The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-12-21
BLOWING UP OF "MAINE."
President SENDS Report of Board to
Congress.

Washington, Dec. 14.-President
Taft to-day sent to congress a brief
formal message transmitting the full
text of the report of the investigating
board, which found that the battle
ship Maine was blown up in Havana
harbor by an external explosion. The
board was headed by Admiral Vree-
land, of the navy, and included Col.
VIM. NJ Black, of the engineers
board of the army.
1t began work on the exposed
wreck at Havana November 20 and
found that the injuries to the bottom
of the Maine was caused by the ex-
plosion of a charge of a low form of
explosive, exterior to the ship, be-
tween frames % and 81, portside.
This resulted in igniting and explod-
ing the contents of the six-inch re-
serve magazines. The more or less
complete explosion of the contents
Of the remaining forward magazines
followed.
Destruction Complete.
The board in it's report emphasizes
the fact that it found what is called
the port starboard strake-a con-
tinuous line of planking running
from stem to stern-was "dished up
wards as much as "a inches from a
straight line;" that another strake,
technically called &C." was dis
placed upwards and inwards for
100 square feet;;" and that part of
the inner bottom plating was dis
placed upwards and left approx
mately six feet above it's original po-
sition.'
The destruction wrought by the
two explosions of distinctly differ
ent character" was found to be much
more extensive than had been antici-
pated. The report in technical terms
described how plates were crumpled,
how some portions OF what had once
been a great battleship were turned
inside out and how parts of the bot
tom works generally were displaced.
Widely Scattered.
"The debris of one-pounders, six
Founders, six-inch and ten-inch am
munition were found widely scatter
ed through the wreck" said the re-
port "The location of much of this
material bore little relation to it's
original storage condition. Powder
tanks were torn asunder or crushed
and fattened."
The condition of the vertical keel
and fiat keel at frame 18 was ascrib-
ed by the court of inquiry, 1888
(the year of the war with Spain that
followed the blowing up Of the
Maine)-'to the direct effect of an
explosion exterior to the ship in that
vicinity"
Because of it's better opportunity
for a. detailed examination Of this
wreckage, now fully exposed, the
present board concluded that the
external explosion, which ignited the
magazine, was not in the vicinity of
this frame "18."
Gases Generated.
1.-THE protective deck and hull OF
the ship" said the report, formed
a closed chamber in which the gases
were generated and partially ex-
panded before rupture" /.
The bow portion of the Maine was
found pointed nose downward in the
mud, to port sides and lying on its
starboard side. The upper part of
that portion of the ship in the vicin-
ity of the forward magazines was
entirely swept away. Only about
one-half of the bottom was left in
position.
The Maine explosions occurred al
most fourteen years ago. In that dis
aster two officers and 264 of her
crew perished.
The report perfuctorily was or
dered printed and referred to the
naval affairs committees of the two