The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-31
prnner Precnntlons Observed.


Proper Precautions Observed.
The magazines and shell rooms were
always locked after having been opened /;
and after the destruction of the Maine
the keys were found in their proper place
in the captains cabin, everything having
been reported secure that evening at s
p. IN.
The temperatures of the magazines and
shell rooms were taken daily and reported
The only magazine which had an undue
amount of heat was the after 1O-inch
magazine, and that did not explode at the
time the Maine was destroyed
The torpedo war headswere all slowed in
The after part OF the ship under the ward
room, and neither caused nor participated
in the destruction of the Maine.
The dry gun cotton primers and detona-
tors were slowed in the cabin aft and re-
mote from the scene of the explosion.
Waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine to obviate danger. Spec
ial orders in regard to this had been given
by the commanding officer.
Narnishes, dryers, alcohol and other
CombuStibles of this nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the destruc-
tiOn of the Maine.
No Dangerous stores Slowed Near.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the wardroom and remote from the
scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were
slowed below in any Of the other store
rooms.
The COIL bunkers were inspected daily
OF those bunkers adjacent to the forward
magazines and shellrOoms, four were
empty; namelyI "B 3, b 4, b 3, B6."
"a l5' had been used that day, and "A
l6' was full of New River coal. This
coal had been carefully inspected before
receiving it on board. The bunker in
which it was slowed was accessible on
three sides at all times, and the fourth
side at this time on account OF bunkers
"B 4" and "B 6" being empty. This
bunker, "a 16," had been inspected that
day by the engineer officer on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were in
working order and there had never been
a case of spontaneous combustion OF coal
on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship were in
use at the time of the disaster, but for
auxiliary purposes only, with compare
lively low pressure OF steam ana Being
tended by reliable watch These boilers
could not have caused the explosion of
the ship, The four forward boilers have
since been found by the divers, and are in
fair condition.
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night, at s p. m, by reliable
persons, through the proper authorities,
to the commanding officers. At the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet and therefore, least liable to acCi-
dent caused by movements from those on
board,
Explosions.
Third-The destruction OF the Maine oc.
CURED at 8; 10 p, M. on the 18th day Of
| February, 1898, in the harbOr of Havana
| Cuba, she being at the time moored to the
same buoy to which she had been taker
upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of dis
tinctly different character, with very
short but distinct interval between them
and the forward part of the ship was llttet
to q marked degree at the time Of the frs
| explosion.
The first explosion was more in the ma
| ture of report like that of gun; whil'
the second explosion was more open, pro
| longed and of greater volume. This sec
ond explosion was, In the opinion of tn
court, caused by the partial explosion o
two or more of the forward magazines o
the Maine.
Condition of the Wreck.
The evidence bearing upon this beinl
| Principally ODJalneu from ulNefS, ulu no
enable the court TO form definite conclu
sion as to the condition of the wreck
although 1t was established that tn
after part of the ship was practically intact
and sank in that condition very few minute
after the destruction Of the forward part.
The following facts in regard to the fOrwar
part Of the ship are, however, established b
the testimony:
That portion Of the port side OF the pro
tective deck which extends from about fran
80 to about frame Al was blown up aft and owe
to port The main deck from about frame
, to about frame 4l was blown up aft an
slightly over to starboard, folding the forwar
part of the middle superstructure over and o
top Of the after part.
This was, in the opinion Of the court cause
by the partial explosion OF two or more of III
forward magazines of the Maine.
Fifth-At frame II, the outer shell Of III
! ship, from a point ll15 feet from the midd
] line of the ship, and o feet above the keel whe
in its normal position, has been forced up
as TO be now about feet above the surface
, the water, therefore about 80 feet where
: would be had the ship sunk uninjured. III
outside bottom plating is bent into a reverse
V-shRpe (V), the atter wing Of which, about
7 feet broad and 80 feet in length from frame
10 frame 25) is doubled back upon itself again
I theN continuation OF the same plate extendir
. forward
q - At frame Is the vertical keel Ia broken