The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-29

ing diagram OF various parts OF the
sunken ship and explained them to the
court
Could See the Plate.
The witness evidence about the strip
on the starboard side of the outside
plating Of the ship which was folded
and rolled back was recalled to him,
and Powelson said he could see plate
underneath II was bent outward. 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 l4-pound lead line and drag
ging with a wherry for distractions on
the port side. dragging close to where
he thought the water ways would be
found. he found no obstructions what
ever. on the starboard side he found
obstructions for twenty feet where he
had reason to believe that the water
ways had originally been
I In answer to questions he said there
was nothing left of the port plating at
all He dragged along the outside to
see IL anything had fallen out and
found nothing. Witness thought the
ship on the port side was entirely gone
| opposite points indicated on a diagram
handed the court 1t was entirely
| blown out.
This concluded Ensign Powelsons
testimony on the third day.
Captain sigsbee's Testimony.
Captain Sigsbee in testifying before
! the court Of inquiry. which convened
| in the harbor Of Havana Monday Feb.
| Il. said that he assumed command OF
| the Maine on April 10, 1897. and that
his ship arrived In the harbor of Ha-
| vina the last time Jan. "a. 1898. The
| authorities at Havana knew OF the
Names coming. Consul General Lee
| N he M
! cording TO official custom. After he
| took on an official pilot. sent by the
| captain Of the port OF Havana, the ship
/ was berthed in the man-of-war anchor
| age off the Machina, or the Shears, and
| according to his understanding was one
| of the regular buoys of the place. He
then stated that he had been in Ha-
vana in 1872 and again In 1898.
He could not state whether the Maine
| was placed in the usual berth for men,
| of-war, but said that he had heard re-
marks since the explosion, using Cap
| tain Stevens, temporarily In command
| of the Ward line steamer City of WASH
/ ington as authority, for the statement
| that he had never known in all his ex-
| perience, which covered visits to Ha-
| vana for five or six years, a man-of-
| war to be anchored at that buoy; that
| he had rarely known merchant vessels
| TO be anchored there and that IL was
| the least used buoy in the harbor.
Surroundings of the Maine.
In describing the surroundings when
first moored to this buoy Captain Sigs-
bee stated that the Spanish man-of-
war Alphonso XII was moored in posi-
tion now occupied by the Fern, about
$50 yards to the northward and west
ward Of the Maine. The German ship
Griesenau was anchored at the berth
now occupied by the Spanish man-of-
war Legaspe. which is about 400 yards
about due north from the Maine. He
then located the German man-of- war
Charlotte, which came into the har-
Dor a day or two later, which was
anchored to the southwark of the
Names berth, about 400 or 500 yards.
In describing the surroundings at the
time of the explosion, Captain Sigsbee
stated that the night was calm and
still The Alphonso XII was at the same
berth. The small Spanish dispatch
boat Legaspe had come out the day
before and taken the berth occupied
by the German man-of-war, the Grie-
senau, which had left. The steamer
City OF Washington was anchored about
200 yards TO the south and east OF the
Names stern. slightly on the port
quarter
He had no recollection of any work
going on in the magazine or she'll
rooms on the day of the explosion. The
keys were called for in the usual way
| on the day in question and were prop
| erly returned. At the time of the dis
| aster the two after boilers in the after
| fire room were in use because the hy-
! draulic system was somewhat leaking.
| Testimony of General Lee.
Consul General Fitzhugh Lee ap-
| peared before the court on March 3.
| His testimony related to the official
| formalties preceding the Names, ar
rival. On Jan. "a he received mes
| sage from the state department saying
| that the Maine would be sent to Ha-
vana on a friendly visit TO resume the
regular status of naval relations be-
| tween the two countries, and he was
ordered to make arrangements at the
| palace for the interchange OF official
| courtesies. After a call at the palace
| he sent the state department cipher,
| saying:
Authorities profess to think the
| United States has Interior purpose in
sending the ship Say II will obstruct
| autonomy and produce excitement and
most probably demonstration. Ask
| that II not be done till they can get
INSTRUCTIONS from Madrid. Say that IL
for friendly purpose. as claimed. delay
| Is unimportant."
II was too late. however, the Maine
had already sailed. She arrived next
| day and Lee reported her arrival TO the
state department.
Wsinwright's Testimony.
L Yf~..k~,..t rcxxnx,, Mar "A