The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-29
E.THE TESTIM0NY.
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fixtures II the same position on the
,starboard side were In some cases al
most intact. The port biilkheid be.
tween the main and both decks at the
coming tower support had been blown
aft on both sides, but q great deal more
on the port than on the stafbosrd, side.
The tirc room hatch Immediately abaft
OF the coming tower had been blown In
three directions, Mt TO starboard and TO
port. The protective deck under the
coming tower supports was bept IN
two directions, the piates on the star
board side being bent up and on the
starboard side bent down. l
I'm reply To- an Inquiry as to whether
he meant with reference to their origl.
nal positions Ensign 5Po,yelson replied
nilirmatiyely. The beam supporting
the protective deck a few inches abaft
OF the iarmored ;tube,it6 the port OF the
mIdsbip line was bent up 10 starboard
OF the mldship line. Just forward OF the
coming tower underneath the main
deck two beams met at right angles;
one was broken and pushed from port
to starboard. IA grating was found on
the poop awning just forward 1.-THE af-
ter search light.
a piece OF the side plating Just abaft
OF the starboardi turret was visible. This
plate was bent outward and then the
forward end bent upward sand folded
upon itselk. This plate was
sheared from the rest of the plating
below the water-llne. This plating be-
low the water line has been pushed out
to starboard." f.. J. IS
The unarmored gratlnss OF the en-
CINE room hatch were blown on. A
composition strainer was picked up
from the bottom on the starboard quar-
ter at Il point about opposite the poop
and about seventy feet from It.
The chief engineer thought the tstrainer
was from the firemen's Mushroom. It
was not strainer in the ships side.
Ensign Powelson then asked II the
court meant for, him to say anything
about what the divers reported or Just
what he saw. The Judge advocate re-
piled that he would like to have him
state any important discoveries which
might lead theicourt to draw some con-
c!usion as to the cause, and II diver
gave such information to. state the div
er's name, Before doing so the judge
advocate asked witness to state II the
forward and after part OF the ship were
In line. Ensign Powelson replied that
as far as he could judge they were not.
The end where THE explosion occurred
seemed to; be pushed from port to star
board from five to ten degrees,iie should
Judge, with the apex to the starboard.
The divers reported to witness that at a
point where the ten-lnch shell room
should be they discovered ten-Inch
shells regularly arranged, but the ship
had sunk down so much that some OF
the shells were in the mud.
Ensign Powelson then said that a six
inch powder tank that, he saw appeared
to be an empty tank broken by the ex-
plosion, as It was not badly dented, but
merely ripped the length OF the seam.
y ten-inch tank was badly battered out
of all conceivable shape. Continuing,
witness said that up to the night before
he was then on the stand he had not
been on the outside OF the ship. The
mud was too deep for them TO walk on
the bottom. r 81
what Is the condition OF the star
board turret?" witness was asked.
To my knowledge II has not been
found, slr,">was the reply.
What impression Is produced upon
your mind By. the reports so far, as you,
have quoted them?" Ensign Powelson
was asked.
THE impression produced upon me-,
replied the witness, els that an expio-
sion took place well 70 port of the mid
ship line and at q point in the length
about opposite the coming tower"
In reply to further questions he said
his opinion was based on the 5observa-
ton OF things above water.
Referring TO his notes made OF things
on the Maine, Ensign Powelson stated
that the arc OF the engine room tele-
graph and the shaft OF the steering
gear breaking down through the ar
mored tube (Turret was bent from port
to starboard. The port side OF the pro-
tectire deck was covered with greasy
deposit. at the starboard side being
comparatively free from It. &. ~ (, 2
The forward smokepipe hatch be-
tween the main and superstructure
decks did not shown signs OF internal
pressure OF gases. On the! main deck
forward OF the connecting tower where
the fore and after angle null beam was
located the planking was blown of OH
the only remaining plate ofsthe Maine
deck on the port side, while the wood
was still attached TO that part of the
starboard side between the coming
tower. What witness saw would indi-
cate that the pressure lifted the pro-
tective deck up on the port side and the
deck on I the starboard side
held and bent that deck downward.
Mr.. Powelson said that on February
18th, Diver Olsen reported to him that
on coming UP from below he had fol-
lowed the forward and after wings of
the v shape made by the bottom plat
Ing at frame II, said the forward wing
OF the v the plates ran down on very
steep slant and then turned under and
out under the starboard side, that just
above where the, plates turned to SO
under the starboard side he found two
dents as II the plating had been buls-
Ing between the frames from outside in.
Tho court asked the size o. these two
dents. Mr.. Powelson replied they were
about two and onc-halt feet long and
bMlged in about six inches, HeSfur.her
testified that Olsen again went down
and came to the surface. at II O'clock.
saying he thought he had found the fiat
keel. Olsen had reported that the keel
was slopins downward about forty-hve
degrees and to port with the after par:
OF the keel uppermost. He said he had
not explored the after wing OF the v
and had found circular hole about
two feet In diameter with rivet holes all