NAVAL OODRTjtEPORT. (Con'tinued from Six...

NAVAL OODRTjtEPORT. (Con'tinued from Sixth Pago. ) ship. from a point eleven and one-halï íeet frotn the middle line of the ship, and six feet above the keel when in its normal position, has been forced p so as to be now about four feet above the surface of the water; thereiore about tliirty-four feet above where it would be had the ship sunk uninjured. The outside bottom plating ia bent into a reversed V shape, the after wingr of which about fifteen feet broad and thirty-two feet in length (from frame 17 to frame 25) is doubled back upon itself against the oontinuation of the same plating extendins forward At frame 18 the vertical keel isbroken in tvvo, and the flat keel bent into an angle similar to the angle formed by the outside bottom plating. This break is now about six feet below tlie surface of the water and about thirty feet above its normal position. In the opinión of the court this effect could have been produced only by the explosión of a mine situated under the bottom of the ship at about frame 18, and somevvhat on the port side of the ship. 6. The court fihds that the loss of the Maine, on the occasion named, was not in any respect due to fault or negligence on the part of any of the offïcers or members of the crew of said vessel. 7. In the opinión of the court the Maine was destroyed by the explosión of a submarine mine, which caused the partial explosión of two or more of her forward magazines. 8. The court has been unable to obtain evidence fixing the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine upon any perspn or persons. The court, having finished the inquiry it was ordered to make, adjourned at 11 a. m. to await the action of the eonvening authority. W. T. SAMPSON, Captain IT. S. N., President. A. MARIX, Lieut. Com. U. S. N., Judge Advocate. U. S. Flagship, New York. March 22 1898, off Key West. Fla.- The proceedings and findings of the court of inquiry in the above case are approved. M. SICARD, Rear Admiral. Commander-in-Chief of the U. S. Naval force on the North Atlantic Station. SOMK OF THE TESTIMONY L'pon Which the Nnval Bonrd of Iniiuiry Reuched ConrliiHions. The following are portions of the testimonyt Ensign W. V. N. Powelson was called the third day of the court. He testified that he had been present on the Maine every day from the arrival of the boat Fern and during a great deal of the diving. In reply to a question to teil the court all about the condition of the wreek, he said the forward part of theshipforward of the after smokestack had been to all appearances completely destroyed. The conning tower lay in a position opposite the door leading to the superstructure aft and to starboard, inclined at about HO degrees to the vertical with the top of the conning tower in board. Continuing, he described with close detail the condition under the main deck on the port side. The fixtures were completely wrecked, while fixtures in the same position on the starboard side were in some cases almost intact. The port bulkhead between the main and berth decks at the conning tower 9upport had been blown aft on both sides. but a great deal more on the port than on the starboard side. The fire room hatch immediately abaft of the conning tower had been blown in three direetions - aft, to starboard. and to port. The protective deok under the conning tower supports was bent in two directions, the plates on the starboard side being bent up and on the starboard side bent down. Bent Up to the Starboard. In reply to an inquiry as to whether he meant with reference to their original positions Ensign Powelson replied afflrmatively. The beam supporting thé protective deck a few inches abaft of the armored tube to port of the midship line was bent up to starboard of the midship line. Just forward of the conning tower, underneath the main deck two beams met at right angles, one beam was broken and pushed from port to starboard. A grating was found on the poop awning, just forward of the after searchlight. A piece of the side plating, just abaft of the starboard turret, was visible. This plate was bent outward and then the forward end bent upward and folded backward upon itself. "This plate was sheared from the rest of the plating below the water line. This plating below the water line has been pushed out to starboard." The armored gratings of the engine room hatch were blown off. A compoiüion strainer was picked up from the bottom on the starboard quarter at a point about opposite the poop capstan and about seventy feet from it. The chief engineer thought the strainer was from the firemen's wash room. It was not a strainer in the ship's side. Near the piece of outside plating to which witness referred above, he said there were pieces of red, shellaced planks. On these planks was bolted a composition track two inches wide and an inch thick. The Starboard Turret. Ensign Powelson then said that a 6inch powder tank that he saw appeared to be an empty tank broken by the explosión, as it was not badly dented and merely ripped the length of the seam. A 10-inch tank was badly battered out of any conceivable