The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-29

board turret was visible. This plate was
bent outward and then the forward bent
upward and folded backward upon itself
This plate was sheared from the rest
OF the plating below"
OTHER SIGNIFICANT DETAILS.
Referring 20 his notes made of things on
the Maine. Ensign Powelson said that
the wire Of the engine room telegraph
and the shaft of the steering gear COM
ing down through the armored tube (tur-
req was bent from port TO starboard.
The port side Of the protective deck was
covered with a greasy deposit; the star
board side being comparatively free from
il. The forward smokestack hatch be-
tween the main and superstructure decks
did noI show signs OF the internal pres
sure Of gases. On the main deck forward
OF the coming tower, where the fore and
after angle bulb beam was located, the
planhng was blown OFF on the only re-
naming plate Of the main deck on the
port side. while the wood was still attach
ed to that part of the starboard side be-
tween the coming tower base and the
turrets What witness saw would indi-
cate that the pressure lifted the protec-
tive deck on the starboard side held fast
and bent that deck downward. Witness
thought the ship on the port side was
entirely gone opposite point indicated
on a diagram handed the court. 1t was
entirely blown out
Ensign POwelson was recalled on Feb
ruary 5th. and shown the plans OF the
Maine. from which he had identified the
bottom plats that were blown up
through the upper deck. The finding OF
these plates on TO OF the wreck clear
above water was among the first ami
most important points Of evidence clearly
disproving the possibility OF an internal
explosion.
HOW THE PLATES WERE DAMAGED.
After minutely describing the bottom
plates with their green coating OF paint
and the other marks by which they were
Identified, Powelson stated that they must
have been blown up thirty-hve or thirty
eight feet 10 reach their present position.
Besides the bottom plates Powelson
found some pipes from the bottom COM
partment lodged in the angle OF the bot
tom plates that protruded above the wa
ter. The berth deck over this bottom
compartment was also on top OF the
wreck and twenty feet forward Of the
plates. while this section OF the main
deck had disappeared. The diver who
had been working for POwelsOn on this
investigation informed him he had found
the ammunition for the siX-inch maya
zine pushed over TO the starboard side.
Ensign Powelson. after diagraming the
wreck, was convinced that the bottom
was thrown up and not out.
Mr. POwelsOn said that on February
26th Diver Olsen reported 10 him that on
coming up from below he had found the
forward and after wings Of the "y'
shape made by the bottom plating at
frame IL. and said on the forward wing
90 81 .flf a. IA
very steep slant and then turned In and
out under the starboard just about where
the plates turned to get under the star
board side. he found two dents, as II
the plating had been bulged in between
the frames from outside. Olsen said
he had explored the after wing Of the
"" and had found a semi-circular hole
| about two feet in diameter with riyet
| holes all around it.
A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM
! lie said that semi-circle hole was about
I twenty feet from the "V' made by the
bottom plating He said the plate pre-
\ scented "A Jagged appearance as II II mad
! been torn. and a crack had extended from
| the bottom edge Of the semi-circular hole
10 a distance Of about eight inches and
! that the plates about this hole we're bent
away from the green side OF the plating.
The Judge advocate asked Mr. Powelson
how he looked upon Olsens testimony.
in view OF his understanding OF the
Maine and drawing OF the vessel lie re-
1 Piled that no regarded II as extremely
accurate.
The Judge advocate asked Mr.. Powelson
/ what he deduced from Olsen's testimony
received from the divers that forenoon
together with What information he had
/ had before Mr.. Powelson replied that
he thought the explosion occurred on the
| port side somewhere about frame Is
centre OF impact
When questioned further as TO what ne
regarded as the cause OF Injuries Mr..
PowelsOn said:
SOME DISTANCE.
ION the bottom forward where frame
was blown up IT would seem to me the
force was communicated some distance
through the water because IL lifted UP
instead OF being battered in. This was
force that was cushioned in some way
because the diver tells me there was a
bulge in the plates between the two
frames and such a force as that would
be a cushion pressure. so that the plates
In that part OF the ship not having been
broken i'm the explosion may have oc-
Cured after and the frames forward OF
the transverse armOr being weaker tran
they are art the ship might have been
lifted up there by this cushion pressure
from further aft"
MIR. Powelson said oliver Smith went
down the ships side and examined the
hacking OF the armor. That looked 10 pe
rushed I'm because at the place where the
Mate was gone the wood backing about
six or seven inches thick was splntefe1
and all the spiln;crs pointed in.ooard
Mr.. Powe!son sent Diver Schuer 20 ~.
anime the plating OF th> port sde ~.
the era 1e. The outside plating he tounu
was bent sharply from outside IN. nia~'hs
an acute angle at the waterway.
~ F.l<uarv 18th cha chief gunner