Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-31
TIE oFFIcIAL REPORT.

THE OFFlNiAL kEPOHT. t.
Washington, March IS. S.--Following
is the full text of the report of the
court Of inquiry:
U. S. s. Iowa. first rate, Key West,
Fla, Monday, March 2lst, 1893. -Aftsr
full and mature consideration uf ell the
testimony before il, the court finds as
foilows
THAT the United States hattls-
ship "MRiue" arrived in the harbor of
Havana, Cuba, on the 25th day of Jan
uary, 1898, and was taken to buoy No.
4, in from five and half to six faith
oms of water by the regular govern
ment pilot
The United States Consul General at
Havana had notified the authorities at
that place, the previous evening OF the
intended arrival OF the Maine.
2-The stale Of discipline on board
the Maine was excellent; and all orders
and regulations in regard to the care
and safety of the ship very strictly car
rie1 out.
All ammunition was slowed in &C.
cordanre with prescribed instructions,
and proper care was taken whenever
ammunition was handled.
Nothing was slowed in any une of
the magazine or shell rooms which was
not permitted TO be slowed there.
Ihe magazines and shell rooms were
always locked after having been Oponsd,
and after the destruction of the Maine
the keys were found in their proper
place in the captains cabin, every
thing having been deposited secure
that evening at 3 O'Clock. The tempera-
ture OF the magazine and shell room
were taken daily aud reported The
only magazine which had an undue
amount of heat was the after 10-inch
magazine. and that did not explode at
the time the Maine was destroyed.
The torpedo warhealls were all slowed
in the afterpart of the ship, under the
ward room, aud neither caused nor
participated in tho destruction of the
Maine.
Tho dry gun cotton primers and de-
tonators were stOwsd in the cabin aft
aud remote from the scene of the ex-
plosion.
Waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine TO ohviats danger.
Special orders 10 regard to this had
been given by the commanding officer.
VRrnishes, dryers, alcohol and other
comhustiblo OF this nature we're slowed
on or above the main dRck, and could
not have had anything TO do with the
destruction of the Maine. Ihe meGi-
cal stores ware slowed aft under the
ward room and remote from the seems
of the explosion.
No dangerous stores Of any Kind wers
stuwod below in any of the other store
rooms.
The coal hunksrs we're inspected
daily. Of those bunkers adjacent to
the forward magazines and shell rooms,
four were empty, namely B3, B4, B5.
B6."
A5 had been in use that day, and
A16 was full of now river coal. This
coal had been carefully inspected he
fore receiving it on board. The bunker
in which it was slowed was accessible
on three sjdus at all times, and the
fourth side at this time on account of
bunkers B4 and B6 being empty.
This bunker A1G had been inspected
Monday by the engineer officer on duty.
Tho fire alarms in the bunkers we're
in working order and there had never
besn a case of Spontaneous combustion
of coal on board the Maine.
The two efter boilers OF the ship were
in use at the time Of the disaster but
for auxiliary purposes only with COM
paratively low pressure of steam and
being tended by reliable watch.
These boilers could not have caused the
explosion of the ship. The four forward
boilsrs have since been found by tho