The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-04-06
uEUEcop4il HARl1


keys were found IN their proper place In
the captains cabin, everything having been
reported secure that evening at O'Clock.
The temperatures of the magazines and
shell rooms were taken daily and reported
The only magazine which had nm undue
amount of heat was the after ten-inch mag
azine and that did not explode Mt the time
the Maine was destroyed.
The torpedo war heads were all slowed
In the after part of the ship under the
Ward room, and neither caused nor par
ticipated 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 carefully looked after on
board the Maine to obYiate disaster. Spe-
clal orders In regard to this had been
given by the commanding officer.
Yarnishes, dryers, alcohol and other COM
bustIbles OF this nature We're stood on or
above the main deck and could not have
had anything to do with the destruction
of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft under
the ward room, and remote from the scene
No dangerous stores of any kind were
slowed below in any os the other store
rooms.
The coal bunkers were Inspected daily.
of those bunkers adjacent to the forward
magazines and shell rooms, four were
empty, namely: "B 3, 4, 8, B 8" "a
15'' had been in use that day and "a 16''
was full of New River coal.
This coal had been carefully Inspected
before receiving 1t ON board. The bunker
In which IL was slowed was accessible on
three sides ut all times, and the fourth
side at this time on account of bunkers
'.B A. and 'sB g. being empty
This bunker, A 16, had been inspected
that day by the engineer officer on duty.
The fre alarms in the bunkers were In
working order, and there had never been
case of spontaneous combustion of coal
on board the Maine.
The Explosions.
The two after boilers of the ship were In
use Mt the time of the disaster. but for
auxiliary purposes only, with compara-
lively low pressure of steam, and being
tended by n 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 a fair
condition.
ON the night of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night ut o'clock p. M, by
reliable persons, through the proper au-
thoritles, to the commanding officer At
the time the Maine was destroyed the ship
ri.int caused by movements from those on
boa rtl.
3-The destruction q; the Maine occurred
at O:4O D. M OF February Is, 1898, In the
the time moored to the same buoy to
which she had been taken upon her ar
IIval.
There were two explosions OF distinctly
dlnerent character, with very short but
distinct interval between them and the
Forward part OF the ship WIS lifted to a
marked degree at the time of the first ex-
plosion.
The first explosion was more In the ma
fure OF report like tina. OF gun, while
tie second explosion was more open, pro
lchgv.l. and OF greater volume. This sec
ond explosion was, In the opinion Of the
eOurt, two or more of the forward maya
zines of the Maine.
Condition OF the Wreck
THE evidence bearing upon this, being
principally obtained from divers, did not
enable the court TO form a definite con-
elusion as to the condition OF the wreck,
: although it was established that the after
part OF the ship was practically intact,
and sank In that condition very few min
utes after the destruction OF the forward
part
The following facts In regard to the for
ward part of the ship are, however, estab-
Iished by the testimony:
That portion OF the port side OF the pro-
tective deck, which extends from about
frame so TO about frame Il was blown up,
lft, and over TO port. The main deck
from about frame 30 to about frame II
was blown up, aft and slightly over TO