The herald., 1898-03-29

was, but its exact character had not been
determined.
about what impression is produced on
your mind?"
From reports alone or from the appear
ance Of the wreck?'
| Either from reports or the condition
which you believe to exist"
1.-The impression produced upon me-" re-
piled the witness, "is that an explosion
took place we'll to port of midship line and
at point in the length about opposite the
coming tower
Witness then replied to further questions
that his opinion was based upon observa-
tion of things above water.
He gave no weightto Mr.. Morgan's state
ment about falling into hole on the port
side, because Morgan might have been mis-
taken all the time.
Referring to his notes made Of things on
the Maine. Ensign Powellson said that the
arch of the engine room, telegraph room
and the shaft of the steering gear. coming
dcwn to the armored tube (turreD, was
bent from port to starboard. The port side
OF the protected deck was covered with d
greasy deposit, the starboard side being
comparatively free from it.
| The forward smoke pipe. between the
main and superstructure decks, did moi
show any signs of the internal pressure OF
gases.
On the main deck, forward OF the con-
ming tower, where the fore and aft angle.
bhlks were located. the planking was
blown on on the only remaining plate OF
| the main deck on the port side. while the
wood was still attached to that part of tbs
starboard side between the coming tower
base apd the turrets. What witness saw
would Indicate that the pressure lifted the
protective deck up on the port side and the
protective deck on the starboard side held
fast and bent that deck downward.
Witness exhibited two sketches to the
court showing diagram of various parts
Of the sunken ship and explained them to
the court. The witness evidence about the
strip on the starboard side of the outside
plating of the ship which was folded and
rolled backwards, was recalled to him.
Powellson said he could see the plate
bent outward, as 1t was only two feet un-
der water.
Witness had taken soundings and had
found five fathoms Of water on both sides
o. the Maine down to the mud. Taking q
fourteen-pound lead-line and draggi ~
with wherry for Instructions on the por,
side. dragging close to where he thought
the waterways could be found, he found
no obstructions whatever. On the star.
board side he found obstructions for TWEEN.
ty feet where he had reason to believe the
waterways had originally been.
In answer to questions, Powellson saa
there was nothing left of the port plating
at all. He dragged along the outside ,o
see il anything had fallen out, and found
nothing.
Witness thought the ship on the port
side was entirely gone to opposite point
indicated in diagram handed to thu
| court. 1t was entirely blown up.
Mr.. Powellson said Gunner's Mate Olsen
testified that about twenty feet from the
sluice valve he found an opening in The
ships side. He had found boarding neal
the sea suction, in apartment A 10, abou
| twenty-one feet from the sluice valve, ir
an almost vertical position although Il
was originally horizontal.
'If you consider the section Of the shir
| between frame IS and frame 49," continued
Mr.. Powellson, land consider that part Of
the bottom between frame IS and frame Il
is bent out at right angles. and then tha
/ the whole section is turned forward
through ninety degrees, you will pictur,
the position in which the plates are nov
found. This plating could either have beer
showed out from the after side or 1t coulG
have been pushed In from the forward side
The only indication as to how this wa.
done h in the wooden boarding. If the af
ter part Of the plating had been pushed ou
from the inside. the boarding would hav.
been broken at the angle which the plate.
make. If the forward part of the plating
had been pushed in, the boards would have
been pulled away from the after plating
as was the case"
Mr.. Powellson replied to question, tina
he thought the explosion occurred on thu
port side. somewhere about frame Is, o.
the center Of the impact, The ship yielded
at II and also at Is, but It was pretty hard
to say exactly where the impact came
Frame l5 was blown In.
"How do you account for the great dam
! age done abreast of the reserve magaxire
where there Is nothing left. whereas be-
| tween frames 16 and IS you have found
damaged plates?' .
Mr.. Powellson answered: MY idea /.
that after the ship was raised up at frame
1s, the magazines one or all of them, aftel
that. were exploded. for some powde,
tanks that I have seen I think were ex
ploded, while others have seen were no
exploded. saw coffee can that wai
| brought up this morning which was as bad.
| ly hammered as most OF the powder cases
| that came up. It looked In very much ths
same condition"
when you say some Of thu powder tanks