The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-29
THE REPORT SUBMITTED
Goes to Congress Accompanied by Calm,
Brief Review from the President.

instant, and having been approved ol
the 22nd by the Commander-in-C Chic
of the United States Naval force of th,
North Atlantic Station, was TRANSMITTED
to the Executive.
It is herewith laid before the Congress
together with the vOluminous testlmon!
taken before the court.
FINDING OF COURT IN BRIEF.
It's purport is, in brief, us follows:
When the Maine arrived mt Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
ernment pilot to buoy No. 4, to whicl
she was moored in from five and one
half to six fathoms of water
The state of discipline on board anC
the condition of her magazines, boilers
coal bunkers and storage compartment:
are passed in review, with the CONCLUSION
that excellent order prevailed, and tha
no indication of any cause for an in
ternal explosion existed in any quarter.
At O'cloclyin the evening of Febru
ary Is. everything had been reported
secure and all was quiet.
At forty minutes past o'clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There We're two distinct explosions
with a brief interval between them
The first lifted the forward part of the
ship very perceptibly; the second, which
was more open, prolonged and of great
er volume, is attributed by the court
to the partial explosion of two or more
of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers established
that the after part of the ship was prac
tically intact and sank in that condition
a very few minutes after the explosion
The forward part was completely de
molished.
Upon the evidence of concurrent ex
ternal cause the finding of the court is
as follows:
THE BOTTOM WAS FORCED UP
At frame IL the outer shell Of the
ship, from point eleven and one-hali
feet from tlle middle line of the ship and
six feet above the keel, when in its
normal position. has been forced up 81
as to be now about four feet above the
surface of the wafer; therefore, about
thirty y-four feet above where it would
be had the ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent into
"a reversed V shape, the after wing OF
which, about fifteen feet broad and
thirty-two feet in length from frame IL
to frame 25) is doubled back upon itself
against the continuation of the same
platin extending forward.
At frame Is the vertical keel is broken
in two and the fiat keel bent into an
angle similar to the angle formed by the
outside bottom plates. This break is
now about six feet below the surface of
the water and about thirty feet above its
normal position.
In the opinion of the court this effect
could have been produced only by the
explosion of a mine situated under the
bottom of the ship, at about frame Is,
and somewhat on the port side of the
ship.
CONCLUSIONS OF THE COURT.
The conclusions of the court are: That
the loss Of the Maine was not in any
respect due to fault or negligence on the
part of any of the officers or members
of her crew. That the ship was de-
stroyed by the explosion of a submarine
mine, which caused the partial explosion
of two or more of her forward maga-
zines; and that no evidence has been
fixing the responsibility for
the destruction of the Maine upon any
person or persons.
| have directed that the finding of
the Court of Inquiry and the views of
this government thereupon be communi.
Gated to the government of Her Males
ty. the Queen Regent, and do not per-
nit myself to doubt that the sense OF
justice of the Spanish nation will indi-
cate course of action suggested by hon.
or and the friendly relations of the two
1t will be the duty of the Executive
to advise the Congress of the result. and
in the meantime deliberate consideration
is invoked.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, March %. 1898.
The following is the report of the
Court of Inquiry:
In re explosion Of the United States
battleship Maine.
Fla.
q. S. $. Iowa. 1st rate. Key West. Fla.
Monday. March 21, 1898.
After full and mature consideration of
all the testimony before it, the Court
finds as follows:
/. That the United States battle shin
Maine arrived in the harb0r of Havana.
Cuba. on the 2Jth day of January. 1898
and was taken to buoy No. 4. in from
five and half to six fathoms of water
by the regular government pilot.
The United States Consul General ~
Havana had notified the authorities ~
that place, the previous evening, of the
intended arrival of the Maine
THE DISCIPLINE EXCELLENT.
2. The state of discipline on board the
Maine was excellent: and all orders and
regulations in regard to the care and
safety of the ship were strictly carried
out
All ammunition was slowed in accord
ance with prescribed instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever ammu-
hltion was handled
Nothing was slowed in any one of the
magazines or shell rooms which was moi
permitted to be slowed there.
Continued on Third Page.)