The San Francisco call., 1898-03-06
POWELSON IS
 REMAINED Important Testimony Is Given by the Ensign
 at Havana.
Naval Court of Inquiry to Lose No Time in Concluding
 It's LabOrS.
Spanish and American Divers Con- unue to Work Barn1onioosly
 on the Maine.
Copyrighted. 1898. by James Gordon Bennett.

HAVANA, March 5.-The naval court of inquiry reached Havana at 10 o'clock this morning on the lighthouse tender Mangrove, after a comfortable run from Key West, and went to work so promptly as to give the best possible evidence, that it's purpose, Whatever It may have been hitherto, now Is to dis patch what business remains to be | done in Havana at the earliest possible date.
 Only one witness was summoned to- day. That witness was Ensign Powell son. The Mangrove had barely tled up to her moorings when PoWelson was rowed over from the Fern, ana going aboard was ushered to the cabin below immediately. Ensign foWelson brought with him new drawings, on which he had been at Work durlnS the week spent in Key West The entlre morning session from 10 until hal1-past 12 o'clock was devoted to the witness and to his narrative of the Work ac- complished by divers since the court left here During that period the Amer ican divers, by direction of Lieutenant Commander Wainwright, have been working in close touch with MT. POW elson.
 After the noon recess, lasting from half-past 12 to ? o'clock, Powelsons eX- animation was resumed. It was con- tiued until o'clock, when the court adjourned until Monday morning.
 Two Spanish divers, who have been doing efficient work in behalf of their own Government, and with whom the American divers have been acting har- moniously, though independently, dis tinguished themselves to-day by bring ing to the surface two uneXploded 6- inch powder cylinders, similar to some already found by the other divers. The brown hexagonal powder contained in one of them was practically intact.
 A rouSing incident occurred this aft ernoon when five American and two Spanish divers were all under water to- gether. One of them inadvertently sprung the trap which acts on the life buoy, which hitherto has remained un noticed In the wreckage. The life buoy is one of those calcium phosphate con- trivances which, when thrown into the water, by means of chemical reaction caused by immersion instantly bursts into bright flame, which illumlnates the surrounding waters. It is used Tor life-saving purposes at night The fn- stant the buoy was released to-day the proper chemical reaction promptly took place. There was a Sputtering flame and curling smoke poured from the wreck, accompanied by a sudden calcium light effect that was decidedly startling to the divers at work under the water Seven life lines were pulled vigorously and in concert seven badly scared men were hauled to the surface so speedily as to take their breath. Captain Sharp of the wrecking tug Merritt promptly ran out his fire hose and prepared to squirt a stream on the wreckage. One of the cooler men, who instantly surmised the cause of the phenomenon, soon allayed the ex- citement. Then all had hearty laugh over their momentary scare.
 The Bache returned to Havana this afternoon. Five bodies are now ready for transportation to Key West. Of these three were recovered to-day. Two have been identified-one as that of Stewart White and the other as that of a Japanese servant of the steward s department. It Is now thought that Monday and Tuesday probably will suf flee to conclude the work of the Board of Inquiry in Havana, the remaining time to be mainly, if not wholly, devot- ed to some witnesses.
 Fitzhugh Lee Jr. arrived here to-day from Richmond. He was unexpected by the Consul-General. His purpose was to visit his father and give him a pleasant surprise.
 The wrecking tug Right Arm, 1t is said, will return north tomorrow, leaving the tug Merritt to complete the work remaining to be done on the wreck. Senator Proctor will go to Sagua to-morroW