shape. Continuing, witness said the divers up to the night before he was then on the stand had not been on the outside of the ship. The mud was too deep for them to walk on the bottom. "What is the condition of the starboard turret?" witness was asked. "To my knowledge it was not found, sir," was the reply. He understood something had been found under the place where the turret formerly was, but its exact charac:er had not been determined. "What impression is produced u]on vour mind by the reports as far as you tiave quoted them?" Ensign Powelson was asked. "From reports alone, or from the appearance of the wreek?" "Either from such reports or the conditions which you believe exist." "The impression produced upon me," replied the witness, "is that an explosión took place well to the port of the midship line and at a point in the length about opposite the conning' tower." No Weight to Morgan's Statement. Witness, in reply to further questions, said his opinión was'based upon the observation of things above water. He gave no weight to Mr. Morgan's statement about falling into a hole on the port side because Morgan might have jeen mistaken about it. Referring to lis notes made of things on the Maine, Ensign Powelson said that the are of the engine room telegraph and the shaft of the steering gear coming down hrough the armored tube (turret) was bent from port to starboard. The port side of the protected deck was covered with a greasy deposit, the starboard side being comparatively free from it. The fcrward smoke pipe, between the main and superstructure decks, did not show signs of the internal pressure of gases. On the main deck, forward of the conning_ tower, where the fpre and after angle bulb tfeam was loeatefl, the planning was blown off on the only remaining plate of the main deck on the port side, while the wood was still attached to that part on the starboard side, betweeen the conning tower base and turrets. What witness saw would indícate that the press-ure lifted the protective deck up on the port side, and the protective deck on the starboard side, and the protective deck on the starboard side held fast and bent that deck downward. Witness here exhibited two sketches to the court showing diagram of various parts of the sunken snip and explained them to the court. Could See the Píate. The witneps' evidence about the strip on the starboard side of the outside plating of the ship which was folded and rolled back was recalled to him, and Powelson said he could see plate underneath it was bent outward, as it was only two feet under water where the shear occurred. Witness had taken soundings and had found flve fathoms of water on both sides of the Maine down to the mud. Taking a 14-pound lead line and dragging with a wherry for obstructions on the port side. dragging close to where he thought the water ways would be found, he found no obstructions whatever. On the starboard side he found obstructions for twenty feet where he had reason to believe that the waterways had originally been. In answer to questions he said there was nothing' Ieft of the port plating at all. He dragged along the outside to see if anything had fallen out and found nothing. Witness thought the ship on the port side was entirely gone opposite points indicated on a diagram handed the court. It was entirely blown out. This coneluded Knsign Powelson's testimony on the third day. CaptHin Mjisbee's Testimony. Captain Sigsbee in testifying before the court of inquiry, which convened in the harbor of Havana Monday, Feb. 21. said that he assumed command of the Maine on April 10, 1897, and that his ship arrived in the harbor of Havana the last time Jan. 24, 1898. The authorities at Havana knew of the Maine's coming. Consul General Leo having informed the authorities according to official custom. After he took on an official pilot, sent by the captain of the port of Havana, the ship was berthed in the man-of-war anchorage off the Machina, or the Shears, and according to his understanding was one of the regular buoys of the place. He then stated that he had been in Havana in 1872 and again in 1898. He could not state whether the Maine was placed in the usual berth for menof-war. büt said that he had heard remarks since the explosión, using Captain Stevens, temporarily in command of the Ward line steamer City of Washington as authority. for the statement that he had never known in all his experience, which covered visits to Havana for flve or six years, a man-ofwar to be anchored at that buoy; that he had rarely known merchant vessels to be anchored there and that it was the least used buoy in the harbor. .SurrouniliiiffK of the Maine. In describing the surroundings when first moored to this buoy Captain Sigsbee stated that the Sjpanish man-ofwar Alphonso XII was moored in posltion now occupied by the Fern, about 250 yards to the northward and westward of the Maine. The Germán ship Griesenau was anchored at the berth now occupied by the Spanish man-ofwar Legaspe, which is about 400 yards about due north from the Maine. He then located the Germán man-of-war Charlotte, which came into the harbor a day