The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-09
BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORT.
Determines That the Maine was De-
stroyed by Mine.

WASHINGTON. March 2S.-Presi-
dent Mckinley today transmitted to
Congress the report of the Board of
Inquiry. The message recites that
the Maine was sent to Havana at the
suggestion of Consul General Lee and
with the full consent of the Spanish
governments, as an act of friendly
character and as a symbol of good
will. The message then gives an alb
stract of the report and that it has
been sent with the views of this
government" to the Spanish govern
ment. The message concludes thus
81 do not permit myself to doubt that
the sense Of justice of the Spanish ma
ton will dictate course of action
suggested by honor and the friendly
relations of the two governments"
The text of the report follows:
United States Steamship Iowa. First
Rate.
Key West, March 81. 1895.
After a fun and mature considera-
tion of all the testimony before it the
court finds as folows
First-That the United States bat
tleship Maine arrived in the Harbor OIL
Havana, Cuba, on the 21st day of Jan
uary, 1898, and was taken to buo,
No. 4, in from five and Il half to six
fathoms of water, by the regular gov
ernment pilot.
The United States Consul General
had notified the authorities at that
place the previous evening of the lii
| tended arrival of the Maine.
Secord-'rhe state of discipline OH
| board the Maine was excellent, and ali
orders and regulations in regard to
the care and safety of the ship were
strictly carried out. All ammunition
was slowed away in accordance with
instructions, and proper care was ta-
ken whenever ammunition was han
died. Nothing was stored in any one
of the magazines or shell rooms which
was not permitted to be stored there.
The magazines and shell rooms were
always locked after having been open,
and after the destruction of the Maine
the keys were found i'm their proper
place in the captains cabin, every
thing having been reported secire
that evening at 5 o'clock. The tenn
peratures of the magazines and shell
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 ~ 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 participated in the
| destruction of the Maine. The dry
| gun cotton primers and detonators
/ were slowed in the cabin aft and re-
mote from the scene of the explosion.
| The waste was carefully looked af-
| ter on board the Maine to obvate dan
| ger. Special orders in regard to this
/ had been given by the commanding
officer. Narnishes, dryers. alcohol and
other comhustibles 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 store
/ rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected.
OF those bunkers adjoining the for
wark magazines and shell rooms four
were empty. namely: B3. 81. Bj. B6.
A15 had been used that date. and AI6
was full of New River coal. This coaI
had been carefully inspected before
receiving il on board The bunker in
IA i,l, = a,
three sides at all times, and the fourth
side at this time on account of bunk
ers Bi and B6 being empty. This
bunker, A16, had been inspected that
day by the engineer officer, and there
had never been a case of spontaneous
combustion of coal on board of the
| Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship
were in use at the time of the disas-
ter, but for auxiliary purposes only,
with comparatively low pressure of
steam, and being tended by a reliable
watch. These boilers could not have
caused the explosion of the ship. The
forward boilers of the ship 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 re
ported secure for the night at s
o'clock by reliable persons, through
proper authorities, to the command
ing officer. At the time the Maine
was DESTROYED the ship was quiet,
and, therefore, the least liable to acct
dent caused by the movements from
those on hoard
Third-The destruction of the Maine
at 9:40 p. m. on the 18th day of Feb
ruary, 1898, in the harbor of Havana.
Continued on Page Fiyel