The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-29
FINDINGS OF THE COURT.
Conclusive Evidence of Destruction
From Outside.
The following IS the full text of the
court of inquiry:
S. S. Iowa. First Rate.
Key West. Florida, =
Monday. March y. 1898.

SOAlN VI lAauiAS
L. S. S. Iowa, First Rate,l
Key West. Florida. =
Monday March D. 1885,
After full and mature consideration Of
all the testimony before it, the court finds
FirstCThat the United States battle
ship Maine arrived in the harbor OF
Havana. Cuba, on the 2lst day OF jan
uary 1898. and was taken TO buoy No. 4
in from five and a half to six fathoms OF
water. by the regular government pilot
The United States consul general al
Havana had notified the authorities al
that place the previous evening, of the
intended arrival of the Maine.
Second-The state of discipline on board
the Maine was excellent. and all orders
and regulations in regard to the care and
safety of the ship were strictly carried
out. All ammunition was slowed away
in accordance with instructions and prop
er care was taken when ever ammunition
was handled. Nothing was stored in any
one Of the magazines or shell rooms which
was not permitted TO be slowed there.
The magazines and shell rooms were al
WAYS locked after having been opened.
and after the destruction of the Maine the
keys were found in their proper place in
the captain cabin. everything haviny
been reported secure that evening at
y. m
shell rooms were taken daily and re
ported The only magazine which had
an undue amount of heat was the after
ten-inch magazine. and that did not ex-
The torpedo war heads were all slowed
in the after part of the ship under the
war room. and neither caused nor par
tjcipated in the destruction of the Maine
The dry gun cotton primers and de-
fonators were slowed in the cabin aft
and remote from the scene of the ex-
plosion.
board the Maine to obviate danger. Spec
ial orders in regard to this had been
given by the commanding officer
VarnIshes, dryers, alcohol and other
combustibles of this nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the de-
struction of the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the wardroom and remote from the
scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind We're
slowed below in any of the other store
fThe coal bunkers were inspected of
those bunkers adjoining the forward
magazines and shell rooms. four were
empty, namely: B 3, IS 4. ;. B 8.
A - had been in use that date and
A l6 was full of new river coal This coal
had been carefully inspected before re-
cesViug il on board. The bunker in which
II was slowed was accessible on three
sides at all times. and the fourth side
at this time. on account of bunkers b
and p being empty. This bunker. A 16,
had been inspected that day BY the en-
gfneer officer on duty. The fire alarms
in the bunkers were in working order and
there had never DeeIl a case OF SpOntan-
eous 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 com
I,aratively low pressure OF steam and be-
ing tended by a reliable watch. These
boilers could not have caused the ex-
rlosion of the ship. The forward boilers
Of the snip have since been found by
The divers and are in a fair condition.
on the night Of the destruction Of the
hing had hppn reDnrfed
cure for the night at p. m. by reliable
persons. through proper authorities. to
the commanding officer. AT the time the
Maine was destroyed. the ship was quiet
md therefore the least liable to acct
dent caused by movements from those on
board.
THE EXPLOSIONS.
Third-The destruction of the Maine &C.
Cured at $40 pm. on the 18th day OF Feb
ruary, 1888. in the harbor of Havana,