The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-04-06
Said.

Said.
The following are tie 2siacs2a. p9r-
tions of the testimony UrGZ2 E7li',2 ne
Board o. Erouiry ap2ciute3 10 3QvaS-
tieate the destruction Of the B&sIG&ilp 2
Maine based lis verdict:
Il is story intensely Interesting to
the American people. Those wbo rea0
it can have little DOUBT as to Whether
there was an internal Or eXternal ez-
plosion. Perhsps the most significant
testimony is that showing the bottom
plates on the port s;ds Of the iQ-taIed
Maine to be bent inwsrd and upward.
s result that hardly could have fol
loved anything save sr explosion
from the outside. a mass Of testimorv y
is submitted showing the care exercis-
ed on board the snip BY Capt. Sigsbee
and his officers and The apparent in
possibility Of the accident occurring
by any internal cause, such SIS the
heating OF the bunkers. Spontaneous
combustion, Or from ether causes up.
on which so many theories were
based.
The testimony of Capt. Slssbea is Of
the greatest importance and perhaps
is OF more general interest than that
of any other nan cslled before the
board. With grea. care and minute
ness ne gives an account OF me man
seement OF the ship, how she was
handled, what was dore from day to
day on board, how she sailed into
Havaus, her anchorage and what ne
knew about, and, in fact, every point
upon which the government and the
country desires to be informed. Moth.
ing in Capt. Sjgsbees testimony shows
that the auchorage was changed Or
that it was considered dangerous by
any one.
Secono to the importance of the tes-
timony of Cdpt. Sigsbee is that Of
Ensign Powelson, who had charge OF
the divers and knew from dsv to day
what these divers found. His testl.
mony was to certain extent technl
cal, bearing upon the construction Of
the ship, her plates, ETC., but It was
from these plates, and this technical
knowledge, that be was able to dis.
close that the explosion took place
from the outside. The divers, Morgan,
Olsen and Smith, all contributed i'm
portsnt evidence. They testified that
the plates were bent inward, On the
bottom port side, and outward on ;he
stsrboard side.
The story of the explosions is told
By different witnesses and adds little
to what Capt. Sigsbee and Command.
er wainwright related. Nothing IN the
testimony fixes responsibility no con-
spiracy is apparent, no knowledge OF
the planting of 8 mine is shown. :
witness whose name is suppressed,
tells of overhearing a conversation
among Spanish officers and citizen
indicating foreknowledge Of the de-
struction Of the Maine by intention to
blow her uI. An official Of the Amer
lean consulate tells OF information re-
ceived anonymously tending TO snow
that conspiracy existed. But moth,
ing is definitely stated which fixes any
responsibility upon Spain or hec SUB
jects.
Capt. Sigsbee started his testimony
by describing the arrival CT the Maine
in Havana hsroor and her anchorage
to what he understood TO be ore Of
the regular buoys OF the place. he
could rot state whether the Name
was placed in the usual berth for men
ofwar, but said that he had heard re-
marks since the explosion, using Capt.
Stevens, temporarily in command OF
the Ward line steamer City Of Wash
ington, as authority fer the statement,
that he had never knowD, IN all his
experience. which covered visits to
Havana for I've or six years, a msn-
of-war to be anchored st that buoy;
that he had rarely known merchsnt
vessels to be anchored there and that
it was the least used buoy IN the har-
Dor. In describing the surroundings
at the time of the explosion Capt.
Sigsbee stated that the Alphonso All
was at her usual berth, about 250
yards to the northward, and westward
of the Maine. The Maine coalso at
Key West, taking on about $50 tons,
the coal being regularly inspected and
taken from the government coal pile.
No report was received from the
engineer that any coal had been TOO
long in the bunkers, and the ire
alarms in the bunkers were sensitive.
In so far as the regulations regarding
inhamables and paints on board, Capt.
Sigsbee testified that the regulations
were strictly carried out in regard to
the storage, and that the waste also
was subject to the same careful dispo-
sition. Regarding the electric plan: OF
the Maine, Capt. Sigsbee stated tnat
there was no serious grounding nor
sudden dsring up of the lights before
the explosion, but sudden total
eclipse. Capt. Sigsbse said he exam.
ined the temperature of the magazine
himself and conversed with the ord
nance officer as to the various temper
atures and the contents OF the maga-
zines and, according to the opinion OF
this officer, as well SIS Capt Sigsoee,
the temperatures were never st the
danger point. At the time Of the dis
aster the two after boilers in the after
fra room were in use because the hy-
drauhc system was leaking. Speak-
ing generally of his relations with the
Spanish authorities, Capt Sigsbee
stated that with the officials they were
outwardly cordial.
When asked whether there was any
demonstration OF snimosity by the
people afoat, Captain Sigsbee said
that there never was on shores, as ne
was informed, but there Was adoat.
He then repeated that, on the first
Sunday after the Names arrival, 8
ferrybost crowded densely with peo'
pie, civil and military. returning from
q bull fight in Regla, passed the Maine
and about 40 people on board INDUCED
in wells, whistles and derislve calls.
During the stay in Havana Captain
Siesbee took more than ordinary pre-
cautions for the protection OF the
Maine.
The Maine, st the time Of the ex
mission was heading apprOXimately