Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-04-01
The Courts Finding.
u. S. S.. Iowa. LIST rate.

Maine arrived at the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, on the 25th day of January, 1893,
and was taken to buoy No. 4 in from 81 to
fathoms of water, by the regular govern
ment pilot. The United States consul
general at Havana had notified the au-
thorities at that place the previous even
ing of the intended arrival of the Maine,
2. The state of discipline on board the
Maine was excellent; and all orders and
regulations in regard to the care and safe
ty of the ship were strictly carried out.
All ammunition was slowed in accord
ance with prescribed instructions, and
proper care was taken whenever ammuni-
ton was handled. Nothing was slowed
in any one Of the magazines or shell rooms
which was not permitted to be slowed
there. The magazines and shell rooms
were always locked after having been
opened, and after the destruction of the
Maine the keys we're found in their proper
place in the captains cabin, everything
having been reported secure that evening
at 8 p. NJ.
The temperature of the magazines and
shell rooms was taken daily and reported.
The only magazine which had an undue
amount of heat was the after ten-inch
magazine, and that did not explode at the
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 partici-
pated in the destruction of the Maine.
The dry guncotton 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 the
Maine to obviate danger. Special 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 de-
| struction of the Maine.
The medical stores were stored aft I'M
der the ward room and remote from the
scene of the explosion.
No dangerous stores of any kind were
slowed below in any of the other store
] rooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
! The fire alarms in the bunkers were in
| working order, and there had never been
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 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 fair
condition.
On the night of the destruction of the
: Maine everything had been reported secure
for the night at 8 o'clock by reliable per-
sons, through the proper authorities, to
the commanding officer. At the time the
Maine was destroyed the ship was quiet,
/ and therefore least liable to accident caused
by movements from those on board.
3. Explosion. The destruction of the
Maine occurred at 9:40 p. NJ, on the 18th
day of February, 1893, in the harbor of
Havana, Cuba, she being at the time moor
ed to the same buoy to which she had been
taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions, of distinct
| ly different character, with a very short
but distinct interval between them, and
the forward part of the ship was lifted to
a marked degree at the time of the first
explosion. The first explosion was more
in the nature of a report like that of q
gun; while the second explosion was more
open, prolonged, and of greater volume.
This second explosion, was, in the opinion
of the court, caused by the partial explo-
sion of two or more of the forward maya
zines of the Maine.
| 4. Condition of the wreck
| The evidence bearing upon this, being
| principally obtained from divers, did not
enable the court to form definite conclu-
sion as to the condition of the wreck, al
though it was established that the after
part of the ship was practically intact and
sank in that condition a very few minutes
after the destruction of the forward part
The following facts in regard to the for
ward part of the ship are, however, estab-
lished by the testimony:
That portion of the port side of the pro-
tective deck which extends from about
frame 80 to about frame Al was blown up
aft and over to port. The main deck from
about frame 80 to about frame Al was
blown up aft, and slightly over to star
board, folding the forward part of the mid
die 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 Maine.
At frame II the outer shell of the ship,
from point III feet from the middle line
of the ship and six feet above the keel
when in its normal position, has been forced
up so as to be now about four feet above
the surface of the water; therefore about
"a feet above where 1t would be had the
ship sunk uninjured.
The outside bottom plating is bent into
a reversed V shaped "a" the after wing
of which, about Is feet broad and 80 feet
in length frame II to 25), is doubled back
upon itself against the continuation of the
same plating extending forward.
At frame IL the vertical keel Ia hr0Iran
in two and the fiat keel bent into an angle
similar to the angle formed by the outside
bottom plates. This break is now about
six feet below the surface of the water and
about 80 feet above its normal position.
In the opinion of the court this effect
could have been produced only by the ex-
plosion of a mine situated under the bot
tom of the ship at about frame Is and
somewhat on the port side of the ship.
9. The court finds that the loss of the
Maine, on the occasion named, was not in
any respect due to the fault or negligence
on the part Of any of the officers or men,
bers of the crew of said vessel.
Z. In the opinion of the court the Maine
was destroyed by the explosion of sub
marine mine, which caused the partial ex-
plosion of two or more of her forward
magazines.
8. The court has been unable to obtain
evidence fixing the responsibility for the
destruction of the Maine upon any person
or persons.
| W. T. SAMPSON,
| Captain, u. s. N, president.
4 IL