The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-29
Conditions Bear Out Submarine
Mine Theory.
PEN PICTURE OF THE PLATES
Difference Of the Two Explosions
Described.

Washington, March 2S.-The following
&c the report of the court of inquiry in
regard to the explosion of the United
States battleship Maine:
Before a court of inquiry, Key West,
Fla:
'T. s. S. Iowa, Key West, March q,
1SsS-After full and mature consideration
of all testimony before it the court finds
as follows:
~. That the battleship Maine arrived in
the harbor of Havana Jan. Is and was
taken to buoy No. A, in from 515 10 faith
oms of water, by the regular government
pilot. The United States consul general
at Havana had notified the authorities at
that place on the previous evening of the
intended arrival of the Maine.
60 The state of discipline on board the
Maine was excellent; and all orders and
regulations in regard to the care and
safety of the ship were strictly carried
ont All ammunition was slowed in ac-
cordance with prescribed Instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever ammuni-
ton was handled. Nothing was slowed in
any of the magazines or shellrooms which
was not permitted to be slowed there
1.-THE magazines and shell rooms were al
after the destruction of the Maine the
keys were found in their proper places
rs the captains cabin, everything having
been reported secure that evening at
O'clock The temperatures of the shell
rooms and magazines were taken daily
and reported.
"The only magazine which had an undue
amount of heat was the after 10-inch mag
azine, and that did not explode at the
time the Maine was destroyed The tor
pedo warheads were all slowed in the after
part of the ship under the ward room and
neither caused nor participated In the de-
struction of the Maine.
THE dry gun cotton, powders and deto-
majors were slowed in the cabin aft, and
remote from the scene of the explosion.
''The waste was carefully looked after
on board the Maine to obviate danger.
4 Special orders in regard to this had been
& gwen by the commanding officer.
"Narnishes, dryers, alcohol and other
combustibles of like nature were slowed
on or above the main deck and could not
have had anything to do with the de-
\ struction of the Maine
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
VI those bunkers adjacent to the forward
4 magazines and shell rooms four were emp
4 ~ namely, B3, B4, Be and BE- AIS had
peeh IN use that day and A16 was full of
New river coal. This coal had been care
iully Inspected before receiving 1t on
BOARD The bunker in which it was stow.
H Ell was accessible on three sides at all
'iInes and the fourth side at this time
on account of bunkers ia and BIG being
Fl empty rms bunker, A16, had been in
spected that day by the engineer The
IRE alarms in the bunkers were in work.
ing order and there had never been
ease OF spontaneous combustion in the
coai of the Maine
j., Inc two after boilers of the ship were
:" use dt the time of the disaster but for
aoAilaiY purposes only, with compare
4 uNey low pressure of steam, and being
'enueu oy reliable watch. These boilers
'ouIn not have caused the explosion.
ne TOUR forward boilers have been
snce found by the divers and are in
fair condition -
e Cn the night of the destruction of the
Il , everything had been reported Sc
4 Derso lor me night at p. m. by reliable
4lslsons TO the commanding officer. AT the
NJ we Maine was destroyed the ship
ooojsq Pulet' and therefore, least liable to
on board "a 'iiose
L rod ne obstruction of the Maine occur
- u dt 9:lO p m. Feb. 15 1898 in the har
tir,o u havana, Cuba, she being at the
shn moored to the same buoy to when
'.,rb NJ peeh taken upon her arrival.
nv difeI e were two explosions of a distinct
b,t eleht Character with very short,
80 ulstlnct, interval between them and
H. ward part of the ship was lifted
r. sllarked degree at the first explosion
H. -, eApioslon was more in the nature
e. 5epoft like that of gun, while the
L. - e1poslon was more open, prolong-
urIos gllu Oh greater volume. The second ox-
Eca,aoS was, IN the opinion of the court,
Emoro eS the partial explosion of two or
blaine inward magazines OF me
me evidence bearing upon this, lie
Pinlcpaily obtained from divers, did
N1n- ti'" le the court to form definite CON
tbH'ia as TO the condition of the wreck,
0ush IL was established that the after
H. oI tne ship was practically intact,
L. liz IN that condition a very few min
H., a'ter the destruction of the forward
me following facts in regard to the
Est"t%SilG part of the ship are, however,
oIr shed by the testimony:
&rotlo't portion of the port side of q
- I'VE I've deck. which extends from about
oV 10 about frame Al, was blown
a'N and over 10 port.
II 4e main deck from about frame so to
9S frame Al was blown UP aft. and
IIS over to starboard, folding the for
part OF the middle sIlperstructure
or ana on top of the after part
Hs was in the opinion of the rourt,
'u by the partial explosion of two or
s OF the forward magazines of the
Al frame H. the outer shell of the
rom a point eleven and one-half
rom the middle line of the ship and
1set above the keel when its normal
NoA has been forced up so as to be
about four feet at,ox-a the surface of |
water; therefore, about thirty-four
aoove where It would be had the ship |
ue outside bottom plating is bent in |
n Ato leVersed Y shape. the after wing Of
'H' about tifteen feet broad and thirty