The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-04-01
Repor I nj Naval Court.

ciated Press presents the following alb
stract Of the report of the court Of in
quiry which investigated the wrecking
of the battleship Maine. This abstract
is made from the report itself, says the
Associated Press, access to which was
obtained today, despite official secrecy
unparalleled in the handling Of official
papers.
The report is made up of eight part
as follows
First-The court finds that at the |
time Of the explosion the battleships
Maine was lying in five and one.halt
to six fathoms of water.
Second-The discipline aboard the
ship was excellent; everything was
slowed according to orders-ammuni.
ton, guns, stores, etc. The tempera'
ture of the magazines at s p. m. was
normal except in the after 10.inch
magazine, and that did not explode.
Thlrd-The explosion occurred at
8. 40 clock on the evening of Febru.
airy Is. There were two explosions,
with very short interval between
them; the ship was lifted on the first
explosion.
| Fourth--4The court can form no def.
mite opinion Of the condition of the
wreck from divers evidence.
Fifth-The technical details Of
wreckage, from which court deduces
that mine was exploded under the
ship on the port side.
Sixth-The explosion was due to no
fault of those on loard.
Seventh-Opinion of the court stat.
ing that the explosion under the Maine
u caused the explosion of two magazines.
y Eighth-The court declares that ii
+ cannot find evidence to fix responsible
ty.
e The report is unanimous and is sign
ed by all the members of the court
l 1t does not refer to the existence OF
y non. existence of mines in the harbor Of
!. Havana except in the specific finding
u that mile was exploded under the
s. ship and the opinion that the explosion
e of mine.
u The report as whole is formal,
dispassionate recital of facts, and bears
y the stamp of that strict officialism which
t marks naval procedure. 1t is brief,
n not exceeding 1900 words, and among
the eight parts goes to the greatest
b length under the second heading, which
% deals with the discipline and orders Of
the ship. This the court specifies with
- extreme minuteness, the least detail Of
Il the satisfactory condition Of everything
e on board being given. The norma
temperature Of the large forward mag
II azine at 8 oclock-only an hour ant
40 minutes before the explosion-dls
poses of the question of accident from
combustion within these magazines
While the court holds that these mag
azines did not explode from interna
causes, it nevertheless is of the opinion
~ that the explosion of the Maine unde
W the port side of the ship caused the ex
N plosion of two magazines. This vii
10 explain the remarkable destruction
y. wrought, the explosion thus bein
a shown to have combined the force of
Q. mine without and two magazines with
p. in. The two explosions which tn
Y. court finds to have occurred, with
m very short interval between them, is a
s, additional detail showing that tw
D.. forces operated in causing the destrut
:" ton. The finding that the ship LITE
" on the first explosion indicates an ez
ca ternal source, and one of tremendou
~ power to be able to lift battleshlp {
I'd thousands of tons. The character {
'ir the wreckage, technically described i
s. the fifth part of the report, from whic
tie the court deduces that a mine was es
~ ploded under the ship on the port side
sustains the view taken by some ez
OF perts shortly after the disaster that tn
:" force Of the explosion was exerted fror
10 port to starboard.
~ The feature of the report of tn
~ deepest interest to the navy is the con
81 plete exoneration of Capt. Sigsbee an
e all Oh board contained in the secon
- finding, setting fourth the perfect orde
- and discipline prevailing on the shiI
and more directly stated in the sixt
), finding, which declares the disaster
be due to no fault Of those on board
The inability of the court to find ev
dence to fix responsibility, as stated i
sr Un0fS~n