Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-28
The TESTIMONY
Evidence Submitted to the Maine
Court Of Inquiry.
ENSIGN POWELSON'S STORY
Results Of the Investigation Made
by the Divers.
BLOWN UP FROM OUTSIDE
Capt. S;gsbee, Gen. Lee and
Other Witnesses.
BLOWN UP FROM OUTSIDE
NO NEGLIGENCE ON BOARD

The testimony taken by the court Of in
quiry in the investigation of the disaster
to the battle ship Maine was submitted to
the Senate today, together with the mes
sage of the President and the findings of
the court This testimony snakes in all
upward of 100000 words, and the following
are portions of it:
Ensign POwelson.
Ensign w. v. N. 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 Fern and during 4
great deal of the diving.
In reply to question 10 tell the court all
about the condition Of the wreck he said
the forward part of the ship forward of
the after sniokestack had been to all ap-
pearances completely destroyed. The con-
Eing tower lay in position opposite the
doer leading to the supersuuctdre aft and
to starboard, inclined at about 10 degrees
tc the vertical, with the tUp OF the coming
tower inboard. Continuing, he described
with close detail the condition under the
main deck of the port side. The fixtures
were completely wrecked, while fixtures in
the same position the starboard side
were in some cases almost intact The port
tulkhead between the main and berth
decks, at the coming tower support, had
been blown aft on both sides, but a great
deal more on the port than on the STAR
board side. The fire room hatch immedi-
ately abaft of the coming tower had been
blown in three direetions-aft, to starboard
and to port The protective deck under the
coming tower supports was bent In two d.
rectio1s, the plates on the starboard side
being bent up and on the star5oarl side
bent down.
In reply to an inquiry as to whether he
meant with reference to their original po-
sitions, Ensign Pow .lson replied afiirma-
lively. The beam supporting the protect
i've deck 4 few inches abaft of the armored
tube to port of the midship line was bent
up to starboard of the midship line. Just
forward of the coming tower underneath
the main deck two beams met at right
angles. One beam was broken and pushed
from port to starboard. grating was
found on the poop awning just forward of
the after arch light
Plating Bent Outward.
A piece of the side plating just abaft of
the starboard turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward and then the for
ward end bent upward and folded back
ward upon itself. This plate was sheared
from the rest OF the plating below the
line has been pushed out to starboard."
The unarmored gratings of the engine
room hatch were blown of A compost
ticn strainer was picked up from the bot
tom of the starboard quarter at point
about opposite the poop capstan and about
30 feet from it. The chief engineer thought
the strainer was from the firemen's wash
room 1t was not strainer in the ships
side.
Near the piece of outside plating to
which the witness referred above he said
there wer. pieces Of red shellscked planks.
On these planks was boted a composition
track two inches wide and an inch thick
Ensign Powe,son then asked IL 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 important dis
coveries which might lead the court to
draw some conclusion to the cause, and
if diver gave such information TO state
the divers name. Before doing the
Judge advocate asked witness to state Il
the forward and after part of the ship were
iE line.
Ensign Fowelson 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, ne should judge, with the
apex to the starboard. The divers reported
10 witness that at point where the 10-inch
shell room should be they discovered 10
fch shells regularly arranged. but the ship
had sunk down so much that some Of the
shells were in the mud.
What Gunner Morgan Reported.
Gunner Morgan reported that in walking
on tn, bottom he fell into a hole on the
PORT side and went down in the mud. He
also reported that, as far he could judge
everything seemed to be bent upward I'm
the vicinity of this hole. He also reported
that the plates seemed to have been pushed
over to starboard and bent down.
.Ens;gn Powelson then asked IL 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 important dds
coyeries which might lead the court to
draw some conclusion as TO the cause, and
If diver gave such information to state
the divers name.
Before so doing the Judge advocate asked
witness to state IL the forward and after
parts of the ship were In line.
Ensign Powelson replied that as far as
he could judge they were not The ends
where the explosion occurred seemed to
cover the top OF the 1O-inch magazine, from
which he reasoned that he would be able
to find. perhaps intact powder tanks fur
ther down; that the broken ones which had