Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-03-30

WIFI complete dUSlIdCI VI TIC lS
port of the court of inquiry which
investigated the wrecking of the
battleship Maine. This abstract is
made from the report itself, access
to which was obtained today de-
spite official secrecy, unparalleled
in handling of official papers. The
report is made up of eight parts, as
follows:
First-The court finds that at
the time of the explosion the battle
ship Maine was lying in five and
one-haIf TO six fathoms of water.
Second-The discipline aboard
the ship was excellent; everything
slowed according to orders-ammu-
milton, guns, stores, etc. The tenn
perature of the magazines at s p, m.
was normal except in the after ten
inch magazine, and that did not ex-
plode.
Third-The explosion occurred
at GAO o'clock on the evening of
February IS. There were two ex-
plosions, with very short interval
between them; the ship lifted on the
first explosion.
Fourth-The court can form no
definite opinion of the condition of
the wreck from the divers evidence.
Fifth-Technica1 details of the
wreckage from which court deduces
that a mine was exploded under the
ship on the port side.
Sixth-The explosion was due to
no fault of those on board,
Seventh-Opinion of the court
stating thar the explosion of the
mine caused the explosion of the
two magazines.
Eighth The court declares that
it cannot find evidence to fix re-
sponsibility.
The report is unanimous and is
signed by all the members of the
court. 1t does not refer to the ex-
istence or non-existence of mines in
the harbor of Havana, except in the
specific finding that a mine was ex-
ploded under the ship, and the opin-
ion that the explosion of the two
magazines was caused by the ex-
plosion of a mine.
The report as a whole, is a for
NAL, dispassionate recital of facts
and bears the stamp of that strict
oficialism which marks naval pro-
cedure. 1t is brief, not exceeding
1900 words, and among the eight
parts goes to the greatest length
under the second headin.
which deals with the discipline and
order of the ship. This the court
specifies with extreme minuteness,
the last detail of the satisfactory
condition of everything on board
being given. The normal tempera-
ture of the large forward magazines
at 8 o'clock-only an hour aud
forty minutes before the explosion
disposes of the question Of acct
dental combustion within these
magazines.
While the court holds that these
magazines did not explode from in.
ternal causes, they nevertheless
are of the opinion that the
explosion of the Maine under
the port side OF the ship
caused the explosion of two maya
zines. This will explain the re-
markable destruction wrought, the
explosion thus being shown to
have combined the force of a mine
without AID two magazines within.
The two explosions which the
court finds to have occurred, with
very short interval between them,
is an additional detail, showing that
two forces operated in causing the
destruction. The finding that the
ship lifted on the first explosion in
dicates an external source and one
of tremendous power to be able to
lift a battleship OF thousands of
tons. The character of the wreck
age, technically described in the
fifth part OF the report from which
the court deduces that a mine was
exploded under the ship on the