The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-04-02
THE EXPLOSION OUTSIDE.
official Findings Of the Maine
Court of Inquiry.

In Drlei, the following may be
given as synopsisiof the finding:
l. The Maine was blown up by
a force applied externally. The
initial explosion produced second
within the ship, probably among
the saluting ammunition.
9 The agency used was proba-
bly, a submarine mine. If not a
mine, it was torpedo.
8. No positive evidence has been
found of the existence of any mine.
4. No evidence has been found
directly duplicating either the
Spanish government or any Span
ish official.
5. Though no direct evidence
has been adduced or ELECTED show
ing that there were explosives
planted in Havana harbor, explo-
sives in quantities sufficient to
wreck the Maine were, the report
will definitely state, brought into
the harbor at some period by per-
mission of the Spanish authorities.
6. 1t has been found that the
officers of the Maine used every
precautior to prevent an accident
on the ship of such a nature as
would permit an explosion serious
enough to wreck the vessel
7. The ship was not destroyed
because of any accident on board
caused by negligence of any officer
Or officers.
8. The vessel was split athwart-
ships, and the list to starloard al
lowed the board to locate the
point on the larboard side where
the ship was struck.
g. The keel has been driven up
ward through the ships deck plates
and cement on the ships bottom
was showered on the decks of ves-
sells lying contiguous to the Maine
when the explosion t ok place.
10. No Spanish officials at Ha-
vana were examined by the Board,
because none would have appeared
if they were summoned, and none
was asked to appear or testify.
II. The shell rooms and powder
magazines were found intact, ex-
cept in the case of the saluting
magazine.
II. The explosion could not have
been caused by spontaneous COM
bustion in her coal, because the
coal was found by the divers to be
in good shape.
10. The armor piercing shells
were found intact.
IA. None of the boilers exploded.
Is. The hole in the keel Ct the
vessel, caused by the explosion,
was just under the forward coal
bunkers and 6.inch magazine.
is. The explosion was of such
terrific force that it tore out the
: port side forward, commencing at
the boiler rooms, extending dag
: onally to the deck, from that d.
agonslly to almost under the bridge
. and then backward and downward
through the aft end Of the 6.inch
magazine.
II. An enormous break was
found in the vessel leading from
the deck nearly directly under Il g
milintary mast backward through
the compartment just aft the 6inch
magazine.
IS. The forward turret was
hurled far to starboarj, its top
being Intact.
10. The bow of the Maine now
! points nearly east, while the rest OF
, the ship lies along line nearly
at right angle.
20. The ram of the Maine lies of
to port of where the bow lies, near
, ly on line parallel with the body
of the ship.
, 1t only needs few words to ex
plain that the Maine was destroyed
!, by forces outside of herself, The
q proofs of this are ample. One q
the best is that the top of the dis
lodged turret is intact. If the mair
magazine forward had exploded
:. the turret would have been de
? stroyed and the top blown away.
The position of the after part o
;. the ship, her bow, and her ram
!, show that the first explosion was
exterior and drove the forward
:, part OF the rest Of the structure Il
:, starboard, leaving the heavy ran
and The stern of The ship practical
ly in their original positions.