The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-03-31
RhrOET o> MNtNt trsasI,G.


The Associated Press presents here
with . complete abstract of the report
OF the Court Of Inquiry which invss-
tigated the wreckinx Of the batti~-eh.p
Maine. This abstract b. made from
the report itself, access 10 which was
obtaised yesterday despite Official
secrecy unparalleled an the ha andling
cf ofiiciai papers.
The report is made up Of eight parts.
a. follows:
First-The Court finds that II the
time Of the explosion the battl~-ship
Maine was ing In five and one half
TO six fathoms Of water.
Second-The dicipiine aboard the
ship was excellent; everything slowed
according To ORDER ammunition guns.
ssores. etc. The temperature Of The
magazine at \ r. m. was normal. "a
cept In the after l0-inch magazine,
and that did not explode.
Third-The explosion occurred st
40 o'clock on the evening of Febru-
AIRY Il. There were two explosion,
With . very short interval between
them; the ship lifted on the first er-
plosion.
Fourth-The Court can form NO defl-
mite opinion Of the condition Of the
wreck from the divers evidence
Fifth-Technical details og wseckag~
from which Court deduces that O mine
Was exploded under the ship ON the
port side.
Sixth-The explosion wss du- 10 no
fault OF those on board.
Seventh-opinion Of the Court stat
ing that the explosion Of the mine
caused the explosion oftWo magazines.
Eighth-The Court declares that 10
cannot hnd evidence TO hx responsi-
bility.
The report 10 unanimous, and signed
by oil the members of the Court. it
does rot refer TO the existence or non
existence of the mines in the hssbos
OF Havana, except IN the specific ind
ing that Q mine was exploded under
the ship, and the opinion that the ex-
plosion Of the two magazines uas
caused BY the explosion Of Q mine
The report ~ whole 10 Q formal,
dispassionste recital Of fscts. and
bears the stamp Of that strict Official
ism which marks naval procedure. o.
10 brief, not exceeding 800 sosds. and
among the eight psrts goes To the
greatest length under the second head
ing, which desis with the discipline
and order Of the ship. This the Court
specifies with extreme minutenese.
the least detail Of the satisfactory cos-
dition Of everything on board bring
: given.
The normal TEN perature Of the large
: forward magazines ~ o'clock-only y
an hour and forty minutes before the ex- :
. plosion-disposes OF the question Of &C.
cidentai combustion within these mag
azines. while the Courts holds that
there magazines did not explode from
', internal causes. they nevertheless are oi
the opinion that the explosion Of the
= mine uoder the port side Of the chip
caused the explosion Of the too mag.
azinea. This will explain the remark.
able destruction wrought, the expIos.
. ion thus being shown 10 have combined
the force Of . mine without and sUs
magazines within. The tWo explosion
with . very short interval betWees
them, IL an additional detail showing
= that ouo forces operated In causing
|. the destruction. The finding that ths
ship lifted on the fret explosion indi
= Gates IN external source, and one %
tremendous power 20 be able To lift
battle-ship Of Thousands Of tone. Tn.
y character Of the Wseckage, techpicsll,
e described in the fifth part Of the re
y port, from which the Court deduoe
{. that . mine Vas exploded under th
. ship on the port side, susssins the visv
% taken By some exp0ts sh1tiy afte
the disaster, that the foecs Of the ex
;. plosion Was exerted from port 70 star
"a board.
The feature Of the report Of deepss
'e interest 20 the Navy 10 the complse
exeueeasion Of Capt. Sigsbee and al
=, ON board, contaioed in the second 6od
?. Ing, setting forth the perfect oe1s
% ao1 discipline prevailing on the sbil
q. and more directly stated in the sixf
"a nndiog, which declares the disaster {
1e be due 60 No fault Of those on board.
70 The liability Of the Court % na
evidence 20 nx rssponsibiltty, - state
n- ia the eighth part, makes the report 9
- guarded In expression Of blame TIM
as neither Spain nor the Spaaish ~
ne mentioned throughout.