New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-29

contained very little powder. about three hunhred
mounds The l0-inch magazine was In the sane
general region. but on the starboard size
the 10-nch magazine in the loading room OF the
turrct and in tho adjoining passage number OF
,o-,nch shells were permanently placed. Accord
Ing 10 Captain Sigshee. IL would be oi'iicu'' u
conceive the explosion involved the lo-ihch inasa
zine because OF the location or the eNpiosio"' "'
no reports show that any lo-inch she"s were
hurled into the air because Of the explosion
The captain went into details as 10 w,
location OF the .mal-arm ammunition lie san
that he did not believe the forward o-ihch
magazine blew up. The location OF the suhVo''o'
was aft under the cabin. The guncotton primers
and the decorators were always Kept IN 're o""'''
EXAMINATION OF THE WRECK
u. stated that he had examined the wreck him.
self and conversed with other of1cers anu "''''
hut ms tho Spanish authorities were very h'u."
averse 10 an investigation except Officially on INC
ground AS stated by the Spanish admiral 'hal '''
honor Of Spain was involved he forbore 70 eN
amino the submarine portion OF the wreck ior the
cause Of the explosion until the day 'he court 'o
yened He said the discipline OF the snip WIS eh
ceent The marine guard was In excellent conui-
ton The reports Of the medical department sho"
that about one man and a quarter per DAY were o"
,h scl lief during the last year In the engineer
depar.ment the vessel always ready ana al
WAYS responsive. Ho paid tribute 10 the c'e"
and said that a quieter. beter-natureo iot o iiie
he had never known on board any VesSeI III VIM"
he had served He had fault TO find with 'he
beha vior Of any officer man at the time OF 'hc
disaster and considered their conduct admi'ho'e'
On his examination by the court Captain Sigspee
said that the highest temperature he could remem-
Der was 1l2. but that was in the AFTER hias"Ni'o
the temperatures in the forward magazines oei''e
considerably lower. There was no loose po"oei
kept in the maya zine All the coal ouhHers "e'o
ventilated through air tubes examined "eeN,! ~
the chief engineer and were connected electrica"y
to the annunciator near his cabin door, mo Iu'
ward coal bunker on the port slde was Jun Inv
forward coal bunker on tho starooard sue was
half full and it was In use at the umc VI VIC e~
plosion
Captain se.bee being recalled the third day
stated that he had detailed Loutenant-C omInahoer
Wainwright Lieutenant Holman and CHEZ Ensl-
neer Howell all Of the Maine to Obtain hliol" MA
ton in regard to any outsiders who may nave ee'"
the explosion Captain Sgsbee also gave as MS
opinion that II coal bunker AIS had been 30 nov
"a to be dangerous TO the 6-inch reserve magazine
this condition would have been shown on three
sides where the bunker was exposed ana tha' me"
constantly passing and fro by it would nave
necessarily noticed any undue heat
Captain Sgsbee was examined on the sixth day
as to the ammunition on board the Maine ne
stated that there were no high explosives, guncot-
ton decorators or other material In magazines 81
shellroom which the regulations prohibit he 'es
tilted that no warheads had been placed on torpe
does since he had command Of the ship
GENERAL LEES TESTIMONY.
Consul-General Fitzhugh Lee appeared before the
Court on March His testimony related 10 the
official formalites preceding the Names arrival
On January "a he received message from INC
State Department saying that the Maine would be
sent 70 Havana on a friendly visit to resume
the regular status Of naval relations between the
two countries. and he was ordered 10 make al :
rangements AZ tho Palace for the interchange OF
or,cial cou-tesies After a call at the Palace he
sent the State Department a cipher message. say
ing
"Authorite. profess TO think the United States
has Interior purpose in sending the snip Say II
will obstruct autonomy and produce excitement
and most proba bly, demonstration ASK 'ha' II
not be done til they can get instructions from
Madrid Say that if for friendly purpose as claimed
delay IS unimportant."
II too late. however, the Maine having a.
ready sailed She arrived next day. and General
Lee reported her arrival TO the State Department.
TOLD BY ENSIGN POwELSON
Ensign W. V. n. Powelson was called the third
day of the Court. He testified that he had Deeh
present on the Maine every day from the arrival
of the Fern and during a great deal Of the diving
In reply 10 a question about the condition OF the
wreck he said the forward part NJ the snip for-
ward OF the after smokestack had been TO all ap-
pearances completely destroyed. The coming
tower lay in n position opposite the door leading
to the superstructure aft and to starboard. In
clined at about 10 degrees TO the vertical win
the top Of the coming tower inboard.
Continuing. he described with close detail the
condition under the main deck on the port side
The fixtures completely wrecked. While nx-
lures IN the same position on the starboard Side
were IN some places almost intact The port bulk
head between the main and the berth decks at the
coming tower support had been blown aft on both
sides but a great deal more on the port than on
the sarhoard side. The freroom hatch immc-
dately abaft Of the coming tower had been blown
In three dircctions-aft, to starboard ana 10 port
The protective deck under the conning-tower sup
ports was bent in two directions the plates on the
stsrboard side being bent up and on the larooard
side bent down.
In reply to an inquiry to whether he meant
with reference to their original positions. Ensign
Powcson replied afirmatively. The beam support
Ing the protective deck few inches abaft OF tho
armored tube TO port OF the mdship line. was bent
up 70 starboard Of the midship line Just forward
OF the coming tower. underneath the main deck
two beams met at right angles; one beam was
broken and pushed from port to starboard. graf
ing was found on the poop awning Just forward of
the after searchlight.
piece of the side plating just abaft OF tho star
board turret was visible This plate bent out
ward and then the forward end bent upward and
folded backward upon itself This plate was
sheared from the rest OF the plating below the
watcr-line. This plating below the water-llne has
been pushed out TO starboard." The unarmored
eratings Of the engne-room hatch blown off
compensation strainer was picked up from the
bottom on the starboard quarter NJ a point about
opposite the poop cspstan and about seventy feet
from It, The chief engineer thought the straner
was from the fremens washroom 1t was not
strainer In the ships side. Near the piece Of out
side plating to which witness referred above he
said. there pieces OF red shellacked blanks
On these planks bolted a composition track
two inches wide and inch thick
Ensign Powelson then asked II the Court desired
him TO say anything about what the divers reported
or just what he saw.
WHAT DIVERS TOLD HIM
The Judge-Advocate replied that he would Ike
10 have him state any important discoveries which