The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-29
ENSIGN w. ". N. POWELsON.
Result of His Own observations end
Discoveries of Divers.


third day of the court. He testified that he
lad been present on the Maine every day
from the arrival of the Fern and during a
great deal of the diving. In reply to
question to tell the court all about the con-
dition of the wreck, he said the forward
part of the ship, forward of the after
smokestack, had been, to all appearances,
completely destroyed. The coming tower
lay in a position opposite the door leading
to the superStructure aft and to Starboard,
inclined at about 10 degrees to the vertical
with the top of the coming tower inboard.
Continuing, he described with close detail
the condition under the main deck on the
port side The fixtures were completely
wrecked, while fixtures In the same position
on the starboard side were in some cases al
most intact. The port bulkhead between the
main and berth decks at the coming tower
support had been blown aft on both sides,
but great deal more on the port than on
the starpoard side The fireroom hatch
Immediately abaft of the coming tower
had been blown in three directions,
aft, to starboard and to port. The protec
tive deck under the coming tower supports
was bent in two directions the plates on
the starboard side being bent up, and on the
starboard side bent down. In reply to an
inquiry as to whether he meant with refer
ence to their original positions, Ensign
Powelsoh replied affirmatively.
The beam supporting the protective deck
few inches aft of the armored tube, to
port of the midship line. was bent up to
starboard of the midship line. Just forward
of the coming tower underneath the main
deck two beams met at right angle, one
beam was broken and pushed from port to
vi fI1aY
awning just forward of the after search
light. A piece of the side plating just abaft
of the starboard turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward, and the forward
end bent upward and folded backward upon
itself. This plate was sheared from the rest
of the plating below the water line, and had
been pushed out to starboard. The unar-
mored gratings of the engine room hatch
were blown off. A composition strainer was
picked up from the bottom on the Starboard
quarter at a point about opposite the poop
capstan and about seventy feet from it. The
chief engineer thought the strainer was
from the fireman's Mushroom. 1t was not
a strainer in the ships side. Near the piece
of outside plating, to which witness referred
above, he said, there were pieces of red
shellaced planks. On these planks was bolt
ed a composition track two inches wide and
an inch thick.
WHAT THE DIVERS REPORTED.
Ensign Powelson then asked if the court
meant for him to say anything about what
the divers reported or just what he saw.
The judge advocate replied that he would
like to have him state any important dis
coveries which might lead the court to draw
some conclusion as to the cause, and if
diver gave such information, to state the
divers name. Before doing so the judge
advocate asked witness to state if the for
ward and after part of the ship were in
line Ensign Poweson replied that as far
as he could judge they were not. The enc
in which the explosion occurred seemed to
be pushed from port to starboard from )
to 10 degrees, he should judge, with the
apex TO the starboard. The divers report
ed to witness that at a point where the
ten-inch shellroom should be they discov
cred ten-inch shells, regularly arranged,
but the ship had sunk down so much that
some of the shells We're in the mud Gun
ner Morgan reported that in walking on
the bottom he fell into hole on the port
side and went down in the mud. He also
reported that as far as he couId Judge ev-
erything seemed to be bent upward in the
vicinity Of this hole. He also reported that
the plates seemed to have been pushed over
to starboard and then bent down.
Ensign Powelson then said that a siX-inch
powder tank that he saw appeared to be
an empty tank broken by the explosion, as
it not badly dente- and merely ripped
the length of the seam. A ten-inch tank
was badly battered out of all conceivable
shape. Continuing, witness said the divers
up to the night before he was then the
stand, had not been on the outside of the
ship. The mud was too deep for them to
walk on the bottom
What is the condition of the starboard
turret?" witness was asked.
ITO my knowledge it has not been found
SIR was the reply. He understood some
the turret formerly was, but it's exact char
acter had not been determined
What impression is produced upon your
mind by the b. reports 50 far as you nay nave
From reports alone, or from the appear
ance of the Wreck?'
Either from such reports or the condi-
tons which you believe to exist
The impression produced upon me-" re-
piled the witness, lis that an explosion took
place well to port of the midship line, and
at point in the length about opposite the
coming tower.
Witness, in answer to further questions
said his opinion was based on the obserVa-
ton OF things above water. he gave no
weight to Mr.. Morgan'S statement about
falling into a hole on the port side because
Morgan might have been mistaken about
it. Referring to his notes made of things
on the Maine. Ensign Poweison stated that
the arc of the engine room telegraph and
the shaft of the steering gear coming down
through the armored tube (turreD was bent
from port TO starboard. The port side of
the protective deck was covered with a
greasy deposit, the starboard side being
comparatively free from 1t. The forward
smoke-pipe hatch bow on the main and SUI
Derstructure decks did not show signs OF
the internal pressure of gases. ON the main
deck forward OF the coming tower. where
the fore and after angle bulb beam was