The Sauk Centre herald., 1898-03-31
ENSIGN POWELSON,
What He Saw For Himself and What tho
Divers Told Him.

What He Saw For Himself and What tho
Divers Told Him.
Ensign w. V. T. Powelson was called
the third day Of the court. He testified
that he had been present on the Maine
every day from the arrival of the boat
Fern, and during great deal of the
diving. He first gave technical descrip-
ton of the condition of the wreck as
nearly accurate as possible from his own
observations.
Ensign Powelson then asked if the
court meant for him to say anything
about what the divers reported or just
what he saw. .. .'.'.''-.... ''..' .,
The Judge advocate replied that he
would like to have him state any impor-
tant discoveries which might lead the
court to draw some conclusion as to the
cause, and if a diver gave such informa-
ton to state the diver name. Before do
ing so the judge advocate asked witness
to state if the forward and after part of
the ship were in line. Ensign Powelson
replied that as far as he could judge they
were not. The end where the explosion
occurred seemed to be pushed from port
to starboard from five to ten degrees, he
should Judge, with the apex to the star
board. The divers reported to Witness
that at point where the 10-inch shell
room should be they discovered 10-inch
shells regularly arranged but the ship
had sunk down so much that some of the
shells were in the mud.
Big Hole in the Mud.
Gunner Morgan reported that in walk
ing on the bottom he fell into a hole on
the port side and went down in the mud
He also reported that, as far as he could
judge, everything seemed to be bent up
ward in the vicinity of this hole. He also
reported that the plates seemed to have
been pushed. over to the starboard and
then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a6-inch
powder tank that he saw appeared to be
an empty tank broken by the explosion,
as it was not badly dented and merely
ripped the length of the seam. A 10-inch
tank was badly battered out of ary CO.
ceivable shape.
Continuing. witness said the divers up
to the night before he was then on the
stand had not been on the outside of the
ship. The mud was too deep for theiA ID
walk on the bottom.
''What is the condition # the starboard
turret?" the witness was asked.
"To my knowledge it has not been
found, sir" was the reply.
what impression is produced upon
your mind by the reports so far as you
have quoted them?" Ensign Powelson
was asked.
From reports alone CT from the appear
ance of the wreck?"
Either from such reports or the condi-
tions which you believe to exist"
''The impression produced upon me-"
replied the witness, "is that an explosion
took place we'll to the port of the midship
line, and at a point in the length about
opposite the coming tower.
... Based on Observation.
Witness, in reply to further questions,
said his opinion was based upon the OBJ
servation of things above water. He gave
no weight to Mr.. Morgan's statement
about falling into hole ON the port side,
because Morgan might have been mis-
taken about it. Referring to his notes
made of things on the Maine, Ensign
Powelson said that thearc of the engine
room telegraph and the shaft of the steer
gear coming down through the armored
tube (turret) was bent from port to star
board. The port side of the protected
deck was covered with a greasy deposit,
the starboard side being comparatively
free fromit.
The forward smoke pipe, between the
main and superstructure decks, did not
show signs Of tho internal pressure Of
gases. On the main deck forward of the
coming tower, where the fore and after
angle bulb beam was located, the plank
ing was blown off on the only remaining
plate of the main deck on the port
side, while the wood was still
attached to that part on the
starboard side between the coming tower
base and the turrets. What witness saw
would indicate that the pressure lifted
the protective deck up on the port side,
and the protective deck on the starboard
side held fast and bent that deck down
ward. Witness here exhibited two
sketches to the court showing diagram of
various parts Of the sunken ship and ex-
planned them to the court.
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