Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-04-01
TIE BOARDS SUMMARY.
FULL TEXT OF THE REPORT.

TIE BOARDS SUMMARY.
FULL TEXT OF THE REPORT.
This that follows Is synopsis, covering
all main points, of the 100000 words Of
testimony upon which the United States
naval court based it's findings in the case
of the Maine:
U. S. S. Iowa, Tirst-Rate. Key West
Fla, Monday. March q. 1SsS-After full
| and mature consideration Of all the testi'
mony before it, the court finds as follows
!. That the United States battleshiE
Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana
| Cuba, on the s5th day of January, eight.
cen hundred and ninety eight and was
! taken to buoy No 4, IN from five and a
half to six fathoms of water, by the regu-
lar government pilot. The United States
consul-general at Havana had notified the
authorities at that place, the previous
evening, 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
| safety of the ship were strictly carried
out. All ammunition was slowed away in
| accordance with instructions, and proper
! care was taken whenever ammunition was
| handled.
|
magazines or shell rooms which was not
| permitted to be slowed there. The mag
azines and shell rooms were always lock-
ed after having been opened, and after
! the destruction of the Maine the keys
| were found in their proper place In the
| captains cabin, everything having been
reported secure that evening at p. III.
CONDITION OF MAGAZINES.
The temperatures of the magazines and
<olx dot, ND rf-
ed. The only magazine which had an I'M
due amount Of heat was the after lO-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 participate
ed in the destruction of the Maine. The
dry gun cotton primers and decorators
were slowed in the cabin aft and remote
front of the scene of the explosion. The
waste was carefully looked after on board
the Maine to obviate danger. Special or
ders in regard to this had been given by
the commanding officer. Varnishes, dry
ers, alcohol and other combustibles of
this nature were slowed on or above the
main deck and could not have had any
thing to do with the destruction of the
Maine. The medical stores were slowed
aft under the wardroom, and remote from
stores of any kind were slowed below in
any Of the other storerooms.
INSPECTION OF BUNKERS.
The coal bunkers were Inspected OF
those bunkers adjoining the forward mag
azines and shell rooms four were empty
namely. B 8, 4, B S, B 6. "A 10" had
been in use that day. and "A 16' was full
Of New River coal. This coal had been
carefully inspected before receiving 1t on
h,,n in, xI.hf oh W
ed was accessible on three sides at all
times, and the fourth side at this time
on account of bunkers "B 4" and "B G.
being empty. This bunker, A 16. had been
inspected that day by the engineer officer
on duty. The fire alarms in the bunkers
were in working order and there had
never been q case of spontaneous combus-
ton 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 a compare
lively low pressure of steam. and being
tended by reliable watch. These boil
ers 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 s p. m, by reliable persons, through
the proper authorities, to the command
ing officer. At the. time the Maine was
destroyed the ship was quiet and there
fore least liable to accident caused by
movements from those on board.
THE HOUR OF THE DISASTER.
8. The destruction Of the Maine &C.
Cured at $40 p. M. on the 18th day Of
February. 1898, in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba, being at the time moored to the
same buoy to which she had been taken
upon her arrival. There were two ex-
plosions Of distinctly different charac-
ter, with a very short but distinct inter-
val between them. and the Harvard 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 g gun. while the
second explosion was more open, pro-
| longed, and Of greater volume. This
second explosion was, in the opinion of
| the court, caused by the partial explosion
| of two or more Of the forward magazines
| of the Maine.
EVIDENCE NOT DEFINITE.
4. The evidence bearing on this. being
| principally obtained from divers, did not
| enable the court to form a definite con-
| clusion as to the condition of the wreck.
| although it was established that the af-
ter part of the ship was practically intact,
| and sank in that condition very few
! minutes after the destruction Of the for
! ward part.
The following facts in regard to the for
| ward part of the ship are, however, cs-
| tablishcd by the testimony:
| That portion of the port side of The
protective deck which extends from
about frame 90 to about frame A. was
| blown aft. and over to port. The main
deck, from about frame 30 to about frame
| Il, was blown up. aft, and slightly over
| to starboard, folding the forward part
| of the middle superstructure over and OF,
| top of the after part. This was. in the
opinion Of the court. caused by the par
| tial explosion of two or more of the for
| ward magazines.
CONDITION OF THE WRECK.
| s. At frame II, the outer shell of the
| ship from point 1lla feet from the mid
die lire 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 it
| would be had the ship sunk uninjured.
| The outside bottom plating IS bent into
| a reversed v shape, the after wing Of
which Is about IS feet broad and go feet
| in length Grom frame II to frame 25) is
! doubled back upon itself against the con-
| tinuation of the same plating extending
| forward
At frame Is the vertical keel is broken
| in two. and the fiat keel bent into an an
| gle similar to the angle formed by the
outside bottom plating. This break is
| now about six feet below the surface of
the water. and about 80 feet above its
normal position.