Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-15
SENT TO CONGRESS
Vreeland Board on Destruction of
the Maine Confirms Finding of
Simpson Court.
THE PRIMARY CAUSE.
Battleship Destroyed By Submarine
Mine Low Explosive Used.

/ hhtnC n LOW LApfOSNC OSCu.
TIE report of the Vreeland board.
which visited the wreck of the Uni
| I'd States battleship Maine at Ha-
vana last month and after examina-
| tion of the exposed hull confirmed
the finding of the Sampson court of
inquiry of 1898 that the explosion of
| q submarine mine was the primary
cause of the destruction of the vessel,
was sent to Congress yesterday after
noon by President Taft. Accompany
| ing the report were a large number
of drawings and photograph showing
the position of portions of the vessel
displaced by the explosion.
Though the findings of the Vreeland
board, to the effect that an explosion
of a submarine under the Maine
caused the explosion of the 6-inch re-
serve magazine, which resulted in the
destruction of the vessel were made
public on their return from Havana
last week, the publication of the re-
port gives the first account of the
facts on which they based these con-
clusions. This report contains more
than 5000 words and in the main is a
discussion so technical as to baffie
the attempt of laymsn to discover
what is supposed to have taken place.
1t is possible, however, to ascertain
the reasoning by which it is concluded
that the explosion of a mine was the
primary cause. This conclusion is
stated by the Vreeland board as fol-
lows:
1.-THE board finds that the injuries
to the bottom of the Maine were
caused by the explosion of a charge of
a low form of explosive, exterior to
the ship, between frames % and 81,
strake B, port side. This resulted
in igniting and exploding the content )
of the 5-inch reserve magazine, said
contents including large quantity of
black powder. The more or less
complete explosion of the remaining
forward magazines followed. The
magazine explosions resulted in the
destruction of the vessel"
The Vreeland board report, fixing
| the position of the mine on the port
side between frames % and 81, 1,differs
from the Sampson court finding which
| fixed the position of the mine at frame
1S. This latter finding was based on
the reports of divers, and the Vree-
and board had opportunity to examine
the damaged section when fully ex-
posed. Both boards based their con-
| firmation of the mine theory on the
| fact that in the section between
| fromes 1S and 81 the keels were bro
/ ken and forced upward and the plates
bent inward. At frame 19 the Vree-
land board thinks the displacement
was largey due to the action of the
brown and black powders with which
the forward magazines were stored.
The Vreeland board also declared it.
self of the opinion that low explo-
sive was used in the mine. This as
| sumption was based mainly on the
fact that the plating in the vicinity
of the great hole between frames Is
and 81 was curved inward for con-
siderable distance, whereas high ex.
| plosive, it is believed, would have
made cleaner aperture.
The portions of the Vreeland board
report discussing the conditions at this
section of the hull are as follows:
The upper part of this area includ-
ing the starboard 10-inch turret and
guns, is entirey swept away There
is lett in position only about half OF
the bottom, nearly all of which is or
| the starboard side of tho ship.
The starboard half of plating with.
in the damaged area in vicinity OF
forward magazines, frames Is to 30,
is still practically intact as far up as
armor shelf, except for the irregular
/ diagonal beak forward, frame spaces
IT to "a.
The part outer bottom plating, be-
tween frames 18 and SO, is displaced
and distorted. The smaller area un
der which the mine is supposed tC
have been placed is described as fol
lows:
This section an area of approximate
| ly 100 square feet, was displaced up
ward, Inward and to starboard through
approximately 1s0 degrees, having
swung about an axis of about 45 de
grees from about 80 IA inboard an,
| forward to about 81 1-2 outboard anc
aft. The transverse floor plates be
tween the outer skin plating and the
inner bottom were crumpled; that par
of the inner bottom plating directl.
over this section of outside plating
was displaced inward and aft ant
crumpled in numerous folds. Tn,
longitudinal directly over the entir'
of B. stake to about frame % wa
twisted, the forward end displace'
upward and left approximately 81,
feet above its original position.
| The debris of FOUNDER, 6 FOUNDER
| 6 inch and 10 inch ammunition wa
found widely scattered throughou
the wreck. The location of mucl
of this material bore little relation
to its original stowage position. Pow
der tanks were torn asunder or crush
ed or fiattened, but few broken shell
/ were found.
Il The condition of the vertical an
fiat keel at frame 1S was ascribed b
the court of inquiry of 1908 to tn
direct effect of an explosion exterio
to the ship in the vicinity. Becaus
! of it better opportunity for detaile
examination of this wreckage, no.