The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-29
EXTRACTS FROM REPORT.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

the explosion involved the ten-inch mag.
azine, because of the location of the eX-
plosion and that no reports show that
any ten-inch shells were hurled into the
air, because of the explosion.
He said the discipline of the ship was
excellent. In the engineers department
the vessel was always ready and always
responsive. He paid a tribute to the
crew, and said that "a quieter, better ma
tllred lot of men he had never konwn
on board any vessel in which he mad
served. On his examination by the court
Captain Sigsbee said that the highest
Temperature he could remember was IL,
but that was in the after magazine.
The temperature in the forward maya
zines being considerably lower.
NO LOOSE POWDER,
There was no loose powder kept i'll the
magazine. All the coal bunkers were
ventilated through air tubes examined
weekly by the Chief Engineer, and were
connected electrically to the annunclator
near his cabin door. The forward coal
bunker on the port side was full. 1he
forward coal bunker on the star-board
side was half full, and it was beng
used at the time of the explosion.
Captain Sigsbee gave as his opinion.
that if coal bunker "A 16' had been so
hot as to be dangerous to the SIX men
reserve magazine, that tins condltloh
would have been shown OH three SIDES,
where the bunker was exposed, and that
men were constantly passing to ana ITO
nv it would have necessarily noticed the
undue heat.
Contain Sigsbee was examined as to
the ammunition on board the Name
He stated that there were no high eX-
nIosiyee. gun cotton, detonators or other
material in magazines or shell room
which the regulations prohibited. He
testified that no war-heads had been
placed on torpedoes since he had COM
mand of the ship.
POWELSON'S TESTIMONY.
Ensign w. V. \. Powelson was called
the third day of the court. He testified
that he had been present on the Maine
every day from the arrival of the Fern
and during a great deal of the diving.
In reply to a question to tell the
court all about the condition of the
wreck he said the forward part of the
ship forward of the after smoke stack
had been to all appearances completely
destroyed.
The fixtures were completely wrecked
while fixtures in the same position on
the star board side were i'll some cases
almost intact. The port bulkhead be-
tween the main and berth decks at the
coming tower support had been blown
aft on both sides but q great deal more
on the port than on. the star-board side.
The protective deck under the coming
tower supports was bent III two dlrec-
tons. tie plates on the port side being
bent up and ON the star-board side bent
down.
Just forward of the coming tower I'M
derneath the main deck two beams met
ut right angles; one beam was broken
and pushed from port to star-b0ard. a
grating was found on the poop awning
just forward of the after search-light.
A piece of the side plating just abaft
of the star-board turret was visible.
This plate was bent outward and then
the forward end bent upward and folded
backward upon itself. This plate was
sheared from the rest of the plating be-
low
Referring to his notes made of things
ON the Maine. Ensign Powelson stated
that the arc of the engine room tele-
graph and the shaft of the steering gear
coming down through tin armoured tube
tturret) was bent from port to star
board The port side of the protective
deck was covered with a greasy Deposit
the star-board side being comparatively
free from it.
The forward smoke pipe hatch be-
tween the main and super structure
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 To-
Gated the Dlanking was blown off on the
only remaining plate of the main deck
on the port side, while the wood was
still attached to that part of the star
board side between the coming tower
base and the tlrrets. What witness
saw would indicate that the pressure
lifted the protective deck on the star
board side held fast and bent that deck
downward
Witness thought the ship on the port
side was entirely gone opposite a point
indicated on diagram handed the
court. 1t was entirely blown out.
BOTTOM PLATES BLOWN TO TOP.
Ensign Powelson was recalled on Feb
ruary 2Jth and showed the plans of the
Maine from which he said identified the
bottom plates that were blown up
through the upper deck. The finding of
these plates on top of the wreck clear
above water was among the first and
most important points of evidence clearly
disproving the possibility of an internal
explosion.
After minutely describing the bottom
plates with their green coating of paint
and the other marks by which they were
identified, Powelson stated that they
must have been blown up 80 or 80 feet
TO reach their present position.
Beside the bottom plates, Powelson
found some pipes from the bottom com
partment lodged in the angle of the
bottom plates that protruded above the
water. The berth deck over this bot
tom compartment was also on top of
the wreck and 20 feet forward of the
plates. while this section of the main
deck had disappeared The diver who
had been working for Powelson on this
investigation informed him he had found
the ammunition for the six inch maya
zine pushed over the starboard side.