The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-30
TEXT OF THE REPORT.
Findings and Conclusions of the Naval
Board of Inquiry.

L. 5. 5. Iowa. First Rate-Key West,
Fla, Monday, March 81, 1S9S.-After
full and mature consideration of all
the testimony before ii, the court finds
as follows:
|. That the United States battleship
Maine arrived in the harboi of Havana.
Cuba, on the 25th day of January, 1898,
and was taken To buoy y. L. in from
five and half to six f,thoms of water,
by the regular government pGot. The
United States consul general at Ha-
vana had notified the authorities at
that place the previous evening IF the
intended arrival of the Name.
2. The state of discipl ne on board the
Maine was excellent, and all orders and
regulations in regard To the are and
safety of the ship were strictly carried
out. All ammunition was slowed away
in accordance with instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever am
munition was handled. Nothing was
slowed in any of the magazines or shell
rooms which was not permitted to be
slowed there
Magazines Always Locked.
The mas azires and shell rooms were
always locked after having been
opened, and after the destruction of the
Maine the keys were found in their
proper place in the captains cabin ev-
erything having been reported secure
that evening at o'clock.
The temperatures of the magazines
and shell rooms were taken daily and
reported. The only magazine whish
had an undue amount of heat was the
after 10-inCh magazine and that did not
explode at the time the Maine was de-
stroyed The torpedo war heads were
all slowed in the after part OF the ship
under the ward room, and neither
caused nor participated in the destruc-
ton of the Maine. The dry gun cotton
primers and detOnatOrs We're slowed in
the cabin aft and remote from the
scene of the explosion. The waste was
carefully looked after on obard the
Maine 10 obviate danger. Special or
ders in regard 10 this had been given
by the commanding officer. Varnishes,
dryers, alcohol and other combustibles
Of this nature were slowed on or above
the Maine deck and could not have had
anything to do with the destruction Of
the Maine.
The medical stores were slowed aft
under the ward room, and remote from
The scene OF the explosion. No danger
Gus stores OF any kind were slowed be-
The coal bunkers were inspected. OF
those bunkers adjoining the forward
magazines and shell rooms four were
empty. namely. Il 3. b 4, Il >, B s. A Is
had been in use that day and a l6 was
full of New River coal. This coal had
been carefully inspected before receiv
ing 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 Il 4
and Il 6 being empty. This bunker. A
L. had been inspected that day by the
engineer officer on duty. The fire
alarms in the bunkers were in working
order, and there had never been a case
of spontaneous combustion 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 by 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 fair condition.
The Night of the Explosion.
On the night of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc.
cure for the night at 8 p. m. by relia BILE
persons. through the proper authorities,
to the commanding officer. At the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet. and therefore. least liable TO ac-
cident caused by movements from those
on board.
3. The destruction Of the Maine &C.
Cured at $40 p. m. on the 18th day OF
February. 1898 in the harbor OF Hav-
ana, cuba, being at the time moored In
the same buoy To which she had been
taken upon her arrival There were
two explosions Of distinctly different
character, with very short but dis
tinct interval between them. and the
forward part of the ship was lifted to a
marked degree at the time Of the first
explosion.
The first explosion was more in the
nature of report like that OF a gun
while the second explosion was more
open, prolonged. and OF greater volume.
This second explosion was, in the opin-
ion of the court, caused by the partial
explosion Of two or more Of the for
ward magazines Of the Maine.
Condition of the Wreck.
4. The evidence bearing on this, being
principally obtained from divers. did
not enable the court to form a definite
conclusion as to the condition Of the
wreck although IL was established that
the after part of the ship was practical
| ly intact, and sank i'm that condition a
very few minutes after the destruction
of the forward part.
The following facts in regard to the
forward part Of the ship are, however,
established by the testimony
That portion of the side of the pro-
tective 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 tn
starboard. folding the forward part OF
the middle superstructure over and on
top Of the after part. This was. in the
opinion OF the court, caused by the par
tial explosion OF two or more of the
forward magazines of the Maine.
Thirty-Four Feet Out of Position.
Al frame l. the niltnr ehnll Of The