Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-29
Divers Agree That the Ships Plates We're Bent
Toward the Interior.
General Outline of the Vast Array of Facts From
Which the Board of Inquiry Reached
Its Conclusions

Washington, March 2S-The immense
mass of testimony taken by the Maine
court of inquiry was sent to the senate
today, and with the presidents mes
sage and the findings of the court, re-
ferred to the committee on foreign re-
lations.
The testimony was taken on eighteen
different days, the fourteenth day, how
ever, being devoted to viewing the
wreck. Every witness who was known
to have any information that could
throw light upon the great disaster, was
called to give his testimony The story
of the destruction of the vessel was
told. not graphically but in a manner
that gives all the obtainable facts.
No technical detail is omitted. Every
movement and incident connected with
the Maine from the time she left Key
West until the last divers examined the
wreck slowly sinking in the mud of Ha-
wanna harbor, is given. It is a story in
tensely interesting to the American
people Those who read it can have lit
tie doubt as to whether there was an
internal or external explosion.
Perhaps the most significant testi-
mony is that showing the bottom plates
on the port side of the Inflated Maine
were bent inward and upward, result
that hardly could have followed any
thing save an explosion from the out
side.
A mass of testimony is submitted,
showing the care exercised on board the
ship by Capt. sigsbee and his officers,
and the apparent impossibility of the
accident occurring from any internal
cause, such as the heating of the bunk
ers, spontaneous combustion, or from
other causes upon which SO many
theories were based.
The testimony of Capt. Sigsbee is of
the greatest Importance, and is perhaps
of more general interest than that of
any other man called before the board.
With great care and minuteness he
gives an account of the management Of
the ship, how she was handled, what
was done from day to day on board.
how she sailed into Havana, her an
chorage and what he knew about it,
and in fact every point upon which the
government and country desires to be
informed. Nothing in Capt. Sigsbeess
testimony shows that the anchorage was
changed or that it was considered dan
derous by any one.
Second in Importance to the testimony
Of Capt. Sigsbee is that of Ensign Pow
elson, who had charge Of the divers and
knew from day to day what these divers
found This officer was minutely IN
formed as to the construction of the
Maine and everything about her. His
testimony was to a certain extent tech
nical, bearing upon the construction of
the ship, her plates. etc, but it was from
these plates and this technical knowl-
edge. that he was able to declare that
the explosion took place from the out
side.
The divers-Morgan, Olsen and Smith
all contributed important evidence.
They testified that the plates were bent
inward on the bottom port side and out
ward on the starboard side
The story of the explosion is told by
different witnesses, and adds little to
what Capt. Sigsbee and Commander
Wainwright related.
Nothing in the testimony fixes respon-
sibilty No conspiracy is apparent. No
knowledge of the planting of mine is
shown. Capt. Sigsbee states that a
somewhat bitter feeling existed against
the American ships and Americans gen
orally, and a witness whose name is
suppressed tells of overhearing con-
versation among Spanish officers and a
citizen, indicating fore knowledge of
the destruction of the Maine by inten-
ton to blow her up.
An official of the American consulate
tells of Information received anony-
mously. tending to show that con-
spiracy existed. But nothing is def
nitely stated which fixes any RESPONSE
billty upon Spain or her subjects.
IfFfAN UNKNOWN WITNESS.
The man known as the unknown wit
ness was introduced on the fifth day
His name was suppressed by agreement
hiu, nd tho 0oi1rf LIo hod