The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-29

I'd by the commsnder-in-chief of the
United States naval force on the North
Atlantic Station, was transmitted to the
Executive.
1t Is herewith laid before the Congress
together with the voluminous testimony
taken before the Court.
Its purport is. In brief, as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana she
was conducted by the regular Government
pilot TO buoy No. 4, to which she was
moored in from l-2 to fathoms of wat
er
The state of discipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers. coal
bunkers and storage compartments are
passed in review, with the conclusion that
excellent order prevailed and that no in
dication Of any cause for an internal ex-
plosion existed in any quarter.
At O'Clock in the evening of Febru-
ary Is everything had been reported Sc
cure and all was quiet
At forty minutes past nine o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions,
with a brief interval between them. The
very percepubly; the second, which was
more open, prolonged and Of greater vol
ume, is attributed by the court to the
partial explosion Of two or more of the
forward magazines.
The evidence Of the divers establishes
that the afterpart of the ship was prac-
tically intact and sank in that condition
a very few minutes after the explosion.
The forward part was completely demol-
ished
Upon the evidence Of a concurrent ex-
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
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 its normal
position. mas been forced up so as to be
now about four feet above the surface OF
the water; therefore about thirty-four
feet above where il would be had the
ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent into
a reversed V-shape. the after wing of
which, about fifteen feet broad and thir-
ty-two feet in length from frame Il to
frame 25). is doubled back upon itself
against the continuation of the same
plating extending forward
At frame IS the vertical keel is broken
in two and the fat keel bent into an angle
similar to the angle formed by the out
side bottom plates. This break is nov
about six feet below the surface of tn,
water and about thirty feet above it
normal position
In the opinion Of the court this effec1
could have been produced only by the ex
plosion Of a mine situated under the bot
tom Of the ship. at about frame IS an'
somewhat on the port side Of the ship.
The conclusions Of the court are:
That the loss Of the Maine was not il
any respect due TO fault or negligence
on the part Of any OF the officers o.
members Of the crew;
That the ship was destroyed by the ex
pl0sion Of a submarine mine, whicl
caused the partial explosion Of two o
more Of her forwsrd magazines; and
That no evidence has been obtainabl
fixing the responsibility for the destruc
ton Of the Maine upon any person 0
persons.
have directed that the finding OF tn
Court Of Inquiry and the views of thi
Government thereon be communicated I
the government Of Her Majesty. tn
Queen Regent. and / do not permit my
self TO doubt that the sense Of justice c
the Spanish nation viii dictate course {
action suggested by honor and the friend
ly relations Of the two governments.
II viii be the duty Of the Executive I
advise the Congress Of the result, and i
the meantime deliberate consideration
invoked.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion.
March IS 1898.