Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-29

marine Mine.
Washington, March 2S.-The follow
ing is the full text of the report of the
court of inquiry:
Z. S. S. Iowa, Key West, Fla,
Monday, March 81, 1898.
After full and mature consideration
of all the testimony before it, the court
finds as follows:
First-The United States battleship
Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the twenty-fifth day of Janu-
airy, eighteen hundred and ninety eight,
and was taken to buoy No 4, in from
five and half to six fathoms Of water,
by the regular government pilot. The
United States Consul General at Ha-
vana had notified the authorities at
that place the previous evening, Of the
intended arrival Of the Maine.
Second-The state Of discipline on
board the Maine was excellent: and all
orders and regulations in regard to the
care and safety of the ship were strict
ly carried out. All ammunition was
slowed in accordance with prescribed
instructions, and proper care was taken
whenever ammunition was handled.
Nothing was slowed in any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was
not permitted to be slowed there.
The magazines and shell rooms were
always locked after having been
opened; and after the destruction of
the Maine the keys were found In their
proper place in the captains cabin,
everything having beer reported secure
that evening at 8 o'clock
The temperatures of the magazine
and shell rooms were taken daily and
reported The only magazine which
had an undue amount of heat was the
after ten-inch magazine. and that did
not explode at the time the Maine was
destroyed.
The torpedo war heads were all stow
ed i'll the after part Of the snip under
the ward room, and neither caused nor
participated in the destruction of the
Maine. The dry gun cotton primers
and decorators were slowed in the
cabin aft and remote from the scene
OF the explosion. Waste was carefully
looked after on board the Maine to OBJ
viate danger Special orders in regard
to this had been given By the com,
handing officer.
Varnishes, dryers. alcohol and other
combustibles Of this nature were stow
ed on or above the main deck and
could not have had anything to do with
the destruction Of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the ward room. and remote
from the scene of the explosion. No
dangerous stores Of any kind We're
slowed below in any of the other store
rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected
daily. OF those bunkers adjacent TO
the forward magazines and shell rooms,
four were empty-namely. "B 3, B a.
B 5. B g. "A Is" had been in use
that day. and "A 16' was full of New
River coal. This coal had been care
fully inspected before receiving 1t on
board The bunker in which it was
slowed was accessible on three sides
at all times, and the fourth side at this
time on account of bunkers B A. and
'B g. being empty. This bunker, "A
49," had been inspected that day by the
engineer o1hcer on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were
in working order. and there had never
been a case of spontaneous combustion
of coal on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship
we're in use at the time of the disaster,
but for auxiliary purposes only, and
with a comparatively low pressure OF
steam and being tended by RELIABLY
watch. These boilers could not have
caused the explosion OF the ship The
four forward boilers have since been
found by the divers and are in fair
condition.
On the night Of the destruction Of the
Maine everything had been reported
secure for the night, at S p. m, by re-
liable persons, Though the proper au-
thorities. to the commanding officer.
At the time the Maine was destroyed
the ship was quiet, and therefore least
liable to accident caused by move
ments from those on board.
EXPLOSION.
Third-The destruction OF the Maine
occurred at $40 p, M, on the 10th OF
February. 1898, in the harbor OF Ha-
vana. Cuba. she being at the time
moored to the same buoy TO which she
had been taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions OF a dis
tinctiy different character, with very
short but distinct interval between
them. and the forward part of the ship
was lifted to marked degree at the
time of the first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the
nature OF {. report, like that Of a gum
while the second explosion was more
open prolonged, and Of greater volume.
4 his second explosion was, in the
oninion of the court, caused by the par
tlaI explosion of two or more OF the
forward magazines Of the Maine
CONDITION OF THE WRECK.
The evidence bearing upon TINS Pc
ing principally obtained from divers
did not enable the court to form
definite conclusion as to the condition
Of the wreck, although it was estab-
lished that the after part Of the ship
was practically intact, and sank in that
condition very few minutes after
the destruction of the forward part.
The following facts In regard 70 the
forward part OF the ship are, however,