The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-30
NAVAL COURT REPORT.
Responsibility for Wreck OF the
Maine Not Placed.
DESTROYED by SUBMARINE MINE.
President Mckinley Sends the Report tn
Congress Accompanied by Message and
Directs That the Conclusions of the Court
OF Inquiry He sent to the Queen Regent
of spain-Text of the Report-Testi mony
of Important Witnesses.

DiEcsts lndt thc NoucsusiohS VI tnc witt
OF Inquiry Be sent to the Queen Regent
of spain-Text of the Report-Testim ony
of Important Witnesses.
To the Congress OF the United States:
For some time prior To the visit of the
Maine TO Havana harbor our consular
representatives pointed out the adyan-
tages TO fow from the visit of national
ships TO the Cuban waters in accuStom-
ing the people to the presence of our
flag as the symbol Of good will and OF
our ships in the fulfllment of the mis-
sion of protection to American inter-
ests even though no immediate need
therefore might exist.
Accordingly on the oath of January
last. after conference with the Spanish
minister, in which the renewal of visits
of cur war vessels TO Spanish waters
was discussed and accepted, the PENN
sular authorities at Madrid and Hav-
AHA were advised Of the purpose Of this
government tc resume friendly naval
visits al Cuban ports and that in that
view the Maine would forthwith call at
the port OF Havana. This announce
ment was received by the Spanish gov
eminent with appreciation Of the friend
ly character of the visit Of the Maine
and with the notification of intention to
return the courtesy by sending Spanish
ships To the principal ports of the
United States.
Maine Enters Havana Harbor.
Meanwhile the Maine entered the port
of Havana on the 25th of January, her
arrival being marked with no special
incident besides the exchange of Gus
tomary salutes and ceremonial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor Of
Havana during the three weeks follow
ing her arrival. No appreciable eX-
uft I.1 I.,. ctaxr
trary, feeling Of relief and confidence
followed the resumption Of the long in
terrupted friendly intercourse. So no
ticeable was this immediate effect of
her visit that the consul general strong
~ urged that the presence of our ships
in Cuban waters should be kept up by
retaining the Maine at Havana or in
the event Of her recall, by sending an
other vessel to take her place. At for
~ minutes past 9 i'm the evening of
the 18th Of February the Maine was de-
stroyed BY an explosion, by which the
entire forward part of the ship was ut
terly wrecked. In this catastrophe two
officers and 2e0 Of her crew persisted.
those who were not killed outright by
her explosion being penned between
decks by the tangle of wreckage and
drowned by the immediate sinking OF
the hull
Assistance Was Prompt.
Prompt assistance was rendered by
the neighboring vessels anchored i'm the
harbor, aid being especially given by
the boats Of the Spanish cruiser AL
phonso XII and the Ward line steamer
City of Washington, which lay not far
distant. The wounded were generous
~ cared for by the authorities OF Ha-
Vana, the hospitals being freely opened
to them, while the earliest recovered
bodies OF the ad We're Inferred by the
municipality i'm a public cemetery i'm
the city. Tributes Of grief and SYM
pathy wee offered from all official
quarters OF the island.
The appalling calamity fell upon the
people of our country with crushing
force and for a brief time an intense
excitement prevailed. which in a COM
munity less just and Self-controlled
than ours might have led TO hasty acts
of blind resentment. This spirit. how
ever soon gave way 10 the calmer
process OF reason and TO the resolve
70 investigate the facts and await the
material proof before forming a judg-
ment as TO the cause the respOnSib bill
ity and IL the facts warranted the
remedy due.
Court Of Inquiry Organized.
This course necessarily recommended
Itself from the outset 10 the executive,
for only in the light OF a dispassionate-
~ ascertained certainty could it deter
mine the nature and measure of it's full
duty in the matter. The usual proceed
ure was followed. as in all cases OF
casualty or disaster 60 national vessels
of any maritime state. A naval court
of inquiry was at once organized COM
posed of officers we'll qualified by rank
and practical experience to discharge
the onerous duty imposed upon them.
Aided by q strong force of wreckers
and divers the court proceeded to make
a thorough Investigation on the spot.
employing every available means for
the impartial and exact determination
of the causes of the explosion It's
operations have been conducted with
the utmost deliberation and judgment.
and while Independently pursued no
source Of information was neglected
and the fullest opportunity was al
lowed for simultaneous investigation
by the Spanish authorities
Findings of the Court.
The finding OF the court Of inquiry
was reached after twenty-three DAYS
Of continuous labor on the Dist OF
March and having been approved on
the 22d by the comma nder-in-chi OF
the United States naval force on the
north Atlantic station. was transmitted
10 the executive.
II is herewith laid before the congress
toge tner with the vouminous testimony
taken before the court. It's purport
is. in brief. as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
eminent pilot to buoy No. 4, to which
she was moored in from FIVE and one
half to six fathoms Of water. 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 ex-
cellent order prevailed and that no in
dication OF any cause for an internal
explosion existed in any quarter
At O'Clock in the evening of Feb IL
everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet. At forty minutes
past o'clock the vessel was suddenly
destroyed.
Two Distinct Explosions.
There were two distinct explosions,
with a brief interval between them. The
first lifted the forward part Of the ship
very perceptibly: the second, which was
more prolonged 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 after part of the ship was practic-
ally intact, and sank in that condition
a very few minutes after the explosion.