of officers vel qualified by
rank and practical eXi eri. no. to discharge
the onerous duty imposed upon them.
NV or e
divers the court proceeded to make a
thorough investigation on the spot, en-
ploy1ng every availab.e means for the i'm
partial and exact determination OF the
causes of the explosion. lis OF erations
naee pesn sonuGss@ M' and While ii inae de-
pendcntly pursued, no source of informa-
ton was neglected, and the fullest oppor-
tunity was allowed for simultaneous in
vestigation by the Spanish authorities.
The finding of the court of inquiry was
reached after 23 days of continuous labor,
on the 2lst of March inst, and, having
been approved on the 22d by the comman-
derin chief of the United States naval
force on the North Atlantic station, was
transmitted to the executive.
Purport of the Report.
1t is herewith laid before the congress,
together with the voluminous testimony
taken before the court.
Its purport is, in brief, as follows
When the Maine arrived at Havana she
was conducted by the regular government
Piiou 90 puoy NO. 4, TO wnlcn 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 departments are
passed in review, with the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no in
dlcation of any cause for an internal ex-
plosion existed in any quarter.
AT 3 O'Clock in the evening of that day
everything had been reported secure and
all was quiet.
At $40 o'clock the vessel was su idenly
destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions, with
a brief interval between them. The first
lifted the forward part of the ship very
perceptibly; the second, which was more
open, prolonged and of greater volume, is
attributed by the court to the partial explo-
sion of two or more of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers establishes that
the after part of the ship was practically in
tact, and sank in that condition 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:
Condition of the Wreck.
AT frame II, the outer shell of the ship,
from point IL u feet from the middle line of
the ship AMI 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 bottom plating is bent into re-
versed shape, the after wing OF which, about
10 feet broad and SO feet in length from frame
II to frame 25), is doubled back upon itself
against the continuation Of the same plating
extending forward.
AT frame Is tho vertical keel Is broken in
two and the flat keel bent into an angle similar
to the angle formed by the outside bottom
plates. This break is now about six feet be-