The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-29

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SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.
LOUISVILLE. ~. NEW YORK. ~
torpedoes were all slowed in the after
part Of the ship under the wardroom and
neither caused nor participated In the
destruction of the Maine.
! Dry gun cotton primers and detonators
were slowed IN the cabin aft and were
remote from the scene Of the explosion.
The waste was carefully looked after on
board the Maine to obviate danger. Spec
| ial orders in regard to this had been given
! by the commanding officer.
Varnishes, dryers, alcohola and other COM
| bustibles of this nature were slowed on
| or above the Maine deck and could not
/ have had anything to do with the de-
| struction of the Maine Medical stores
| were stored aft under the wardroom and
! remote from the scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were
! slowed below in any of the store rooms.
Coal bunkers were inspected. OF these
| bunkers adjoining forward magazines and
B3. ia, B5 and BIG.
''A16'' was full of new river coal This
| coal had been carefully inspected before
! receiving it on board. The bunker in
which it was slowed was accessible on
| three sides at all times, and the fourth
side at this time on account of bunkers B4
and BE being empty. This bunker, A16,
had been inspected that day by the engi-
| neer officer on duty
Fire alarms in the bunkers were in
working order, and there had never been
a case of spontaneous combustion of coal
on board the Maine.
The two after-boilers of the ship were
in use at the time of the disaster, but for
auxiliary purposes only, with compare
lively low pressure of steam, and being
tended by a reliable watch. These boilers
could not have caused the explosion of
the ship. The four forward boilers have
since been found by the divers and are in
fair condition.
On the night of the destruction Of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night at o. m, by reliable
persons, thorugh the proper authorities.
to the commanding officer. At the time
the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet and therefore least liable to any
accident caused by movements from those
on board.
3-The explosion of the Maine occurred
at $40 p. m. on the fifteenth day of Feb
ruary, 1885, in the harbor of Havana, Gu
ba, being at that time moored at the
same buoy to which she had been taken
upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of a distinct
~ different character, with a very short
but distinct interval between them, and
the forward part of the ship was lifted
10 marked degree at the time Of the
first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the ma
ture of report like that OF gun, while
the second explosion was more open, pro-
longed and of greater volume
This second explosion was. in the opin-
ion of the court, caused by partial explo-
sion of two or more of the forward maya
zines OF the Maine
4-Evidence bearing on the condition Of
the wreck, being principally obtained from
divers, did not enable this court to form
definite conclusion. although 1t was es-
tablished that the after part of the ship
was practically intact, and sank in that
condition a very few minutes after the
destruction Of the forward part
The following facts IN regard TO the
forward part of the ship are, however es-
tablished by testimony:
That portion Of the port side of the
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 50 TO about frame Il, was
blown up aft. and over the port. The
main deck from about frame so to about
frame Il, was blown up aft and slightly
over to star board. flooding the forward
part OF the middle superstructure over
and on top Of the after part
This was in the opinion OF the court.
caused by a partial explosion Of two or
more OF the forward magazines Of The
Maine.
Sat frame Il the outer shell Of the
ship. from a point eleven and one halt
feet from the middle line OF the ship. and
six feet above the keel when In its natural
position. had been forced up so as % De
now about four feet above the surface
OF the water: therefore about thtrty-fou-
feet above where 1t would be had the ship
sunk uEiujured.
The outside bottom plating Is bent into
reversed shape. the after wing Of which
is about fifteen feet broad and thirty-tvo
feet in length from frame !? 20 Trans -
is doubled back upon .tselt against con-
tinuation OF the same plating extending
forward
A. frame IS the vertical keel Is broken
in TWO and the fat keel ben; into an
angle similar 10 an angle formed by the
outside bottom piaJing This Is TOW about
SIX feet below the surface Of the water
and about tairJy feet above its normal
position.
In the opinion az ne court, this effect
could have been produced only BY the sx-
piosion OF 4 miae situated under the bot
tom OF the ship at about frame Is and
somewhat On The port side % me ship
The court finds that the loss OF the
Maine, on the occasion named. was not n
any respect due to fault or negligence on