The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-03-31

and about 10 feet from it. The chief
engineer thought the strainer was for
the fremens wash room. 1t was not a
strainer in the ships side.
Near the piece of outside plating to
which witness referred above he said
there were pieces of red shallaced
planks.l On these planks was bolted a
composition track two inches wide and
an inch thick.
Ensign Powelson then asked If the
court meant for him to say anything
about what the divers reported or just
what he saw
The Judge advocate replied that he
would like to have him state important
discoveries which might lead the court
to draw some conclusion as to the cause.
and If diver gave such information to
state the divers name. Before doing so
the judge advocate asked witness to
state If the forward and after part Of the
ship were in line. Ensign Powelson re-
piled that, as far as he could judge, they
were not The end where the explosion
occurred seemed to be pushed from port
to starboard from five to 10 degrees he
should judge, with the apex to the star
board. The divers reported to witness
that at the point where the 10-inch
shell room should be they discovered 10
inch shells regularly arranged, but the
ship had sunk down to much that some
of the shells were in the mud. Gunner
Morgan reported that in walking on
bottom he fell into a hole on the port
side and went down into the mud. He
also reported that, as far as he could
an NJ ad ho han
ward in the vicinity of this hole. He
also reported that plates seemd to have
been pushed over to starboard and bent
down.
Consul General Fitzhugh Lee ap-
peared before the court on March 8. His
testimony related to the official formali-
ties preceding the Names arrival On
JAM "a he received a message from the
state department saying that the Maine
would be sent to Havana on q friendly
visit, to resume the regular status of ma
val relations between the two countries.
and he was ordered to make arrange
ments at the palace for the interchange
OF official courteses. After call at the
palace he sent to state department q
cipher message, saying:
Authorities propose to think the Uni
ted States has Interior purpose in send
ing the ship. Say 1t will obstruct au-
tonomy, and produce excitement, cad
most probably a demonstration. Ask
that II not be done till they can get
Instructions from Madrid. Say that If
for friendly purposes. as claimed, delay
Is unmportant."
1t was too late, however; the Maine
had already sailed. She arrived next
day and Lee reported her arrival to the
state department
Captain Sigsbee, in testifying before
the court of inquiry which convened in
the harbor of Havana Monday. Feb. 21
said that he assumed command of the
Maine on April 10, 1897, and that the shin
arrived in the harbor of Havana the
last time Jan.@24, 1898. The authorities
at Havana knew of the Names coming.
Consul General zee having informed the
authorities, according to official custom.
After he took on an official pilot. sent
by the captain of the port of Havana.
the ship was berthed in the man-of-war
anchorage off the Nochina, or the
Shears. and, according to his under
standing, was one of the regular buoys
Of the place.
He then stated that he had been in
Havana In 1872 and again in 1873. He
could not state whether the Maine was
placed in the usual berth for men-of-
war, but said that ne had heard remarks
since the explosion, using Captain Ste
vens, temporarily in command of the
Ward line steamer City of Washington.
az authority for the statement that
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