The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-03-30
Proper Precautions Observed.

| Proper Precautions Observed.
The magazines and shell rooms were
| always locked after having been opened !;
and after the destruction of the Maine
the keys were found in their proper place
in the captains cabin, everything having
| been reported secure that evening at s
p. m.
The temperatures of the magazines and
| shell rooms were taken daily and reported
| The only magazine which had an undue
amount of heat was the after 10-inch
magazine, and that did not explode at the
i time the Maine was destroyed.
The torpedo war heads were all slowed in
The after part OF the ship under the ward
room, and neither caused nor participated
in the destruction OF the Maine.
The dry gun cotton primers and detona-
| tors were slowed in the cabin aft and re-
mote from the scene of the explosion.
| 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, alcohol and other
combustibles of this nature were slowed
| on or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the destruc-
| ton of the Maine.
| No Dangerous stores Slowed Near.
The medical stores were slowed 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 other store
i rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
Or those bunkers adjacent to the forward
magazines and shellrooms, four were
empty; namely: "B 8, B 4, B 5, BE-"
"a l5' had been used that day, and "a
1872 was full of New River coal. This
| coal had been carefully inspected before
receiving it on board The bunker in
three sides at all times, and the fourth
side at this time On account of bunkers
"B 4" and "B g. being empty. This
| bunker, "a IS, had been inspected that
| day by the engineer officer on duty
| The fire alarms in the bunkers i7ere in
working order, and there had neve, 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
/ O fair condition.
| On the night of the destruction of the
Maine everything had been reported Sc
cure for the night, at 8 p. m, by reliable
persons, through the proper authorities,
| to the commanding officers. At the time
| the Maine was destroyed the ship was
quiet and therefore, least liable to acct
dent caused by movements from those on
| board.
Explosions.
Third-The destruction of the Maine &C.
CURED at O.: 40 p. M. on the 18th day Of
| February, 1885, in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba she being at the time moorel to the
same buoy to which she had been taken
upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of dis
tinctly different character, with very
| short but distinct interval between them,
and the forward part of the ship was lifted
| to 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 Sec
ond explosion was, in the opinion of the
| court, caused by the partial explosion of
two or more of the forward magazines of
the Maine.
Condition of the Wreck.
The evidence bearing upon this being
| principally obtained from divers, did not
enable the court to form definite conolu-
sion as to the condition of the wreck,
although it was established that the
after part of the ship was practicall 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, established by
the testimony:
That portion of the port side of the pro-
tective deck which extends from about frame
30 to about frame Il was blown up aft and over
to port. The main deck from about frame 30
to about frame Al was blown up aft and
slightly over to starboard foldiiag 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 the partial explosion of two or more of the
forward magazines of the N si~e.
Fifth-At frame II, the outer shell of the
ship from point III feet from the middle
line of the ship, and feet above the keel when
in its normal position, has been forced up so
as to be now about feet above the surface of
the water, therefore about "a feet where it
would be had the ship sunk uniniured Tho
outside bottom plating is bent into reversed
V-shaps (v) the after wing of which, about IL
feet broad and 81 feet in length from frame II
to frame 25) is doubled back upon itself against
the continuation Of the same plate extending
forward.
At frame IS the vertical keel is broken in
two and the flat keel bent into an angle similar
to the angle formed by the outside bottom
plating. This break is now about six feet be-
above its normal position.
Caused by Mine Explosion.
In the opinion of the court this effect could
have been produced only by the explosion Of a
mine -iu Ted under the bottom of the ship at
about frame Is and somewhat on the port side
of the ship.
Sixth-The court finds that the loss of the
Maine, on the occasion named, was not in anv
respect due to fault or negligence on the part
Of any of the officers or members of the crew
of said vessel
Seventh-In the opinion of the court the
Maine was destroyed by the explosion of a
submarine mine, which caused the partial ex-
plosion Of two more of her forward maya
zines
Eighth-The court has been unable to obtain
evidence fixing the responsibility for the de-
struction of the Maine upon any person or per-
cons.
W. T. SAMPSON, Captain U. S. N,
President
A. MARK, Lieut.. Commander U. s. N,
Judge Advocate.
The court, having finished the inquiry it was
ordered to make, adjourned at IL a. M. to
await the action of the converting authority.
w. T. SAMPSON, Captain U. s. NJ,
President
A. MARK, Lieut.. Commander u. s. NJ.
Judge Advocate.
U. s. Flagship New York, Ma CHI ~, 1893.
Off Key West, Fla
The proceedings and findings of the court OF
inquiry in the above case are approved
N. SICARD, Rear Admiral
COMMANDMENTS Chief of the