The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-28

having been reported secure that evening
tie temperatures Of the maga zines ana
shell rooms were taken daily and report
ed. Ike only magazine which had an
undue amount OF ! eat Was the after ten
inch magazine. and that did not explode
at the time tie Maine was destroy eo.
The torredo war hsnds were all slowed
In the after part of the ship, "A ,dsr thu
ward room. and neither caused ncr par
ticipated in the destruction OF the Maine.
Tie dry gun cotton primers and oetonn-
tors we're stuwed Ia the cabin aft and re-
mote from the scene Of the explosion.
weste was carefully looked att on the
Maine TO obviats danger. Special orders
in regard 10 this had been given by the
commanding cificsr.
Varnishes, dryers. alcohol ard other
com mbustibies OF this nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could
not have mad an ything to do with the de-
struction OF the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed nft I'M
der th1 ward room ana ieiLote frcm the
scene Of the explosion.
No dangerous stores OF any kind were
slowed below In any Of the other store
rooms
The coal buuksrs wers inspected daily.
or those bunkers adjacent To the forward
magazines and she'll rooms four were
empty: namely: Il T. ID 4, Is 8, B O.
"A 10" Tad been In use that day and
"A 1G'' was full CT real river coal. This
coal had been carefully inspected before
receiving IL on board. Tho bunker in
whi,h 1t wns slowed was accs ssibls on
three sides at all tines and tie fourth
side ut this time on account of bunkers
''B A. and "B g. being empty. fhis
bunker "A 49, had been inspected that
day by the enginser cffiser on duty.
Ire fire alarms IN the bunKsrs were In
working order. and there had pever been
a case OF sponvsf eous cam brstion of 1al
on oard TIE Maine.
4 ma two after boilers were IN use
at tie time of the disaster, but fer sux.l-
iary prrpufes cniy, ith n compsrativelv
low pressure of steam and teina tonu. d
by reliable watch. Ttese boilers could
not rave taus d the rxnIssion of the ship.
The four fcrwIrl boilers have since Teen
found nv The divers and are in fair
condition.
Or tte night Of the destruction of tie
Maine everything hAd bsen reported se-
cure for the night at Sp. N. by reliaf lie
Iersors. through the prOItr authorities,
tn the esoUmanding officer. AT tte tiue
the Maine was destroyed tie chip WAS
quiet and thereto re- least liable 10 aori-
utnt caused hy movements fft IN til $50 on
board.
ExpIoeions-8. Tho destruction ct the
Maine 0ccuIre at 9:40p. m, on the II, h
day Of February, eighteen hundred nrd
ninety eight, In the hartor of Havanr,
Cuba ste being at the time moored 10
the same buoy TO which she had bsen
taken uIon her arrival.
Tbefe were tao explosions, Of dis
tinctiv different character. witb very
short but distinct interval betacau them,
and the forward part cf the ship was
lifted TO "A marked dearse 1T the time of
the first explosion. Thc first explosion
was more In tae nature nj repor. ike
that Of gun. while the second sxplos ,
was more open. prolonRe1, and OF greater
the opinion of tha court. caused by the
partial xpl -slon Of two or more Of the
forwn magazines Of tbs Maine.
| 4-Coudition Of the wreck: Tna eyi-
dense hearing uron this. beiug princi-
pnlly obtaine1 from divers. did not en-
able the Court to form n definite conclu-
sion as to the condition of the wreck. = l.
though it estabIishe1 tie fact tnat the
| after part OF the snip Was practically in
tact and sank In that condition very
few n inuns alter the destruction OF the
| for ward part, g ffSt 3S,
The following fact, 10 regard to tbs
forwsrd part of the ship are, however.
eststlist ed by The t. tst,mony;
! That portion OF the lOItsiLe of tke pro
tet tive deck which extends from about
frame 80 to flame Al was blown up aft
and over to port. Tho main deck from
about frame ~ to. frame Al was blown
up aft and slightly over to starbosrd.
folding the forward part of the middle
auperstruoture over sud on top Of ths af-
| ter part.
This was, Ia the opinion OF tte court,
caused by the partial explosion of two or
moro Ct tho ftrwsrd magazines Of the
| Maine.
Sat frame II ths outsr shell of the
ship frcm . poipt eleven and oue-half
| feet from the IN iddls line of the ship. and
six feet above the keel, when in its nor
NAL position, had hee0 forced up so as to
| to now about four feet above the surface
| OF the Natsr; therefore thirty -four feet
| absvs where it would BE- had the ship
sunk ufi njuted:
| into reversed v shape, the after wing of
which. about fifteen feet broad and thirty
| feet In lenRth--frpm frame IL to frame 2t
| --is doublsd back upon itself against the
CONTINUATION Of tie same plating extend
Ing forward.
| At frame 1s the vertical heel Is broken
| Id two. and tho fat keel bent into an
anlge simil,r to tha Angle formed by the
| outside bottom plating. This break IL
now about six feet below the surfscs Of
the water, and about thirty feet above its
normal position.
h ~ b0o oDluloo VI tuc COuTh buis tutCt
cuuId hhve bssn produced only by tho ex-
| plosio0 Of 4 mine situated under the bot
tom Of tho shjp ut about frame Is, and
somewhat on the rort side OF the snip.
| 6-The court finds that the loss OF the
Maine on the ocussicn named was not In
any re spect due to fault or negligencs On
the part Of any OF the officers or mem
bers Of the crew Of said vessel
Tin tie opinivn OF the court, the
Maine wss destroyed by Tire explosion of
. submarine mine whioh caussd the par
| tial explosion OF two or more of the for
ward uaga zines.
S-The court has bsen unable to obtain
evidences fixing the responsibility fer the
destruction Of the Maine upon any person
or persons.
W. 4. SAMPSON,
Captain. U. b. N. President
A. MARK,
Lieut. Com. u. 3. N. Judge Advocate.
The cout having finished the inquiry
A -. - -. - IL