Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-10


evidence Of having been violently
blown open: small cord line, securing
| forward ventilator flap to upper star
board tOrpedo-tube d00r-handle, found
intact: and that, therefore,
II a battery explosion occurred. +
was very violent.
81. Wood coaming OF sIop tank ad
jacent to forward battery positive ter
n8.naI cell found badly eharred: hard
rubber around terminal connection
found charred: fused piece OF battery
glass lining insulator and small piece
OF charred rubber, coming probably
from vicinity of this cell; no evidence
of FIRE elsewhere; and that, there
FORE,
Al battery fire Of limited extent oc
CURED in the forward battery positive
cell; but that, nevertheless,
This battery fire was not the pri
mary cause Of the disaster.
80. Dent found IN shell plating on
port side. between Frames Nos 50 and
n: this indentation found typical Of Q
glancing side blow, being deepest at
Frame No. 70 and becoming gradually
less pronounced toward the ends:
wire haWsers marks on salient OF fold
ed shell plating at Frame No. ~, but
nowhere else on line OF, this frame
indicating that indentatfon occurred
before salvage operations caused gen
EerAl collapse Of shell in this vicinity;
seven thousand pound old style anchor
picked up very close to the u. S. s.
IA Con March %, 1851 Indicating
that indentation could have resulted
from vessel striking fiuke of this an
Choir before settling to bottom; diff,
Guilty in visualizing any manner In
which lifting slings could have caused
this, indentaticn. HOwever-ves
first examined by Chief Gunner's Mate
CriIly, on April IA, 1915: while in deep
water, vessel examined, from time to
time. by divers. with inyariable report
that. no holes or other evidences OF
external damage with exception OF
torn coming tower-tear caused by
early dragging operations) could be
found; improbab ility of divers failing
to note indentation so large as one in
question; port bow diving rudder
found rugged out and presenting nc
evidence OF collision: one-and-three-
fourths inch wire towing l1awser
which had been looped around vessel
at about location Of indentation. not
slipped until after surging Of forward
scow on May 25, 1915, and wire haw.
ser marks on salient OF folded shell
plating at Frame No. " being possibly
caused by this hawser: buckling OF
shell plating abaft this indentation
presenting no effects similar to ones
resulting from collision; these above
arguments thus appearing to balance
each other, respectively; and that,
therefore,
No definite conclusion can be drawn
as to whether or not the dent between
Frames Nos. go and u was caused
prior to salvage operations.
SO. Divers particularly instructed to
examine shell plating for evidences OF
rupture or general collapse, and that
therefore,,
Had a condition such as was subse'
quently found forward of Frame No
81 existed prior to the last stages OF
lifting scow operations, it could not
very wen have escaped the notice OF
the divers on their various dives.
Crushing Due to Salvage Operations
"a. State of facts established, and
photographs, demonstrate, that
In particular, the. collapse of the
hull between Frames Nos. 81 and az
was caused, on May 25, 1915, by the
violent surging of the forward lifting
scow; and that
In general, the, damage to the up
per portion of the she'll forward OF
Frame No. 81 was caused. at one time
and another, by the salvage opera
tions-subjeet to doubtful Conclusion
80.
35. Leak found in port wall of for
ward battery steel tank; probable
leaks around certain other corroded
rivets in both battery tanks; probable
leak through open torpedo-tubes; 9th.
erwise, no positive evidence found as
to where leakage occurred; and that
therefore, 's .
The vessel began to leak through
open seams when, or before, the
depth of three hundred feet was
reached, and at such a rate that the
weight of water coming in was great.
er than the weight of water being ex.
PEELED from the ballast tanks; and
that, furthermore 4 la.
The water came from forward
SO. Shell plating found ruptured
on line OF riyeting to toFpedo-hatch