Newspaper Page Text
Chronic le.
VOL. II.
the Board of
Inquiry.
BATTLESHIP WAS DESTROY
ED BY SUBMARINE MINE.
FULL TEH OF THE DOCUMENT.
The Mine Explosion Caused ihe
partial Explosion of Two
of the Ship’s Forward
Magazines.
Washington, March 28.—The fol
lowing is the full text of the report of
the-court of inquiry, submitted to con
gress today:
United States Battleship Iowa,
Key West, Fla., March 21, 1898.—
After full aihl mature consideration of
#
all the testimony before it, the court
timhs as follows:
1. That the United States battleship
Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana,
Cuba,- on the 25th day of January,
eighteen hundred and ninety-eight,
and was taken to buoy No. 4. in from
five, and a half to six fathoms of water,
by the regular government pilot.
The United States consul general at
Havana had notified the authorities at
that place the previous evening of the
intended arrival of the Maine.
2. The state of discipline on board
the Maine was excellent,and all orders
and and regulations safety of the in ship regard to the strictly care
were
carried out.
All ammunitions was stowed in ac
cordance with prescribed instructions, which
and proper care was taken with
ammunition was handled.
Nothing was stowed'in any one of
the magazines or shell rooms which
was not permitted to he stowed.there.
The magazines and shell rooms
were always locked after having been
opened; and after the destruction of
the Maine the keys wore found in their
proper place in the captain’s cabin,
everything having been reported se
cure that evening at 8 o’clock.
The temperature of the magazines
and shell rooms were taken daily and
reported. The only magazine which
In d an undue amount of heat was the
after ten-inch magazine, and that did
not explode at the time the Maine was
destroyed. -heads all
The torpedo war were
slowed in the after part of the ship un
der the ward room, and neither caused
nor participated in the destruction of
the Maine.
• The dry gun cotton primers and de
tonators were stowed in the cabin aft,
and remote from the scene of the ex
plosion. looked after
Waste was carefully on
hoard the Maine to obviate danger.
Special orders in regard to this bad
been given by the commanding officer.
Varnishes, dryers, alcohol and other
combustibles of this nature were stow
ed on or above the main deck,and could
not have had anything to do with tliede
struction of the Maine,
The medical stores were stowed aft
ur.der the ward room and remote from
the scene of the explosion. No dan
gerous stores of any kind were stowed
below in any of the other storerooms.
The coal bunkers were inspected daily.
Of those bunkers adjacent to the for
ward magaz'Ties and shell rooms, four
were empty, nnmely: B 3, B 4, B 5,
B 0.
“A 15” had been in use that day
and “A 16” was full of new river coal.
This coal had been carefully inspected
before receiving it on board. The
hunker in which it was stowed was ae
feasible on three sides at all times and
. the fourth side-at this time, on account
of hunkers “B 4” and “B 6” being
.empty. This bunker, “A 10,” bad
been inspected that day by the officer
on duty.
The lire alarms in the bunkers were
in working order, and there had never
been a case of spontaneous combustion
of coal on board the Maine.
The two after boilers of the ship
were in use at the time of the disaster,
but for auxiliary purposes only, with
a.comparatively low pressure of steam,
and being tended by a reliable watch.
These boilers could not have caused
the explosion of the ship. The four
forward boilers have since been found
by the divers and are in a fair condi
tivu.
, On the night of the destruction
the Maine everything had been
ported secure for the night; at G p.m.,
by reliable persons,through the
authorities to the commanding officer.
At the time the Maine was
the ship was quiet, and therefore
ABBKVjIjLK. GA., THURSDAY MARCH 111. ISHS.
liable to accident caused by move
ments from those on hoard.
Destruction of the Maine ami the Jixplo-
8ion.
3. The destruction of the Maine oc
curred at 9 :40 p. m., on the 15t h day of
February, 1898, in the harbor of Ha
vana, Cuba, she being at the time
moored to the same buoy to which she
had been taken upon her arrival.
There were two explosions of a dis
tinctly different.character, with a very
short but distinct interval between
them, lifted and the forward marked part degree of the ship the
was to a at
time of the first explosion.
The first explosion was more in the
nature of a report, like that of a gun,
while the second explosion was inorb
open, prolonged, and of greater vol
ume. This second explosion was in the
opinion of the court, caused by the
partial explosion of two or more of the
forward magazines of the Maine.
