arrival at Havana. The sittings were held on the lighthouse tender
_Mangrove_, and lasted for a number of days; the court then adjourned to
Key West.

The investigation has been a secret one throughout, and though the
numerous correspondents have done their best to obtain information, very
few facts have been ascertained; and fact and fiction have been so mixed
in the newspaper accounts that it is not safe to accept as final any of
the statements.

In some foreign papers it has been hinted that the disaster resulted
from an accident due to lack of discipline on board the vessel. The
utter falseness of this statement is shown by the facts. Just think of a
crew, or what was left of it, mustering without confusion on the deck of
a sinking, burning vessel, and this vessel likely to be blown to pieces
at any moment! Could any better evidence of perfect discipline and
heroism be given? Every man took his place without comment; each order
was given quietly and coolly, and obeyed with precision. Is it possible
that an accident could have happened on that ship through lack of
discipline?

Of course, many of the newspaper accounts have more or less foundation
in fact, for no effort is spared by their correspondents to be the first
to ascertain and report the truth. The general impression now seems to
be that no explosion in the ship originated the disaster.

One New York paper stated that the most important evidence was given by
an officer of the _Fern_, who is said to have discovered that the keel
and armor-plates of the _Maine_ had been driven upward, this proving in
his opinion that the explosion must have occurred under the vessel.

The correspondent of this paper also said that the ten-inch and six-inch
magazines were upset and hurled from their places in opposite
directions, and added that the forward boilers were overturned and
wrecked. There were no fires under these boilers at the time of the
explosion. Fires were under the after boilers only.

He added, that from the discoveries of the divers there was every
indication that the explosion came from a point beneath the keel, just
forward of the conning-tower, and that this explosion drove keel,
plates, and ribs almost to the surface, the main force of the explosion
having been exerted on the port side of the vessel.

According to this report, the ascertained facts, collectively, indicate
that the contents of the reserve six-inch magazine were exploded by the
firs