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

at all times, and the fourth side at this
time on coour Of bunke-s "B 4" and
"B 6" being empty. This bunker.
"a Is" had been inspected that day by
the engineer officer on duty. The fire
alarms in the fbunkers were IN work
ing 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
| comparatively low pressure of steam,
and being tended 10y a reliable watch.
| These boilers could not have caused
| the explosion of the ship. The four
| forward boilers have since been found
by the divers and are in a fair condi-
| ton.
On the night Of the destruction Of The
| Maine everything had been reported
| secure for h night at S O'Clock by re-
liable persons. through the proper au-
I thorities, TO the commanding office
At the time the Maine was dstroyed
the ship was quiet, and therefore least
| liable to accident caused by move
ments from those on board.
3. The destruction Of the Maine oc-
CURED at $40 o'clock p. m. on the
18th day of February, eighteen hum
dred and nfnety-eight. in the harbor
of Havana, Cuba, she being at the time
moored to the same buoy to which she
/ had been taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of a dis
| tinctly different character, with a very
short, but distinct, interval between
them, and the forward part of the ship
was lifted ito a marked degree al the
time of the first explosion. The first
explosion was more in the nature of a
report like that of a gun; while the
second explosion was more open, pro-
longed, and Of greater volume. This
second explosion was, in the opinion of
the court, caused by the partial ex-
plCSiOn of two or more of the rUar
magazines of the Maine.
4. The evidence bearing upon this
being principally obtained from divers,
did not enable the court to form a
definite conclusion as to the condition
of the wreck, although it was establish
ed that the after part of the ship was
practically intact and sank in that con-
ditiOn a very few minute after the de-
StructiOn of the forward part.
The following facts in regard TO the
forward part of the ship are, howevery
established by the testimony:
That portion of the port side of h
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 80 to about frame Al was
blown up, aft, and over to port. The
main deck from about frame 80 to
about frame Al was blown UP, aft and
Slightly over to starboard, folding the
forward part of the middle super
structure over and on top of the after
part. This was, in the opinion of the
court, caused by the partial explosion
of two or nor Of the forward maya
zines # the Maine.
5. AT frame II, the cutter shell of the
ship, from a point eleven and one-half
feet from the middle line of the ship
and six feet above the keel when in it's
normal POSITION, has been forced up so
as to be now about fOu fee abve the
surface of the water, therefore,, about
thirtty-fOur feet above where it would
be had the ship sunk iuninjured. The
outside Bottom plating is bent into a
reversed shape V shape, the after wing
of (which, about fifteen feet broad and
thirty-tWO feet in length (from frome
IL to frame 25) it is doubled back upon
itself against the continuation of the
same plating extending forward.
AT frame Is the vertical keel lis brok-
en- i'm two and the fiat keel bent into
an angle similar to the angle formed 10y
the outside bottom plating. This break
is now about six feet below the surface
of the water, and about thirty feet
above its normal position.
I'm the opinion Of the court, this eff
feet could have been produced only by
NAAo "a I'll SS Ii11S ullAOA
THE bottom of the ship at about frame
Is, and somewhat on the port side of
the ship.
6. The court finds THAT the loss of the
Maine, ON the occasion named, was not
in any respect due to faul or negli-
gence on the part of any of tine officers
or members of the crew of aid vessel.
Z. In the opinion of the court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion
Lf q cII1lpotori no min 1hioh noo1cn1 Al.
partial explosion of two or more of her
Onward magazines.
8. The court has been unable to OBJ
tain evidence fixing the responsibility
for the destruction of the Maine upon
amy person or persons.
w. T. SAMPSON, Captain, U. S. N,
President.
"A. MARK. Lieut.. Commander, U. S. n
Judge Advocate.
The court, having finished the in
quiry, it was ordered to make, adjourn
ed at II O'Clock a. m. to await the &C
ticn of the converting authority.
w. T. SAMPSON, Captain, U. S. n.
President.
A. MARK, Commander. U. S. N.
Judge Advocate.
United States flagship New York,
March 22nd, 1898, Off Key West, Fla.
The proceedings and findings of the
court OF inquiry IN the ABOVE case are
approved.
NJ. SICARD.
Rear-Admiral, nIchiedof
the United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station.
SUMMARY OF THE TESTIMONY.
The immense mass of testimony taken
by the Maine court of inquiry was sent
to the senate today and with THE pres
ident's message and findings of the
court, referred to the committee on for
eign relations. The testimony was
taken on eighteen different days, the
fourteenth day, however, being devoted
to viewing h wreck. Every witness
who was shown to have amy Informal
ton that could throw light upon the
great disaster, was called to give evil
dence. 1t is a story intensely interest
ing to the American people. Those
who read it can have little doubt as TO
whether there was an Internal or ex-
ternal explosion. Perhaps the most
significant Testimony is that showing
THE bottom plates on the port side of