4. The evidence hearing upon this,
did being principally obtained from divers,
not enable the court to form a defi
nite conclusion as to the condition of
the wreck, although it was established
that the after part of the ship was prac
tically intact and sank in that condi
tion in a very few minutes after the
destruction of the forward part.
The following facts in regal'd to
the forward part of the ship are, how
ever, established by the testimony:
That portion of the port side of the
protective deck, which extends from
about frame 30 to about 41 was blown
up, aft and over to the port. The inaiil
deck from about frame 30 to about
rame 41 was blown up and slightly
starboard folding the forward part of
tiie middle superstructure over and on
top of the after part.
This was, in the opinion of the
court, caused by the partial explosion
of two or more of the forward maga
zines of the Maine.
5. At frame 17 the outer shell of the
ship from a point 114 feet from the
middle tine of the ship and six feet
above the keel when in its normal po
aitiou, has been forced up so as to be
now about four feet above the surface
of the water; therefore about 34 feet
above where it would he had it
sunk uninjured. The side bottom
plating is bent into a reverse in the V
shape, the afterwing of which, about
15 feet broad and 32 feet in length
(from frame 17 to 25), is doubled back
upon itself against the continuation of
the plate extending forward.
At- frame 18 the vertical keel is
broken in two, and the flat keel bent
into an angle similar to the angle form
ed by the outside bottom plating. This
break is now about six feet below the
surface of the water, and about 30 feet
above its normal position.
In the opinion of the court this ef
feet could have been produced only by
the explosion of a mine situated under
the bottom of the ship at about frame
18, and somewhat on the port side of
the ship.
6. The court finds 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 tho
officers or members of the crew of said
vessel.
Tlie Maine "Wrecked Hy Submarine Mine,
7. In the opinion of the court, tho
was destroyed by the explosion
of a submarine mine, which caused the
partial explosion of two or more of her
forward magazines.
8. The court has been unable to oh
tain evidence fixing tlie responsibility
for the destruction of the Maine upon
atiy person or persons.
(Signed) W. T. .Sampson,
Captain U. S. N ITcsidcnt.
A. Maiux,
Lieutenant Commander U.8.N., Judge
Advocate.
The court, having finished the in- .
quiry it was ordered to make, adjourn
ed at 11 a.m. to await the action of the
convening authority.
(Signed) W. T. Sampson,
Captain U. S. N., President.
A. Makix, Lieutenant Commander
IT 8. N„ Judge Advocate
U. S. Flagship New Yolk, March
22, 1898.-Off Key West, Fbi.-The
proceedings and findings of the court
=«»>« »,
ESS) Commander M. in Sicaud, Chief E«„'Admir.l. of the United
States Naval Force on the North
Atlantic Station.
STILL BUYING PROJECTILES.
Bureau of Ordnance Awards Hie Contrieto
to ' train,a Firms.
The bureau of ordnance, Wednes
day, awarded contracts for supplying
about sixteen hundred east iron pro
jectils for seacoast forfications. As
rapidly as completed they will be
shipped to (he various places at which
they are needed. Two contracts—the Virginia com
panics were gived the and Trede
Petersburg Iron Works the
A DOUBLE MURDER.
John Watts, of Cochran, Oh., Slays Two
Men.
The entire town of Cochran, Oa.,
was thrown into a state of wild excite
ment Thursday over the report of a
double murder committed three miles
below the town by Mr. John Watts, a
citizen and oldest son of Cochran’s
mayor, Mr. W’. B. Watts.
Watts victims were Mr. Joe laiks,
a cotton speculator, and a negro named
John Picker.
THE- MAINE COURT .OF INQUIRY.
Of!
m II
I ;
4fk, 7
a
%
A
j
tCfwY
i h M
; ■/?
mi
k \
o Q
CAPTAIN W. T. SAMPSON.
CAPTAIN F. E. CHADWICK.
in lie mi no.
PRESIDENT STATUS HIS PROGRAM
T0 t : L 0SE FRIENDS,
HE FAVORS PEACE, If POSSIBLE,
Will ISd* Firm* However, In Carrying
Out Plans As Agreed Upon, Regard
less of Result.
A Washington special says: While
Saturday was devoid of developments,
there was no decrease in the excitement
over tjje Spanish situation,, but rather
an increase based upon the constantly
growing condition that war is inevit
able.
Even those who are most optimistic
have been brought to the conclusion
that the chances for a .peaceful settle
ment of the present difficulties are so
slim as to be almost none at all.
