The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-01

Guar nQ.eA MAS AANBGk NSANs 49,
the TOD Of the V. made by the bottom
plating. He said the plate presented
a Jagged as II it had been
torn and that a crack had extenueo
from the bottom edge OF the semi-cir-
GUAR hole to o distance OF about eight
inches and that the plates aoout TINS
hole were bent away from the green
side OF the plating.
The iu~ige-advocate asked Dir. Pow
elson how he looked upon Olsen's testi-
mony. in view Of his knowledge OF n
Maine and the drawings OF the vessel
He replied that he. regarded Il as ex-
tr.nseay accurate.
The judge-adVocate asked Mr.. Pow
e,son what he deduced from Olsen's
testimony received from the divers that
forenoon, together with what Informal
ton he had had tefore.
Mr.. Poweison replied that he thought
che explosion occurred on the port side
somewhere about frame Is, centre OF
impact.
When questioned further az 20 what
he regarded as the aus GS the tnJur-
ies, Mr.. Powelson aid on the Bot
tom, forward. where n frame was
thrown up ii would seem 10 me the
force was communicated some distance
through the water, because II was MT
ed up instead OF being battered in.
II was a force that was cushioned IN
some way, because the diver tells me
there was a bulge in the plates between
the two frames and such a force as
that would be cushion pressure. 80
the plates in that part OF the snip not
having been broken in, this explosion
may have occurred aft and the frames
forward OF rhe armor being
weaker than they are AFT. the nap
might have been lifted up there by
this cushion pressure from further att
Mr.. Powelson said: Diver Smith
went down the ships sid and eNamin-
ed the backing OF the armor. That
looked to be pushed in because at the
place where the plate was gone tho
wood backing about six or seven inches
chick was splintered pointed in board
MIR. Powelson sent Schluter. on the
-norning OF the 5th 70 am the
plating on the port side aft the crane,
just unde the main deck. The outside
plating he found was bent sharply
from outside making an acute angle
at the water way.
on February Path. Chief Gunner
Charles Morgan, who was In charge Of
the divers was called. on first going
down in diving dress, he said he land
ed in a mass OF split and broken pow
der tanks of six and ten inch aInmu-
milton. He found what he thOught was
the ceiling and sides of the magazine.
The powder tanks We're split and crush
ed, some with the heads knocked OFF
and most OF them empty. There We're
rwenty or twenty five i'm all. They d!d
not seem 10 have exploded hut being
crushed open the powder had melted
ont by action Of the water. All the
frames and plates found had a list To
starDoard. The hold at This point was
open to the outside Of the harhor and
walking 10 the edge he fell of into
what seemed TO have been the same
hole in the mud described 10y Smith.
Morgan did not estimate the size OF the
hole Beyond saying the sides sloped and
and ii was over waste deep
PRIVATE ANTHON'S STORY.
Private William Anthony. Of the
United States marine corps whose
calmness at the time OF the explosion
i'm reporting to Captain Sigsbee has be-
come the theme of admiration through
out the world, was the next witness.
He testified that he had the first watch
from 8 TO II o'clock IN the night OF the
explosion. There was drill that day
and it was not necessary to open the
magazines. In response 10 questions
| Private Anthony told his story. He
was standing on the main deck just
outside Of the door on the starDOard
side. Il first noticed a trembling and
buckling OF the decks and then this
prolonged roar-not a short report, but
a prolonged roar. j looked out and saw
an immense sheet OF flame and then /
started in to warn the Captain"
Did you notice any perceptible list
TO the ship at the first shock"
AT the first shock, the ship instantly
that is the upper deck wnere / was
standing-dipped Onward to port
just like that Gndicating.) Il appar-
emily broke in the middle like that On
dicating) and surged onward and then
went over to port"
TESTIMONY AS TO CONSPIRACY.
Henry Drain. a clerk In tine United
States consulate, Havana, was exam
ined as to the receipt Of al anonymous
letter received by the consul general, in
regard to the explosion Of the Maine.
Witness produced the letter, the date
OF which was February 18th. Of the
| present year. There was no signature,
it being signed AN Admircr." Drain
said il seemed to he the document Of
a fairly educated man. 1t was written
in Spanish. The translation was pro-
duced and was handed to the judge
advocate and read by him. The letter
was referred to i'm the record as being
marked F." but it was not appended.
In response to h question "A to
whether anything had been done ID as
certain the truth Of the statements con-
tanned i'm the letter. the witness said
that he had asked Genera Lee to look
into the matter and he did not appear
to know what to do, stating ne had no
secret service money. A man by the
name of Pepe Taco was mentioned in
the letter. Witness said he had tried
to discover the Whereabouts Of tn.
man and the one to whom he spoke
said the name was a mistake, that
the man mentioned had died a few days
before the explosion Of the Maine and
that the letter referred to a Pepe Bar
quin, that n also died suddenly. af,Uut
two or thEec days after the explosion
Of the y afne. Witness declared his IN
formant was Mr.. Charles CarbOnnell,
an American citizcn.
A witness vas introduced wThJse
name was suppressed by agreement be-
tween lin and the court. He had TO
talk through an interpreter. This wit
ness was crossing about 100 O'Clock ON