The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-03-30

| given. II is a story intensely interest
ing to the American. Those who read
it could have little doubt as to whether
there was any lineal or external explo-
sion. Perhaps the most significant tes-
timony is that showing the plates on the
port sides OF the Maine to have been
bent inward and upward, a result that
could hardly have followed an expo-
sion from the outside. A mass of testi-
mony is submitted showing the care
exercised on board the ship by Captain
Sigsbee and his officers, and the appar-
ent lmpossibility of the accident occur
ing by any external causes
The testimony of Captain Sigsbee is
of the greatest Importance and perhaps
is OF more general interest than that
OF any other called before the board.
With great care and minuteness he
gives good account OF the ship, and
what was done from day to day on
board, her anchorage and what he knew
about it, and in fact, every point upon
which the government and the country
desires to be informed Nothing in
Captain Sigsbee's testimony shows that
the anchorage was changed or that it
was considered dangerous by any one.
The divers-Morgan, Olsen and
Smith-all contributed important evil
dence. They testified that the plates
were bent inward on the bottom port
side and outward on the starboard side.
The story OF the explosion is told by
different witnesses and adds little to
what Captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related Nothing in the
testimony fixes responsibility, no con-
spiracy is apparent, no knowledge Of
the planting OF mine is shown. Cap
tain Sigsbee states that somewhat BIT
ter feeling existed against the American
ship and Americans generally, and a
witness whose name is suppressed tells
of overhearing conversation among
Spanish officers and citizen indicating
foreknowledge Of the destruction OF
the Maine, by intention to blow her UP.
An official of the American consulate
tells OF information received anony-
mously tending to show that conspir-
acy existed, But nothing is definitely
stated which fixes a responsibility on
Spain or her subjects.
Capt. SigSbee. in testimony before the
court OF inquiry, said that he assumed
command OF the Maine on April 10,
1897, and that his ship arrived in the
harbor OF Havana the last time January
"a, 1898. The authorities at Havana
knew OF the Names coming, Consul
General Lee having informed the
authorities according to official custom.
After he took on an official pilot sent
by the captain OF the port of Havana
the ship was berthed in the man-oi-war
anchorage off the Machina, and accord
ing to his understanding was one OF the
regular buoys OF the place.
He then stated that he had been in
Havana in 1872 and again in 1898.
He could not state whether the Maine
was placed in the usual berth for men
of-war, but said that he had heard re-
marks since the exploration, using Capt.
Stevens, temporarily in command of the
Ward line steamer City of Washington,
as authority for the statement that he
had never known in all his experience,
which covered visits to Havana for five
or six years, man-of-war to be anchor
ed at that buoy; that he had rarely
known merchant vessels to be anchored
there and that it was the least used buoy
in the harbor. In describing the SUR
roundings when first moored to this
buoy, Sigsbee stated that the Spanish
man-of-war Alfonso XII was moored
about 25O yards to the northward and
westward OF the Maine. The German
ship GrieSenau was anchored at the
berth now occupied by the Spanish
man-of-war LegaSpe, which is about 400
yards about due north from the Maine.
He then located the German man-of-
war Charlotte, which came into the har-
Dor day or two later and was anchored
to the southward of the Names berth
about 400 or 500 yards.
In so far as the regulations regarding
inHammabes and paints on board.
Capt Sigsbee testified that the regula-
tions were strictly carried out in regard
to storage, and that the waste also was
subject to the same careful disposition.
AS to the situation of the paint room.
he fixed it as lin the eyes OF the ship"
Just below the berth deck, the extreme
forward compartment AS for the Dis
position of inhammables, they were
slowed in chests, according to the regu-
lations, and when inhammables were in
excess of chest capacity they were
allowed to be kept in the bath room of
the admiral's cabin. Regarding the
electric plant of the Maine, Capt. Sigs.
bee stated that there was no serious
grounding, nor sudden faring up of the
lights before the explosion, lAt a sud
den and total eclipse. As for regula-
tions affecting the taking OF temperature
OF the magazines, ETC., Capt. Sigsbee
said there were no special regulations
ether than the usual regulations requir-
ed by the department. He examined
the temperature himself and converscd
with the ordnance officers as to the
various temperatures and the contents
OF the magazines and according to the
opinion of this officer as well as Sigs-
bee, the temperatures were never at the
danger point.
When asked whether there was anv
demonstration of animosity by people
aAoat, Capt. Sigsbee said that there
never was on shore, as he was informed,
but there was aAoat He then related
that on the first Sunday after the
Names arrival a ferry-boat crowded
with people, civil and military, return
ing from a bull fight in Regla, passed
the Maine and about 40 people on board
INDUCED in yells, whistles and derisivr
calls. During the stay in Havana, Capt.
Sigsbee took more than ordinary pre-
cautions for the protection of the Maine