When the temper of congress is tak
en into consideration it looks as if the
only posihility of pence lies in Span
Kb acknowledgment of Cuban free
dom.
President McKinley talked freely
with his congressional visitors during
the day both ill regard to the higher
plans for the future and his appreeia
tion of the situation with reference to
Cuba,
The president indicated to his call
ers an abiding faith that peace still
may be preserved and a determination
on his part to accomplish that end if
it, may be done with honor to our
country.’ and without disregarding the
demands of humanity.
He frankly and repeatedly averred
his desire to prevent a conihefc, while
at the same time indicating a firm pnr
pose to secure relief for the starving
reconoentrados. Indeed, the
purpose appeared to be the topic
permost in the president’s mind. Ite
dwelled upon the fact that the
liition of belligerent rights or of inde
service to those unfortunates. He
admitted that such action might be of
assistance to the men at arms—the
surgent army-hut they themselves
have shown a capacity to take care of
ThTilrlltot' obstacles tall™' to Spam sending
interpose no people our and1 h.
succor to her indigent
will ask congress to act promptly, that
pJesL“g ne^esIitieA
Mr ' McKinley reverted often in Ills
conversations to his desire to main
tain peace, and dwelt upon the fact
that war meant not only the .loss of life
and property, but that it also wo i d
injure our commerce, disturb business
eond, ions generally,increase our pub
llG d «bt, add to our pension roll an 1
result in many ways to our
tage and distioss. He a 6 °.
1(; that whatever lie , d
L ' ar course m g
hands of Spain for the loss of tho
Maine, preferring to leave that matter
to the adjustment of a more quiet pe
riod. Th<j president also spoke of
possible complications with other na
tions, hut did not manifest any unea
siness on this score.
Senators who have visited the presi
dent bave without exception, so far as
C£m be i earne a, assured him that the
senate appreciates his efforts to
gerve peace under proper conditions
aU(1 liay0 to j d Lim tliat tbere is no
COMMANDER ADOLPH MARIX.
LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER W. P. POTTER.
danger of precipitate action in that
body. They gave the impression that
if the worst comes,and it is absolutely
determined that no other course will
avail, the president will he found pre
pared for armed intervention.
Outlie score of poiiu... ho assures
them that he would rather see the re
publican party fail of future success
than to wage an unjust war; but that
if war must come, it must be a war
for humanity, and that this fact must
he made so evident that he will have
the entire nation behind him in a con
, .
SPAIN MAKES FIRM REPLY.
Says Government Will Not, Tolerate In
vasion of Spanish IthrtOs.
A Washington special says: It can
he stated on positive information that
this government has informed Spain
that the conditions now existing in
Cuba have become intolerable to the
pcopJe of this country, and that hos
t.l.tie* on.the island must close. This
policy is m direct line with the views
of the president as expressed in his
last message to congress.
President McKni ey cabled two
notes to Spam through Minister Wood
too, . One deals with the. destruction
,, the Maine; the other with President
McKinley s plans of humanitarian in
tei-vention by the United States m the
Ouban war Both notes are expressed
in strong, firm language, without sug
gestion of threat. They are, perhaps,
“ Fm7lTdestru,dion of the Maine the
president demands no indemnity. He
merely acquaints the Madrid govern
ment with tho facts that the naval
..
" ,m ” i 1 >'I n 1 * > ■ 1 1 •
"as blown up:in Havana^ l«a.bor by
ext «' I,al agency and that nothing hut
a hhiil oi iir\>u o o u' J* 1
r, K 'ssin.mitu the facts to the
, -. i v
1 ^ ov ^! . 1111 * 1 ' w ‘ l a ,
'
, . t •
■ K memoramb.m ' l
. . , „
*■ 111 1 ’ 11 ' T
11 ‘ " “ ,i v,,,t
s ,
'
. suffering people in
««« \ l-'aetu al , term assigned for the
‘-g' 11 !’ e 0 ora ion > 1’ ,UI l ; * ' ’
d«r u. that island. The Spanish reply
» equally nm.
