Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-04-09
riyen by the commandine officer.

not have had anything to do with the
destruction of the Maine.
Medical stores were slowed aft UNI
der the ward room, remote from the
scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind
were slowed below in any other store
rooms.
of the bunkers adjoining the forward
magazines and shell rooms, Jour were
empty, namely B 3, 4, 5, 9, A Is, and
had been in use that day, and A 16
was full of New River coal. This coal
had been carefully inspected before re-
ceiving it on board. The bunker in
which il was slowed was accessible on
three sides at all times, the fourth side
at this time, on account of bunkers Ii
4 and 6, being empty. Bunker A 16
had Deer inspected that day by an en-
! gineer officer on duty. The fire alarms
in the bunker were in working order,
and there had never been q case of
spontaneous combustion Of coal on
board the Maine.
Two after boilers were in use all
the time of the destruction for auxil-
liary purposes only, with a compare
lively low head Of steam and was be-
ing tended by a reliable watch. These
boilers could not have exploded the
ship. The our forward boilers have
since been found by the divers and are
in a fair condition.
On the night of the destruction of
the Maine everything had been report
/ ed secure for the night at 8 p. IN. by re-
liable persons through the proper au-
thorities to the commanding officers.
At the same time the Maine ~as de-
stroyed, the ship was quiet, therefore
less liable to accident caused by move
ments from those on board.
3. The destruction of the Maine oc-
CURED at 9:40 p. IN. on the 18th day of
February, 1898 in the harbor of Ha-
vana, Cuba, being at that time moored
at the same buoy to which she had
been taken on her arrival.
There were two explosions of dis
tinctly different character, with a very
short but distinct interval between,
and the forward part of the ship was
lifted TO a marked degree at the time
of the first explosion.
The first explosion was in the nature
of a report, like that Of a gun; while
the second was more open and pro-
longed and Of greater volume. This
second explosion, in the opinion of the
court was caused by the explosion Of
two or more forward magazines Of the
Maine.
The evidence bearing on the condi-
ton of the wreck, being principally
obtained from divers, did not enable
the court to form definite conclusions
as to the condition of the wreck, al
though it established that the after
part Of the ship is practically intact,
and sank in that condition n few min
utes after the destruction of the for
ward part.
The following facts in regard to the
forward part of the ship are, however,
established by testimony: That a por-
tion of the port side of the protective
deck, which extends from about frame
80 to frame Al, was blown up and aft,
and over to the port. The main deck,
from about frame 30 to about frame II,
was blown up and aft and slightly over
to starboard, the folding part Of the
middle superstructure over and on top
of the after part.
This was, in the opinion of the court,
caused by a partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines of
the Maine.
At frame II, the outer shell of the
ship, from a point eleven and one-half
feet from the middle line of the ship
and six feet above the keel, when in a
normal position. has been forced mp
so as to be now about four feet above
the surface of the water; therefore it
is about thirty-four feet above where
il would be had the ship sunk unin-
iured. The outside bottom of the plat
ing is bent into n reversed Y shape,
the after wing of which is about fif-
teen feet broad and thirty-two feet in
length, and is doubled back upon itself
against n continuation of the same
plating extending forward.
At frame 1S, the vertical keel is
broken in two and the fiat keel bent
! into an angle similar to the angle of
the former by the bottom plating. This
break now is about six feet below the
surface of the water and thirty feet
above it's normal position.
In the opinion of the court this eff
feet could have been produced only by
an explosion of a mine situated under
the bottom of the ship at about frame
10, somewhat on the port side of the
ship.
The court finds the loss of the Maine
was not in any respect due to the fault
or negligence on the part of any of the
officers or members of the crew of said
vessel.
In the opinion of the court the Maine
was destroyed by an explosion of a
submarine mine, which caused n par
tial explosion of two or more of her
forward magazines.
The court has been unable to obtain
evidence fixing the responsibility for
tn obstruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons.
The report is signed by Captain
Sampson as president and by Judge
Advocate Mark and approved by Adj
miral Sicard.
Scenes similar to those in the house
greeted the appearance of the presi-
dents message and findings of Maine
court of inquiry. AS soon as they were
read, they were referred to foreign af-
fairs committee without debate. The
senate then adjourned out of respect
of the memory Of Simpkins of Massa-
chusetts.
The House.
Washington, March 29-As soon as
the preliminary business was disposed
of the report of the Maine court of in.
quiry, accompanied by the message
from the president, was read, and
there was an outburst of applause
when the message was concluded. 1t
was referred without debate to the
committee on foreign affairs.
The death of Representative Simp-
kins was announced.
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