or two later, which was anchored to the southward of the Maine's berth, about 400 or 500 yards. In describing the surroundings at the time of the explosión, Captain Sigsbee stated that the night was calm and ,still. The Alphonso XII was at the same berth. The small Spanish dispatch boat Legaspe had come out the day before and taken the berth occupied by the Germán man-of-war, the Griesenau. which had Ieft. The steamer City of Washington was anchored about 200 yards to the south and east of the Maine's stern, slightly on the port quartcr. He had no recollection of any work going on in the magazine or Shell rooms on the day of the explosión. The keys were called for in the usual way on the day in question and were properly returned. At the time of the disaster the two after boilers in the after fire room were in use because the hydraulic system was somewhat leaking. Testimony of General Lee. Consul General Fitzhugh Lee appeared before the court on March 8. His testimony related to the official formalities preceding the Maine's arrival. On Jan. 24 he received a message from the state department saying that the Maine would be sent to Havana on a friendly visit to resume the regular status of naval relations between the two countries, and he was ordered to make arrangements at the palace for the interchange of official courtesies. After a cali at the palace he sent the state department a cipher, saying: "Authorities profess to think the United States has ulterior purpose in sending the ship. Say it will obstruct autonomy and produce excitement and most probably a demonstration. Ask that it not be done till they can get instructions from Madrid. Say that if for friendly purpose, as claimed, delay is unimportant." It was too late, however, the Maine had already sailed. She arrived next day and Lee reported her arrival to the state department. ■Vaiiiwrisrt's Testimony. Lieutenant Commander Richard Wainwright testified that the regulations in regard to paints and inflammables and all other precautions were strictly carried out on board ship. Every possible care was taken to avoid accident. All visitors were scrutinized before being a'lowed to come on board the ship. Nobody was allowed unaccompanied. Special lookouts were required at night. No unauthorized boats were allowed to approach the ship. There was fine discipline, obedient crew, quiet men. He was in the captain's office at the time of the explosión; feit a very heavy shock, and heard noise of falling objects on deck. Thought the ship was being flred upon. Was told by the captain to see the boats were lowered. He saw few men coming, mostly officers. He saw no reason to flood the magazines because water was coming up. He saw fire forward. Boats began to crowd around the wreek. He induced boats to take the wounded to different veseels. He ordered a list taken of the saved and wounded. There was excellent discipline after the explosión. Orders were followed with promptness of a drill. The only order not obeyed was the one to leave ship. He first examined the wreek at daylight the following morning. He took a gig, with Lieutenant Hood and a few men. and attempted to board the wreek. He was warned off by an avmed boat's crew of Spaniards and then pulled around the wreek. There were still some burning fragments. Testimony of Chief Gunner's Mate. Chief Gunner's Mate Olsen of the U. S. S. Iowa, told how he had been sent to Havana for the purpose of doing diving duty on the wreek. He had descended foür times, making about eight or nine hours of total examination. Olsen told how on his first descent ho went over the forward part of the .ghirj Tó"usè his 'öwn "expression, he sald: "I found the wreek all blowed up. I found a lot of grate bars down there The second time he went down furtner forward and there located a lot of 10-inch Bhells. Forward of these the plates were bent inboard over them. Asked if he imagined himself lookingr forward he stated that he did. Going over the plates he struck into a lot ot 6-inch shells with the slings on them. Going to the right witness stated h; found a lot of wreckage. It seemed tu have been blown over the starooard. Olsen stated that he put his hand into the cranks and brought out several 6pounder shells. The next time he went down, Olsen testified, he went outside the snip, forward of the crane on the port side. He folio wed the bot torn along and found that the ship's slde was blown outboard and alongside the crane it could be walked on. "At the part where she is blown up completely," witness said, "part of her bottom plates are turned up. Then you follow the bottom from there up and the plates are blown outboard. At the top and underneath the bottom they are blown inboard and bent in. About three feet forward of that spot there is a piece of iron laid along the bulkhead. The skin of the inside of the doublé bottoms is curled like a sheet of paper inboard from stem to stern. Amidships on the same place there is an armor píate, one píate complete, the top of the plate standing up. The plate is inclined over the starboard completely. It stands up with. the thick part of the plate down.