The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-29
THE MASS OF TESTIMONY.


lOO,OOO words.
Washington, March 29.-The i'm
mense mass of testimony taken by the
Maine court of inquiry was sent to the
senate yesterday and with the presi-
dents message and the finding of the
court referred to the committee on
foreign relations. The testimony was
taken on Is different days. the 18th
day. however. being devoted to view
ing the wreck. Every witness who
was known to have any information
that could throw light upon the great
disaster was called to give testimony.
The story of the destruction of the ves-
sci is told not graphically, but in a
manner which gives all the obtainable
facts. No technical detail is omitted.
Every movement and incident connect
ed with the Maine from the time she
left Key West until the day divers ex-
amined the wreck slowly sinking in the
mud of Havana harbor is given.
Those who read could have but lit
tie doubt as to whether there was an
internal or external explosion. Per-
haps the most significant testimony is
that showing the bottom plates on
the port side Of the i'll fated Maine to
be bent inward and upward. a result
that hardly could have followed any
thing save an explosion from the out
side. A mass of testimony is submit
ted showing the care exercised on
board the ship by Captain Sigsbee and
his officers, and the apparent impossi-
bility of the accident occurring by any
internal cause, such as the heating
Of the bunkers, spontaneous colnbus-
ton, or from other causes upon which
so many theories were based.
The testimony Of Captain Sigsbee Is
of the greatest importance, and his is
of more general interest than that of
any man called before the board. With
great care and minuteness he gives an
account Of the management of the
ship, how she was handled, what was
done from day to day on board, how
she sailed into Havana, her anchorage
and what he knew about 1t, and in
fact every point upon which the gov
ernment and the country desires to be
informed. Nothing in Captain Sigs-
bees testimony shows that the an
chorage was changed or that it was
considered dangerous by any one.
timony Of Captain Sigsbee is that Of
Ensign Powelson, who had charge of
the divers, and knew from day to day
what these divers found. This officer
was minutely informed as to the con-
struction of the Maine and everything
about her. His testimony was to a
certain extent technical bearing upon
the construction of the ship. her plates,
ETC., but it was from these plates and
this technical knowledge that he was
able to declare that the explosion took
place from the outside.
The ulvuIs, E.OrgaE, Olsen and
Smith, all contributed important evil
dence. They testified that the plates
were bent inward on the bottom port
side and outward on the starboard
side.
The story of the explosion Is told by
different witnesses, and adds little to
what Captain Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related.
Nothing In the testimony fixes re-
sponsibility. no conspiracy is apparent
and no knowledge of the planting of
mine is shown. Captain Sigshee states
that somewhat bitter feeling existed
against the American ship and Amer
leans generally, and witness whose
name Is suppressed told Of overhearing
a conversation among Spanish officers
and citizen indicating a foreknowl-
edge Of the destruction of the Maine
by blowing her up. An official of the
American consulate tells of ififorma-
tion reteived anonymously tending to
show that a conspiracy existed. But
nothing Is definitely stated which
fixes any responsibility upon Spain or