^ ’ JsSlih’iSto ‘ ^ b
Ifili e ^175 j te s sending
, p re8ideut McK i„ley, on the
f ound that it would encourage the
® ‘X ,‘otween Aoes „ ot l,, a( l to actual
( t the authorities of the
Uj)ite(1 8tntes an( ] Spain,
H in la J s rimc H stress upon the ef
{orlH Bho b aH made to satisfy the views
f t , x’nited States and to preserve
cordial rolations w Y,ile endeavoring to
jtj , , j thnB
the pacification of Cuba, which has
been retarded so long only because of
: t , j q , na tevial assistance given
rebellion fund raised in North Amenta.
GLADSTONE VERY LOW.
Elaborate Precaution* Taken to Keep In
formation from the Pro**.
Advices of Sunday from London
| state that elaborate precautions have
been taken to keep any information
j the from serious reaching illness the of press Mr. concerning Gladstone,
! lint it is learned, nevertheless, that
I his condition is most critical.
Reviews Report
of the Court.
IS READ IN THE CONGRESS.
A Concise Statement of the Views of
This Government Given By Our
Chief Executive.
Washington, March 28.—The pres
ident today sent the following message
to congress:
To the Congress op the United
States:
For some time prior to the visit of
the Maine to Havana harbor our con
sular representatives pointed out the
advantages to flow from the visit of
national ships to the Cuban waters, in
accustoming the people to the pres
ence of our flag as the symbol of good
will and of our ships in the fulfillment
of the mission of protection to Ameri
can interests, even though no imnie
diate need therefor might exist.
Vi*u i vU-miiy.
* Accordingly on the 24th of January
lnst - conference " ,th tl,e S P ,l,nsh
minister, in which the renewal of
visits of our war vessels to Spanish
waters was d...cussed and accepted,
the peninsular authorities at Madrid
Havana were advised of the pm
” f «hh government Cuban to resume ports,
friendly navel visits at
and that in that view the Maine would
oi thwitli call at the port ot Havana,
announcement was race -«d by
th .“ *»pam«h government with apprec.
ntion of the friendly character notification of the
visit of the Maine and with
of intention to return the courtesy by
sending Spanish ships to the principal
ports of the United States. Meanwhile
the Maine entered the port of Havana
on the 25tli of January, her arrival
being marked with no special incident
besides the exchange of customary sa
lutes at ceremonial visits.
The Maine continued in the harbor
q{ h during threo wee ks fol
j . » ^ arriva l. No appreciable ex
oitMn Bt aUem ,e,l her stay. On the
coat ' ft feeling of relief and co.ifi
(leuee f Howed the ve8nml>t ion of the
long * interrupted J friendly immediate intercourse.
otice , tb , e W(lfl thi „ effect
isit „ t ^ ,. omn i. geuw . al
8t , A tllat the presellC e of
s]liCll i, ftII w(lt er« should ho kept
J retj|inillg fa the Maine at Havana,
- send
f] Uor roca n t ,,y
■ allotW veBBol tllore to take her
1 ’
Destroyed Hy Kxploxion.
At 40 minutes past 9 in the evening
° 15th ° f *«brunry the.Maine was de
Greyed by an explosion, by which the
°» 1 ‘™ ^’ward part of the ship was
utterly wrecked. In this catastrophe
two officers and two hundred and
sixty-four of her drew perished, those
of her crew who were not killed out
hy her explosion being penned
betw<>e “ l \ eckfl wreck
ai<e and drowned )>y tlie immediate
sinking of the hull.
Prompt assistance was rendered by
the neighboring vessels anchored in
the harbor, niil being especially given
by the boats of the Spanish cruiser
Aljihonso XII and the Ward line
Reamer City of Washington, which
generously eared for by Hie au
thorities ot Havana, the hospitals be
ing freely opened hi them, while the
earliest recovered bodies of the dead
were interred by tho municipality in a
public cemetery in the city. Trib
utes of grief and sympathy were of
fered from all official quarters of the
island.
The appalling calamity fell upon
tho people of thin country with crush
ing force, and for a brief time an in
tense excitement prevailed, which, in
k community less just, and self-con
trolled than ours, might have led to
lmsty acts of blind resentment. This
spirit, however, soon gave way to the
calmer processes of reason and to the
resolve to investigate the facts and
await material proof before forming a
judgment as to the cause, the respon
sibility, and if the facts warranted,tho
remedy due. This course necessarily
recommended itself from the outset to
the executive, for only in the light of
a dispassionately ascertained certainty
couhl it determine the nature and
measure e >f its full duty in the matter.
'I ltv. Court of Inquiry.
