The Forrest City times., 1898-04-01
FORREST CITY, ARK, FRIDAY AFTERNOON, April, 1885,


Tiouted by the court 70 the partial explosion Of
Two or mere Of the forward magazines
Inc evidence OF the divers establishes that
'ne aiter part OF the ship was practically intact
and sank in that condition very few minutes
si.er tne explosion The forward part was
completely demolished.
Upon evidence OF concurrent exter,al carss
'Ee hndlng OF the court is as follows:
AT frame u the outer she'll OF the ahip from
point eleven and one-half feet from the mid
Ole line OF the ship and six feet above the keel
when In Its normal position, has been forced up
80 as 10 De now about four feet above the sur
race OF the water; therefore, about thirty-four
feet above where it would be had the shin sunl,
uninjured.
Inc outside bottom plating is bent into
reversed w. shape. the after wing of which
ABOUT fifteen feet broad and thirty-two feet in
length from frame II TO frame 25), is doubled
pack upon itself against the continuation of the
same plating extending forward.
At frame Is the vertical lseel is broken in two
ana Inc Keel bent into an angle simailr to the
angie formed for the outside plates This
break is about six feet below the surface of the
water and about thirty feet above its normal
position.
In the opinion Of the court this effect could
nave been produced only by the explosion OF a
mine situated under the bottom of the ship at
ABOUT frame IL, and somewhat on the port side,
Of the ship.
The conclusions of the court are:
That the loss Of the Maine was not in any re-
spect que TO fauit or negligence on the part OF
any OF the officers or members of her crew
That the ship was DESTROYED by the explosion
OF submarine mine which caused the partial
explosion OF two or more Of her forward maga-
| zines and,
That no evidence has been obtainable fixing
the responsibility for the destruction Of the
Maine upon any person or persons
ad that tha
OF inquiry and the views OF this government
thereon be communicated to the government of
her majesty, the queen, and do not permit
myself to doubt that the sense OF justice OF the
Spanish nation viii dictate o course OF action
suggested by honor and the friendly relations of
the two governments
1t was the duty of the executive to advise the
congress OF the result and in the meantime de-
hberate consideration is invoked
lSigned.l WILLIAM MCKINLEY
Executive Mansion. March 2s 1865
Report of the Court OF Inquiry.
The following is the full text OF the
report OF the court of inquiry:
U. S. S. Iowa. FIRST RATE,
KEY WEST, Fla,
MONDAY, March 81, 1898.
After full and mature consideration of all the
testimony before it, the court finds as follows:
J. That the United States battleship Maine
arrived in the harbor of Havana. Cuba on the
twenty-ifth day OF January. 1898, and was taken
| TO buoy No. l. in from five and a half to six
fathors OF water, by the regular government
pilot
The United States consul general at Havana
had notified the authorities at that place. the
previous evening, OF the intended arrival of the
Maine.
2 The state OF discipline on board the Maine
was excellent; and all orders and regulations in
regard to the care and safety of the ship were
strictly carried out
All ammunition was slowed away in accord
ance with instructions, and proper care was
taken whenever ammunition was handled.
Nothing was slowed In any one of the maga-
zines or shell rooms which was not ermitted
10 be slowed there.
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 every
thing having been reported secure that evening
at p m.
The temperatures OF the magaz zines and she'll
rooms were taken daily and reported. The only
magazine which had an undue amount of heat
was the after ten-inch magazine and that did
not explode at the time the Maine was de-
stroyed.
The torpedo warheads were all slowed in the
after part OF the ship, under the ward room, and
neither caused nor participated in the destrue-
tion OF the Maine
The dry gun cotton primers and detonaters
were slowed In the cabin aft and remote from
the scene of the explosion.
The waste was carefully looked after on board
the Maine to obviate danger Special orders in
regard TO this had been given by the command
ing officer.
Varnishes. dryers. alcohol and other COM
bustibles of this nature were slowed 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 of the
explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were slowed
below in any of the other store rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected. OF those
bunkers adjoining the forward magazines and
shell rooms, four were empty, namely, B3, B4,
BIS, B6.
AIS had been in use that day and Al6 was
| full OF New River coal This coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving 1t on board.
The bunker in which 1t was slowed was accessi-
bic on three sides at al times and the fourth
side at this time on account OF bunkers B4 and
B6 being empty. This bunker Al6 had been
inspected that day by the engineer officer on
duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were in work.
ing order. and there had never been 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 comparatively low pres
sure OF steam, and being tended by q reliable
watch
~
b ~ ~
I|I.IAay lI5IIAn|