The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-03-29

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OF reason and to the resolve to investi-
gate the facts and await the material
proof before forming Judgment as to
the cause, the responsibility, and, if the
facts warranted. the remedy due. This
course necessarily recommended itself
from the outset to the executive, for
only in the light of a dispassionately
ascertained certainty could it deter.
mine the nature and measure of its full
duty in the matter.
The usual procedure was followed, as
in all cases OF casualty or disaster to
national vessels of any maratime state.
\ naval court of inquiry was at once
organized, composed of officers we'll
qualified by rank and practical :expe.
rience to discharge the onerous duty
imposed upon them. Aided by a strong
force of wreckers and divers the court
proceeded to make a thorough invests.
cation on the spot, employing every
available means tor the impartial and
exact determination Of the causes
of the explosion. Its operations have
been conducted with tie utmost
elaboration and Judgment, and
while independently pursued no source
OF information was neglected and the
fullest opportunity was allowed for a
simultaneous investigation by the
Spanish authorities.
The finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after % days Of continuous
labor, on the 2lst of March and having
been approved on the 22d by the ON.
mander.in.chief of the United States
naval force on the North Atlantic sta
ton, was transmitted to the executive.
1t is herewith laid before the con.
gress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court. Its
purport is in brief as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov.
eminent pilot to Buoy No. 4, to which
she vas moored in from five and one.
half to six tathoms af water.
The state Of discipline on board and
the condition Of her magazines, boilers,
Goa bunkers and storage compartments
are passed IN review with the conclu.
sion that excellent order prevailed, and
that no indication of any cause for an
internal explosion existed in II quar-.
ter. At 5 O'Clock IN the evening Of Feb.
10 everything had been reported secure
and all was quiet.
At - minutes past 9 o'clock the yes.
sci was suddenly destroyed.
There Wcg: two distinct explosions,
win Il Drle. interval between them.
Il. frs l.ft. the forward part of the
~ p He.E perceptlbly; tie second.
MA.eA Was more prolonged, is attrib-
ut,at ~ n" cur 70 the partial explo.
son III tao or more Of the forward
~l-a-~zl4e-.
The cVI ,cuce Uf the divers establishes
mat the utter part OF the ship was prac.
uca4.y lutac; and sank III in that condi-
ton a very iew minutes after the ex.
p.o>loE. Iae toward part was com.
pletely demolished.
Upon the evidence of concurrent OK.
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
"At frame II the outer shell of the
ship from a point 49, feet from the
middle line Of the ship and 6 feet above
the keel when in its normal position,
has been forced up so as to be now
about 4 feet above the surface Of the
water; therefore about 81 feet above
where it should be had the ship sunk
uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent
into a reversed "V" shape, the after
wing Of which, about Is feet broad and
SO feet in length Nroln frame II to
frame 25) is doubled back upon itself
against the continuation of the same
plating extending forward. At frame
1S the vertical keel is broken in two
and keel bent into an angle similar to
the angle formed for the outside plates.
This break is about 6 feet below the
surface Of the water and about 30 feet
above ITS normal position. In the opln.
ION OF the court, this effect could have
been produced only by the explosion of
a mime situated under the bottom Of
the ship at about frame IL and some.
what on the port side of the ship.
The conclusions Of the court are:
That the loss of the Maine was not
IN any respect due to fault or negli-
gence on the part of any officers or
members Of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed by the
explosion Of a submarine mine which