Arizona republican., 1898-03-29

"At forty minutes past nine, on the evening of February 15, the Maine was destroyed by an explosion. In this ca tastrophe two officers and two hundred and sixty of her crew perished. Prompt assistance was rendered by vessels il the harbor, aid being especially given by the boats of the Spanish cruis-r Alfonso XIII and the Ward Line steam CT City of Washington. The wou d were generously cared for by the au- thorities of Havana, while the earliest recovered bodies of the dead were in tered by the municipality in the public cemetery in that city.
 SPAIN WAS GRIEvED.
 Tributes of grief and sympathy were offered from all official quarters of the island The appalling calamity fell upon the people of our country with crushing force, and for a brief time intense excitement prevailed, which in a community less just and self controlled than ours must have led to hasty acts of blind resentment. This spirit soon gave way to calmer consideration. This course necessa, fly recommended itself from the outset to the executive, for only in the light of dispassionately ascertained certainty could it determine the nature and measure of it's full duty in the matter. THE INQUEST.
 "The usual procedure followed The naval court of inquiry was at once or ganized and proceeded to make a thorough investigation. The finding of the court of inquiry was reached after twenty-three days of continuous labor It is herewith laid before con- before the court. When the Maine ar | rived at Havana she was conducted by regular government pilot to buoy 1 No. 4, to which she was moored in from five and a half to six fathoms of water. The state of discipline on board and the condition of her maga- zines, coalers, bunkers and storage compartments are passed in review with the conclusion that excellent or der prevailed and no indications of any cause for an internal explosion existed. There were two distinct explosions, with brief interval between them. The first lifted the forward part of the ship very perceptipIy; the second, which was more prolonged, is attrib- uted by the court to a partial eX- | n1n of rf hnr arf1 magazines. The evidence of the divers establishes the fact that the after part , of the ship was practically intact. The forward part was completely demol- ] ished.
 THE FINDINGS.
 "The findings of the court are that at frame IT, the outer shell of the ship was forced upward four feet above the water. The outside bottom plating is bent into reversed " at frame IF, the vertical keel is broken l in two and the keel bent into an ang e. The break is six feet below the surface of the water and thirty feet above the normal portion. In the opinion of the | court this effect could have been pro duced only by the explosion of mint under the bottom of the ship, at abou l frame IS and somewhat on the DOT side of the ship.
 THE CONCLUSIONS.
 "The conclusions of the court are That the loss of the Maine was not in any way due to fault or negl1- gence on the part of any of the officers | or members of the crew; that the ship was destroyed by the explosion ci submarine mine, which caused a partial explosion of two or more ol her forward magazines, and that no evidence has been obtainabie fixing the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine upon any particular per son or persons.
 SPANISH SENSE OF JUSTICE. I q have directed the finding of the court of inquiry and the views of this government thereon to be communi- cated to the government of hel majesty, the queen regent of Spain and I do not permit myself to doubt that the sense of justice of the Span ish nation will dictate the course oi action suggested by the honor and friendly relations of the two govern | ments. It is the duty of the execu- tive to advise congress of the result and in the meantime deliberate con- sideration is invoked.
 WILLIAM M'KINLEY. Executive Mansion, March 2S, 1898"