The Portland daily press., 1898-03-29

among Spanish officers and a citizen In
dicating fore.knowledge of the destrue
tion of the Maine by intention to blow
her up An official of the American con-
sulate tells of information received
anonymously pretending to show. that o
consniracy existed. But nothing liz
definitely stated which fixes any respon.
sibility upon Spain or her subjects.
ENSIGN POWELSON.
Ensign W. Y. d. Powelson was called
the third day of court. He testified that
he had been present on the Maine every
day from the arrival of the Fern and
during great deal of the diving. In
reilly to request to tell the court al
about the condition of the wreck. he said
the forward part of the ship, forward Of
the after smoke stack, had been to all ap-
pearances completely destroyed. Continu.
ing he described with close detail, the
condition under the main deck on the
port side. The fixtures were completely
wrecked, while fixtures in the same
position on the starboard side were In
some cases almost intact. The port bulk
head between the main and berth decks
at the coming tower support had been
blown aft on both sides, hut great deal
more on the port than the starboard side.
The fire room hatch. Immediately abaft OF
the coming tower had been blown in
three directions aft to starboard and to
rort. The protective deck under the con-
ming tower supports was bent in two
directions, the plates on the starboard
side being bent up and on the port bent
down.
A grating was found on the poop avn
ing Just forward of the after searchlight.
A piece of the side plating just abaft OF
the starboard turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward and then the for
ward end bent upward and folded back
ward upon itself.s
s.This plate Was sheared from the rest
OF the plating below the waterline. This
plating below the waterline has been
pushed out to starboard."
The unarmored gratings of the engine
room hatch were blown off.
A compensation strainer was picked up
Oh the bottom on the starboard quarter
at point about opposite the poop cap
stan and about rs feet from it.
The Chief Engineer thought the strain
er was for the firemen'S wash room. 1t
was not a strainer in the ships side.
Near the piece of outside plating to
which witness referred above he said there
were pieces of red shellaced planks. On
these planks was boited composition
traoksstwo inches wide and an inch thick.
Ensign Powelson then asked if the
court meant for MIN to say anything
tho or of
what he saw The judge advocate replied
that he would like to have him state
important. discoveries which might lead
the court to draw some conclusion as to
the cause, and if diver gave such in
formation to state the divers name.
Gunner Morgan reported that In walking
on bottom he fell into a hole on the port
side and went down into the mud. He
also reported that as far as he could
Judge everything seemed to be bent up
ward in the vicinity of this hole.
''What is the condition of the starboard
turret?' witness was asked. TO my
knowledge it has not been found, sir, "
was thu reply. He understood something
had been found under the place where
the turret formerly was, but Its exact
character had not been determined.
"The impression produced on ma," said
the witness, sis that an explosion took
place well to port of the midship line
ana aG q pO1nG III UQ0 louSUu hDOu6 Op'
posite the coming tower
Witness, in reply to further questions,
said his opinion was based upon she OBJ
servation of things above water. He gave
no weight to Mr.. Morgan's statement
about calling into hole in the port side
because Morgan might have been mis-
taken about it. What witness saw would
indicate that the pressure lifted the pre-
tective deck on the port side and the
protective deck on the starbboard side
held fast and bent that deck down
ward. Witness thought the ship on the
port side was entirely gone opposite a
point indicated on diagram handed
the court. 1t was entirely blown up.
Ensign Powelson was recalled on Eeb
ruary 35th and showed the plans of the
Maine from which he had identified the
bottom plates that were blown up
through the upper deck. The finding OF
these plates on top of the wreck clear
above water, was among the first and
most important points OF evidence clearly
disproving the possibility of an internal
explosion.
After infinitely describing the bottom
plates with their green coating of paint
and the other marks by which they were
identified Powelson stated that they must
have been blown up 38 or SO feet to reach
their present positions.
Mr.. Powelson said that on February 49,
Diver Olsen reported to him that on
coming from below he had followed the
forward and after wings of thu V-shape
made by the bottom plate at frame seven
cen aud said on the forward wing of the
V the plates ran down on n very steep
liant and then turned under and out
inder the starboard side he found two
tents as If the plating had been bulged
In between the frames from outside in.
The court asked the size of the two
dents. MIR. Powelson replied they were
about two and one-halt feet long and
hClged in about six inches. He said he
had explored the after wing of the V and
had found a semi-circular hole about two
feat In diameter with rivet holes all
around 1t.