The herald., 1898-03-29

known on board any vessel in which he had
served. He had no fault to find with the
behavior OF any man at the time Of ths dis
| aster. and considered their conduct ad-
mirabls. On his examination by the
court Captain Sigsbee said that the high
est temperature that he could observe was
112. but that was in the after magazine,
the temperature in the forward magazines
being considerably lower. There was no
loose powder kept In the magazine.
All the coal bunkers were ventilated
through aif tubes examined weekly by
the chief engineer. and were connected
electrically to the annunciator near his
cabin door. The forward coal bunker on
the port side was full. The forward coal
bunker on the starboard was half full. and
It was being used at the time Of the ex-
plosion.
Captain Sigsbee. when recalled, stated
that he had detailed Lieutenant VAIN
wright, Lieutenant Holman and Chief En-
gineer Holman, all Of the Maine. to-obtaln
information in relation to any outsiders
who might have seen the explosion.
| Captain Sigsbee also gave as his epiEion
that If coal bunkers A-16 had been SO hot
as to be dangerous to the six-inch reserve
magazine, that this condition would have
been shown ON three sides where the
bunker was exposed, and that men con-
stantly passing to and fro by 1t would have
necessarily noticed any undue heat. Cap
| tain sigsbee was recalled and examined as
Ito the ammunition on hoard the MaineTffe
stated that there were no high explosireSi
gun cotton, detonators or other material In
magazines or shell rooms which the regu-
iatIons prohibited. He testified that no
war heads had been placed on torpedoes
since he had had command OF the ship.
LIEUT.. GEO. M. HOLMAN
Lieutenant Holman said the explosion
sounded like that of mine, and that he
had heard explosions in the sea.
ENSIGN w. v. N. POwELLsON
Ensign Powellson testified that he was
present on board the Maine from the day
Of the arrival of the boat Fern, and during
the Investigations Of the. divers.
When asked to tell the court all about the
condition of the wreck, he said the for
ward part Of the ship, from the after
smokestack. had been. to all appearances.
completely destroyed.
Continuing, he described with close de-
tail the condition of the wreck. The ftx-
lures to port were completely wrecked,
while fixtures In the same position On the
starboard side were In some cases almost
intact. The port hulkhead, between the
main and berth decks, at the coming tower
support, had been blown aft on both sides,
but a great deal more of the port than on
the starboard side. The fire room hatch,
Immediately abaft the coming tower, had
been blown In three directions aft. to
starboard and to port. The protective
decks and the coming tower supports
were bent in two directions. the plates on
the starboard side being bent up and on the
port side bent down, The beams supporting
the protective deck, few inches abaft OF
the armored tube to port of midship line.
were bent up to starboard Of the midship
line. Just forward of the coming tower.
underneath the main deck. two beams met
at right angles one beam was broken and
pushed from port to starboard. A grating
was found on the poop awning. Just for
ward Of the after searchlight.
The piece Of side plating just abaft OF the
starboard turret was visible. This plate
was bent outward, and then the forward
end bent upward and folded backward
upon itself.
This plate was severed from the rest Of
1.-The plating below the water line. This
Mating below the water line had been
pushed out to starboard.
The end where the explosion occurred
seemed to be pushed from port to starhoard
| from Ave to ten degrees. he should Judge,
with the apex to starboard The divers
reuorted that at point where the ten
inch shell room should be, they discovered
| tensinoh shells in regularly arranged heaps,
but the ship sunk down 30 low that some Of
| the shells were In the mud.
| Gunner 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, ~ far as he could Judge. every
thing seemed to be bent upward In the VI
cinity Of this hole. He also reported that
| the plates seemed to have been pushed over
| to the starboard and then Gent down.
Dnsign Powellson said that powder
| tank that he saw appeared to be an empty
| tank. broken by the explosion. as It was
| not badly dented, and merely ripped the
length Of the seam, The ten-inch tank
Twas badly battered out Of any conceivable
shape.
Continuing the witness said the divers.
up to the night before he was on the island.
| 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. Il has net been found
sir.'' wAp the reply.
He Understood something had been found
pndeP ~ .oaaco WHARF the tSrret formerly