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

evidence OF having been violently
blown open !; small cord line. securing
forward yentilator fiap to upper star
board torpedo-tube door-handle, found
intact; and that. therefore,
II battery explosion occurred, 1t
was very violent.
81. Wood eoaming Of slop tank ad.
jacent to. forward battery positive ter
m:nal cell found badly charred; 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 hre elsewhere; and that, there
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, So and
IL this indentation found typical Of q
glancing side blow. being deepest at
Frame NO. ~ and becoming gradually
less pronounced toward the ends;
wire haWser marks on salient at fold
ed she'll Mating at Frame No. 72, but
nowhere else on line of this frame
indicating that indentation occurred
before salvage operations caused gem
eraI collapse Of she'll IN this vicinity; !.
pound old style anchor
picked up very close to the u. s. s..
F.4 ION March. %, 1879 indicating
that indentation could have resulted
from vessel striking auke of this an
Choir before settling to bottom; difh-
Guilty in visualizing any manner IN
which lifting sings could have caused
this indentation. However vessel
first examined by Chief Gunner's Mate
Chilly, on April IA. 1915; while in deep
water, vessel examined, from time to
time, by divers. with invariable 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; improbability Of divers failing
to note indentation so large as one in
question:. : port bow diving rudder
found rugged out and presenting no
evidence of collision: one-and three
fourths inch wire towing hawser,
which had been lopped around weasel
at about location of indentatinn, not
slipped until after surging OF forward
scoW ON May Is, 1915, and wire haw-
ser marks ON salient of folded shell
plating at Frame No. 70 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. So and II was caused
prior to salvage operations.
80. Divers particularly instructed to
examine shell plating for evidences oil
rupture or general collapse. and that.
therefore,
T Had condition such as was subse-
quently found forward of Frame No.
81 existed prior to the last stages OF
lifting scow operations, 1t could not
very well have escaped the notice of
the divers on their various dives.
Crushing Due to Salvage Operations.
"a. State of facts established, and
demonstrate, that.
In particular, the collapse of the
hull between Frames Nos. 81 and "
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 shell forward of
Frame No. 81 was caused, at one time
and another, by the salvage opera
to doubtful Conclusion
80.
IS. 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.
The vessel began to leak through
open seams when, or before, the
depth of three hundred feet was
reached, and at such 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
The water came from forward.
&c. Shell plating found ruptured
on line Of riyeting to torpedo-hatch