Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-29
the sunken ship. and explained them to the

the sunken ship. and explained them to the
court.
The witness evidence about the strip on
the starboard side of the outside plating
OF the ship which was folded and rolled
back, was recalled to him and Powelson
said he could see the plate underneath 1t
was bent outward, as 1t was only two
feet under water where the shear occurred.
He had taken soundings and had found
five fathoms of water on both sides Of the
Maine down to the mud. Taking a four
teen pound lead line and dragging with a
wherry for distractions upon the port side,
dragging close to where he thought the
waterways would be found. he found no
distractions whatever. On the starboard
side he found distractions for twenty feet
where he had reason to believe the water
ways had originally been.
In answer to questions, said there was
nothing left Of the port plating at all. He
dragged along the outside to see If any
thing had fallen out and found nothing.
The witness thought the ship upon the
port side was entirely gone opposite
point indicated on a diagram handed to
the court. 1t was entirely blown up.
This concluded Ensign Powelson's tes-
timony upon the third day.
Ensign Powelson was recalled upon the
testimony he had received a book of the
specifications of the Maine. Refreshing
his memory from this record he said the
plates of the protective deck were one
inch thick, weighing thirty pounds a
square foot.
Ensign Powelson wishing to give some
testimony regarding the condition of the
wreck, Gunner's Mate Olsen. the diver,
was admitted. in order that he might cor
rect any erroneous statement, the two
having worked together.
Mr.. Powelson said that on February rs
Diver Olsen reported to him on coming
up from below that he had found the
lower awnings V shaped. of the bottom
platings. forward. The plates ran down
on a very steep slant and then turned un-
der and out under the starboard side. He
said that just above where the plates
turned to go under the starboard side he
found two dents as II the plating had
beer bulged in between the frames from
outside In.
The court asked the size Of these two
dents. Mr.. Powelson replied that they
were about two and one-half feet long
and bulged in about six inches. He fur
ther testified that Olsen again went down
and again came to the surface at IL
O'Clock. saying he thought he had found
tne nat keel. OlSen naC reported tndt the
keel was sloping downward about IS de-
grees and to port. with the after part Of
tho keel uppermost.
He said he had explored the after wing
of the v and had found a semi-circuiar
hole about two feet IN diameter. with rivet
holes all around II. He said that semi
circular hole was about twenty feet from
the top of the v made by the bottom
plating. He said the plate presented
jagged appearance, as If 1t had been torn,
and that crack had extended from the
bottom edge Of the semi-cirCular hole to
a distance of about eight inches and that
the plates about this hole were bent away
from the green side of the plating.
Mr.. Powelson continued to say that OF.
sen told him he had found hole cut in a
plate twenty-five feet from the angle of
the v and exhibited a sketch showing
that the keel line was found by him slop-
ing down s5 degrees below the horizontal
and to port. The point where he had found
the keel was about twenty feet under
water. He had not followed the keel Mt
that point as the p!atings between which
he was wedged opened out so that he
had nothing to support him. Mr.. Powell
son said Olsen testified that about twenty
feet from the sluice valve he found an
opening In the ships side. He had found
near the sea suction In apart
ment A 10. about twenty-one feet from