Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-04-01

only in tho light Of . dispassionately
lscertainod Certainty could it deter.
miue the nature and measure Of it, full
luty in the matter.
/ The usual procedure was followed, ~
In all cases of casualty or disaster to
national vessels of any maritime state.
A naval court Of inquiry was 1t once
organised, composed OF officers we'll
qualified by rank and practical sxpe.s
renee to discharge the onerous duty
imposed upon them. Aided by strong
Iorce of wreckers and divers the court
proceeded to make q thorough investi.
ration on the spot. employing every
AVAILABLE means tor the impartial and
exact determination Of the causes
Of the explosion. Its operations have
been conducted with tie utmost
elaboration and judgment. and
while independently pursued no source
# information was neglected and the
fullest opportunity was allowed for q
simultaneous investigation by the
Spanish authorities. - =.
The finding of the court OF inquiry
was reached after % days Of continuous
abor, on the 2lst Of March and having
oeen approved ON the 22d by the COM
uander.in. chief of the United States
naval force on the North Atlantic STA
ion. was transmitted to the executive.
Findings Of the Board.
It is herewith laid before the con-
xress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court. Its
purport is in brief as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
ernment pilot to Buoy No. 4, to which
she was moored in from five and one'
half to six fathoms af water.
The state of discipline on board and
the condition OF her magazines, boilers,
coal bunkers and storage compartments
are passed in review with the conclu.
sion that excellent order prevailed, and
that no indication Of any cause Tor an
internal explosion existed in any quar-
ter. At 8 o'clock in the evening OF Feb.
Is everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet.
At 40 minutes past O'Clock the YES.
sci was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions.
with brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of the
ship very perceptibly; the second,
which was more prolonged, is attrib.
uted by the court to the partial explo.
sion OF two or more OF the forward
magazines.
The evidence of the divers establishes
that the after part of the ship was prac.
tically intact and sank in that condo
ton q very few minutes after the ex'
plosion. The forward part was CONF
pletely demolished.
Outer Shell Forced Inward.
Upon the evidence Of concurrent OK.
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
cat frame II the outer shell Of the
ship from a point IN feet from the
middle line Of the ship and 6 feet above
the keel when in its normal position.
has been forced up SO as to be now
about 4 feet above the surface OF the
water; therefore about 81 feet above
where it should be had the ship sunk
uninjured. ..
The outside bottom plating is bent
into reversed ~" shape, the after
wing OF which, about 10 feet broad and
80 feet in length (from frame II to
frame 25) is doubled back upon itself
against the continuation Of the same
plating extending forward. AT frame
l8 the vertical keel is broken in two
and keel bent into an angle similar to
the angle formed for the outside plates.
This break is about feet below the
surface of the water and about 80 feet
above it's normal position. In the opin'
ion of the court, this effect could have
been produced only by the explosion Of
q mine situated under the bottom OF
the ship at about frame IL and some'
what on the port side Of the ship.
Conclusions Of the Court.
The conclusions Of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not
in any respect due to fault or negli.
gence on the part Of any officers or
members of her crew.
luAI Vuo 0AA4p was Noo0Aoyo~ ~ Wv
explosion of q submarine mine which
caused the partial explosion Of two or
more of her forward magazines; and.
that no evidence has been obtainable
fixing the responsibility for the de.
struction of the Maine upon any per.
son or persons.
have directed that the finding Of
the court of inquiry and the views Of
this government thereon be commun-
icated to the government Of her mai
esty, the queen, and I do not permit
myself to doubt that the sense OF JUS
tice Of the Spanish nation will dictate
. 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 deliberate considera.
ton is invoked.
(signed] WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion. March ~, 1888
REPORT OF THE COURT