Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-31
FINDING OF THE COURT.
The First Explosion aused by
Mine Under the Shin.

FINDING OF THE COURT.
The First Explosion Caused by n
Mine Under the Ship.
The following is the fun text OF the
report of the court of inquiry:
II. S. s. Iowa, 1st rate. Key West, Fla,
Monday, March 81. 1S9S.-After full and
mature consideration Of all the testimony
before ii, the court finds as follows:
L. That the United States battleship
Maine arrived in the Harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 18th day of January, 1873
and was taken to buoy No. 4, in from
five and one-half to six fathoms of water,
by the regular government pilot. The
United States consul-general at Havana
had notified the authorities at that place,
the previous evening, of the intended ar
rival Of the Maine.
2. The state of discipline on board the
Maine was excellent, and all orders and
regulations in regard TO the care and
safety OF the ship were strictly carried
out. All ammunition was stowe away
in accordance with Instructions and
proper care was taken whenever ammu-
milton was handled. Nothing was slowed
in any one OF the magazines or shell
rooms which was not permitted to be
slowed there. The magazines and shell
rooms were always locked after having
been opened and after the destruction of
hAN fAe$AAA nv ~ 49, 1850
proper place in the captains cabin, every
thing having beer reported secure that
evening at : p. m.
TIE temperatures OF the magazines and
she'll rooms were taken daily and re-
ported. The only magazine which had an
undue amount of heat was the after ten
inch magazine, and that did not explode
at the time the Maine was destroyed. Tbs
torpedo war heads were all stored in the
after part OF the ship under the ward
room. and neither caused nor participated
in the destruction of the Maine.
The gun cotton primers and ~intonaters
were stored in the cabin aft and remote
from the scene of the explosion. The
waste was carefully looked after on board
the Maine to obviate danger. Special or
ders in regard to his had been given by
the commanding officer. Varnishes, dry
| ers. alcohol and other combustiles Of this
nature were slowed on or above the main
deck and could not had anything TO
do with the
Destruction of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft I'M
der the ward room, and remote from the
zone of the explosion No dangerous
stores of any kind were slowed below in
any of the other store rooms.
The coal bunker were inspected. OF
those bunkers adjoining the forward ma
| gaines and shell rooms four were empty,
diAC - Ot H. ID - ID u lo b~tA
been in use that day and "A 16' was fun
of new river coal. This coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving IL on
board. The bunker in which 1t was slowed
was accessible on three sides at all times,
and the fourth side at this time on ac-
count Of bunkers "B A. and "B g. being
empty. This bunker "a 16" had chen in
spected that day by the engineer officer
on duty.
The fire alarms in the bunkers were in
working order, and there had never been
a case of spontaneous combustion of coal
on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship were
in use at the time of the disaster, but for
auxiliary PURPOSES only with a compare
lively low pressure of steam. and being
tended by a reliable watch. These boil
ers could not have caused the explosion
of the ship. TIL four forward boilers
have since been found by the divers and
are in a fair condition.
On the night of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night. at s p. m, by reliable
persons, through the proper authorities.
TO the commanding officer. AT the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet, and therefore least liable TO acci-
dent caused by movements from those on
board.
The destruction of the Maine occurred
- NHN aoth n vi UTu
airy, 1888, in the harbor Of Havana. Cuba
peing at the time moored in the same
buoy to which she had been taken upon
her arrival.
Ihere were two explosions of distinctly
aiiIerent character, with a very short
= suistIci interval between them. and
the forward part of the ship was lifted 10
a marked degree at the time of the 6rst
explosion. " "s'
Inc hrst explosion was more In the nat
ure OF a report. like that of a pun.
whiie the second explosion was more
open, prolonged, and of greater volume,
Inc second explosion was, In the oninlon
Oh the court. caused by the partia, ex-
' plosion OF two or more of the $780,
/, magazines of the Maine.
Condition OF the Wreck.
me evidence bearing on this. being
principally obtained from divers. did not
enaoie the court to form a definite oon-
fusion as 10 the condition Of the wreck.
aIinough II was established that the Ter
part of the ship was practically Mat
ana SANK In that condition a very few
minutes after the destruction of the for
ward part. UT
Inc Following facts In regard "a tho
forward part of the ship are. however
es,aoished by the testimony: That nor.
d - the port side of the protective
deck, which extends from about frarso
So, TO boz frame Al, was blown nm 90,
ana over to port. The main deck &c.
ABOUT frame 20 TO about frame Al wa.
down up aft and slightly over 70 star'
BOARD. folding the forward mart ~ ~.
middle superstructure over and on ton -,
the after part. This was, in the onsr,on
OF the court. caused by the partial CIV
piosion or Two or more Of the -forwara
maSazines or the Maine.
o. Al frame IL. the outer she'll NJ Tho
SNIP from a point eleven and one.ba,ss
Ieet from the middle line of the shin az
SIX Feet above the keel when In its rnr'
maj position, has been forced up a. az 10
De now about four feet above whera H.
wouid be had the ship sunk unini,r.a
The outside bottom plating is bent ;n.o
reversed V shape. the after w,na
which about 10 feet broad ana 90 "a.
~ length from frame II 20 frame o., ~
doubled back upon itself against the con =
forward. Using extending
n, ~ frame is the vertical kee, i
proKen In two and the Nat kee, 49,
,n,o an angle similar to the angle foryons
py the outside bottom platlar .rhaa
Dreak Is now about six feet below the
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