River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-03-31

cause the diver tells me there was bulge
in plates between the two frames, and such
a force as that would be a cushion pres
sure. So the plates in that part Of the ship
not having been broken ir this explosion
may have occurred after and the frames
forward of the transverse armor being
weaker than they are aft, the ship might
have been lifted up there by this cushion
pressure from further aft"
1T struck me-" continued Mr.. Powelson.
speaking OF the same part of the vessel,
that the mine there could not have been
very close to those plates that were lifted
up because, as 1 say the plates are not 50
much damaged or bent in the form of
and raised up a vertical distance. Il seems
TO me that the mine was somewhat re-
moved. and the pressure came through the
water which produced that cushion sort of
pressure"
Plates Identified.
Ensign Powellson was recalled on Feb
ruary q 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 dis
proving the possibility of an internal OK
plosion.
After minutely describing the bottom
plates, with their green coating of paint
and the other marks by which they were
identified Powellson stated that they must
have been blown up IS or 80 feet TO reach
! their present position.
Beside the bottom plates. Powellson
found some powder from the bottom com
rartment lodged in the angle Of the bot
tom plates that protruded above the water.
The berth deck over this bottom compart-
ment was also on top Of the wreck, ana ~
feet forward of the plates. while this sec
ton of the main deck had disappeared.
The diver who had been working for Pow
ellison on this investigation informed him
he had found the ammunition for the six
inch magazine pushed over to the star
board side,
Ensign Powellson was recalled on the
lith day, and described the reports made
to him by the divers which were afterward
/ directly testified to before the board.
POweIsOn's sketches.
! Ensign PowelIson was recalled on March
/ IS and explained how he got the data for
j his sketches which played such an impor-
/ tant part in the work OF the court. He said
/ he sent divers down at various points along
/ the line OF the keel as it lay broken and
twisted on the barber bed. Then he got
! in boat and located the points on the
! keel by a lead line. on the wreck he es-
/ tablshed stations al the main mast, the
1 port crane, the smokestack and so forth,
I and from these bases he would get the
bearings by angles of his lead line as 1t
/ rested on the keel and other points of the
i WTGCkdge unQGI water. ] nus ne " as dbAe
/ TO plat map of the wreck both above and
+ below water that was automatically cor
rect. BY comparing this with theoretical
+ plans of the vessel II was possible to tell
/ just how much and in what direction any
I part of the Maine had been distorted by
! the explosion without relying on under
water estimates by the divers.
| March s." testified PCwellson, Il sent
| Olsen down to the piece of keel, the vertical
/ keel to make further explorations of the
/ ten-inch magazine. He went down to where
/ the keel became horizontal at frame %,
walked aft about % feet and climbed over
i a lot of wreckage consisting of plates and
| Dulkheads standing upright. The upper
/ ends were ragged and he crawled over them
/ TO where he thought was part of a boiler.
! lie could not give definite details but he
! thought il was boiler.
"a little after this he walked out 10 port.
clear Of the ship in the mud He was at
this time forward of the break of the ship
at frame IL. Returning about ten feet In
/ he found wreckage. He examined this plate
and found ii curved as if it were a part of
the ship 1t pointed toward the starboard
/ how but it was so dark he could not dis
/ tinguish the color. All the edges of the
/ plating were rough. The compartment
| seemed to be about 2l& or three feet wide.
Forward from this point he found a six
I inch tank. 1t was intact and was sent up.
+ II proved to be a full tank. He found a lot
of broken tanks split up on the seams and
H one tank at the cover NIllCh mas lOltS III
Il He found lot of mud which was
/ brought up and which looked like dissolved
! powder. There was any quantity OF sim
liar mud in the same place. The mud
| around the tanks was black, that OF the
1 EdrbOr is gray.
Testimony of Private Anthony.
Private William Anthony, of the United
/ States marine corps. whose GOODNESS at the
time of the explosion in reporting TO Capt
/ Sicsbee has become tho theme of Gdmira-
/ ton throughout the world was the next
+ witness. He testified that he had the first
watch from eight to twelve o'clock on the
I night of the explosion. There was drill that
/ day and It was not necessary to open the
! MAGAZINES. In response to questions Pri-
vate Anthony told his story.
"T was standing on the main deck Just
outside the door on the starboard side.
first noticed a trembling and a buckling Of
the decks and then this prolonged roar
rot short report but prolonged roar
The awnings were spread and where tie
wing awning and the quarterback awning
| should Join there was space of at least
Is inches. Hooked out and saw an immense
sheet of flame and then 1 started in to
warn the captain
Did you notice any percepuble list to the
| ship at the first shock2'
at the first shock, the ship instantly
| that Is the quarter deck, where l was
standing-dipped forward and to port just
like that Gndicaung). Ii apparently broke
in the middle like that Gndicating), and
surged forward and then went over to
port "
Witness said the upshoot of flame he saw
was well forward. 1t must have been for
ward Of the superstructure. l could see
| the debris going up with it. I do not know
what it was, bat I saw irebrands going
up"
WAS 1t on the port or starboard side?"
! 1T looked more to port than it did to
| starboard 1t looked ike it covered the
whole ship, 1t was an immense glare that
llumined the whole heavens for the mo
ment, as much as could see Tor the avn
| ings."
"Did you see any water with it?''
Il didn't notice that, sir. l started in
the cabin at once"
As Seen by the Chaplain.
Chaplain John Chidwick. OF the Maine
was in his room on board the night of the
/ occurrence lie said:
Il heard a loud report and everything at
once became dark. The lights went out and
! there was a crashing sound Of things fall
i9c l rushed on deck and got to the cap
tain's poop, where ! saw the captain giving
his orders After trying to cheer UP the
men who were crying out on the water fer
help / was ordered by Lieut.. Jun%en To sc
into a boat which | did. He rowed around
the ship and picked up one man. Then
at the orders of the captain, we pulled for
/ the City OF Washington.
| Asked how many shocks he felt, witness
| said he remembered only one.
Extra Guards Put On.
lieut. A. NJ. Catlin, who was In charge of
the marine guard, said that when the ship
went into Havana harhor, two extra night
| Sentinels were put on, one in the forecastle
and one in the poop armed with rifles. They
had special orders TO challenge all boats
which approached the ship near enough for
a challenge There was picked man on
the port gangway. The corporals guard
inspected the ship lights below every halt
hour the patrol taking his place while
gone.
Mt Catlin said he visited the sentries
twice every night once before and once
after midnight. while in the harbor at Ha-
vana ana always found them vigilant and
attending TO business. He was sitting in
his room at the time of the explosion. He
heard a dun sound. a loud conclusion and
felt the shaking of the ship. The lights
wSnt out and he went deck. and as he
lid SO the whole heavens were fun of
SPARKS There was no flame, and he felt
but one shock.
An Unknown Witness.
\ witness was introduced whose name
was suppressed by agreement between him
and the court lie had to talk through an
iDternreter. This witness was crossing
about half past seven o'clock on the morn
ing OF the 18th from Havana TO Reglas on a
ferrvboat lie was sitting near three Span
ism officers. two of the army, one of the
gftiveu They were talking