The usual procedure was followed,
as in all cases of casualty or disaster
to national vessels of any maritime
state. A naval court of inquiry was at
once organized, composed of officers
well qualified by rank and practical
experience to discharge tho onerous
duty imposed upon them. Aided by
a strong force of wreckers and divers,
NO. II.
the court proceeded to make a thor
ough investigation on the spot,employ
ing every available means for the im
partial and exact determination of the
causes of the explosion.
Its operations have been conducted
with the utmost deliberation and judg
ment, and while independently pur
sued, no source of information was
neglected and the fullest opportunity
was allowed for a simultaneous inves
tigation by the Spanish government.
The finding of the court of inquiry
was reached after 23 days of continu
ous labor, on the 21st of March, in
stant, and having been approved ■* on
the 22d by the commander-in-ohief of
the United States naval force on the
North Atlantic station,was transmitted
to the executive.
ft is herewith laid before the con
gress, together with the voluminous
testimony taken before the court.
Its purpose is, in brief, as follows:
When the Maine arrived at Havana
she was conducted by the regular gov
ernment pilot to buoy No. 4, to which
she was moored in from five and one
half to six fathoms of xvatev.
The-stnte of discipline on board and
the condition of her magazines, boil
ers, coal bankers and storage compart
ments are passed in review, with the
conclusion that excellent order pre
vailed and that no indication of any
cause for an internal explosion existed
in any quarter.
VeHnel .Suddenly Destroyed.
At 8 o’clock on the evening of Feb
ruary 15tli everything had been re
ported secure and all was quiet.
At 40 minutes past 9 o’clock the
vessel was suddenly destroyed.
There were two distinct explosions,
with a brief interval between them.
The first lifted the forward part of
the ship very perceptibly; the second,
which was more open, prolonged and
of greater volume, is attributed by the
court to the partial explosion of two
or more of the forward magazines.
The evidence of the divers estab
lishes that the after part of the ship
was practically intact and sank in that
condition a very few minutes after the
explosion. The forward part was com
pletely demolished.
Upon the evidence of the concurrent
internal cause (he finding of the court
is ns follows:
“At frame 18 the outer shell of the
ship, from a point eleven and oue-half
feet, from the middle Hue of the ship
and six feet above the keel whan in its
normal position, had been forced up
so as to be now about four feet above
the surface of the water, therefore,
about 34 feet above where it would he
had (he ship sunk uninjured.
'The outside bottom plating is bent
into a reverse V shape, the after wing
of which, about 15 feet broad and 32
feet in length (from frame 17 to frame
25), is doubled hack up in itself against
the continuation of the same* plating
extending forward. keel
At frame 18 the vertical is brok
en in two and the fiat keel is bent in
to an angle similar to the angle form
ed by the outside bottom plates, The
break is now about six feet below the
surface of the water and about 30 feet
above its normal position.
In the opinion of the court, this
effect could have been produced oidy
by the explosion of a mine situated
under the bottom of the ship at about
frame 18 and somewhat on the port
side of the ship.
Co lirl,’8 f'oiM’l IlHioilN.
The conclusions of the court are;
The Iohh of the Maine was not due
to negligence on the part of any of the
officers or members of her crew.
That the ship was destroyed hy tho
explosion of a submarine mine, which
caused the partial explosion of two
or more of her forward magazines,and
that no evidence has been obtainable
showing the responsibly of the de
struction of the Maine upon any per
son or persons. the finding of
I have directed that
the court of inquiry and the views of
this government tlieron he communi
cated to the government of her majes
ty, the queenf and I do not permit my
self to doubt that the sense of justice
of the Spanish nation will dictate a
course of action suggested hy honor
and the friendly relations of the two
governments. will duty executive to
It be of the
advise the congress of the result, and
in the meantime deliberate considera
tion is invoked.
William McKinley.
Executive Mansion, March 28, 1898.
In neither senate or house was there
any debate on reference of president’s
message and other documents to com
mittees having charge “of our Cuban
relations.
GEORGIA DISPENSARIES LEGAL.
State Supreme Court Passes On Validity of
Legislative Act.
Georgia’s local dispensary laws pass
ed by the legislature for various coun
ties in the state were declared valid
and constitutional bth, the supreme
court in an aide decision rendered
Thursday morning. decided
The particular cases made were
those brought about by*an attack
on the dispensary taws passed in 1897,
foiAlie benefit of Terrell and Early
counties, but the decision is of great
importance to the people of the stntv.