Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-28

the court proceeded to make u thorough
Investigation on the spot, employing
every available means for the impartia
and exact determinations of the explo
sion. Its operations have been conduct
ed with the utmost deliberation and
judgment, and while independently pur
sued, no course of information was neg
lectcd and the fullest opportunity was
allowed for simultaneous investigation
by the Spanish authorities.
| Finding of the Court of Inquiry.
| The finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after 20 days of continuous
labor, on the 21st day of March, and hav
ing been approved on the 22d by the
commander-in-chief of the United States
naval force on the north Atlantic station
was transmitted to the executive. 1t Is
herewith laid before congress, together
with the voluminous testimony taken
before the couft. Its purport is In brief
as follows: @ I'll
Maine Anchored Under Directions OF Gov
ernment Pilot.
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by a regular govern
ment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which she
was moored in five and half to six
fathoms Of water.
The state of discipline on board and the
condition of her magazines, boilers, coal
bunkers and storage compartments are
passed in review, with the conclusion
that excellent order prevailed, and that
no indication of any cause for internal
explosion existed in any quarter At 8
o'clock on the evening Of February Is,
everything had been reported secure and
all was quiet. At 9:4O o'clock the vessel
was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions
with brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of the
ship very perceptibly; the second, which
was more prolonged, is attributed by the
court to partial explosion of two or
more of the forward magazines. The
evidence Of the divers establishes that
the after part Of the ship was prac ctically
intact, and she sank in that condition o
very few minutes after the explosion.
The forward part was completely de-
molished.
Concurrent Opinion of the Court.
irnon tho avidence tho concnrron+
oninion IFS that the exnlosinn resnltad
from mn eyternal canse and tho finding
of the court is as follows:
At,frame II of the outer she'll of the
ship, from point 11h feet from the
middle line OF the ship, and six feet
above the keel when In its normal posi-
tion, the side had been forced up 50 as
to be now about four feet above the sur
face Of the water; therefore, about "a
feet above where It would be had she
sunk uniniured. The outside bottom
plating Is bent into q reversed ssV"
shape, the after wing Of which, about
Is feet broad and 90 feet In length from
frame II to frame 25) is doubled back
upon itself against continuation OF the
same plating extending forward. At
frame II the vertical keel is broken In
two, and the keel bent into an angle
similar to the angle formed for the out
side plates. This break Is about six
feet below the surface of, the water and
about 80 feet above its normal position.
In the opinion of the court tits effect
could be produced only by an explosion
Of mine situated under the bottom Of
the ship, at about frame 1B and some-
what on the port side Of the ship"
Conclusions Of the Court.
The conclusionso of tho conrt are. That
the loss Of the Maine was not IN any re-
mart ~ anv ~ tha nsaoars 81 tha om :, am sm
hare ~ No. cra,r =
That the ship was DESTROYED bv an ex-
plosion OF submarine mine. which