required by law, replied that his name was Don Juan Lopez Perez; that he was of age, and deputy health inspector of the first class of the navy, and at the present time chief of the branch at the station. Being asked to declare what number of wounded men coming from the disaster on the Maine he attended during the last night, and in regard to the nature of the wounds which he tended, he said that he assisted in and directed the attendance of all the wounded that came to the "Machina," giving his attention on the arrival of an adequate medical personnel to organizing the ambulance and direction services as chief of the health service at the station. Being asked whether he was able to attend to all these cases with all the requisite implements, he said "Yes," for besides the supplies of the navy, the army, and the fire brigade several private pharmacists supplied at once whatever was needed. Being asked whether he has heard either the said wounded people or the persous communicating with them say anything in relation to the cause that may have occasioned the disaster, he said that he does not know English, but he heard one of the wounded men say that the cause of the event was the blowing up of the powder magazine, a declaration which I did not understand directly for the reason above given, but which I knew by the medium of a civilian acquainted with the language, who was there. Being asked whether he can give any information as to who that civilian was and whether he remembered the wounded man who made the statement, he said that it was impossible for him to say accurately anything, for at that time of confusion he endeavored chiefly to attend to the organization of the service. Being asked whether he knows approximately the number of wounded men attended under his direction, he said that approximately some twenty-five were attended in the "Machina," he directing that the most seriously hurt be transported to the San Ambrosio hospital, and that those less hurt be transported to that of Alfonso XIII, the injuries being generally the result of wide but not deep burns. At this stage this declaration was suspended, the witness reading it, fully affirming it, and ratifying its contents and signing it with the judge in the presence of the secretary, who certified it. JUAN LOPEZ PEREZ. [Sign manual.] PEDRO DEL PERAL. [Sign manual.] ORDER. At Havana, on the sixteenth of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, his honor determined to address a polite official note to the jurisdictional authority requesting for an examination of the bottom of the American ship the requisite authority and assistance. So his honor dictated before me, the secretary, who certifies. JAVIER DE SAAS. [Sign manual.] MINUTES. At Havana, on the sixteenth of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, there was delivered to the most excellent commandergeneral of the station a polite note, in compliance with and to the ends of the beforegoing order. I so certify. JAVER DE SAAS. [Sign manual.] DEPOSITION OF THE CHIEF SURGEON OF THE Fleet d, auGUSTIN MACHORRO. At Havana, on the sixteenth of February, one thousand eight hun dred and ninety-eight, appeared before this court the officer named in the margin, who, being advised of the object for which his deposition was wanted, swore to tell the truth, he being reminded of the penalties incurred by those who give false testimony, and being asked the usual question, declared himself his name to be Don Augustin Machorro y Amenabar, of full age, physician in chief of the navy, employed on board of the gunboat Magallanes, and married. When asked whether he treated any of the wounded men from the Maine, and was directed, if so, to tell the number and kind of the wounds, as well as all that he knew in connection with the disaster, he said that from the first moment when he was present on board of the Machina be treated several of the wounded, all of them belonging to the crew of the ironclad Maine, that they presented, as their general character, extensive and superficial burns, which covered almost all the exposed parts, principally face, arms, and legs; that after he had finished treating those who were on board of the Machina, in which he was assisted by several other physicians belonging to the staff, that they likewise went on board of the cruiser Alfonso XII, where he also treated persons who had received similar injuries; that he afterwards went on board of the American steamer City of Washington, where he saw 24 seamen who had received slight wounds, almost all of them being burns and contusions which had been treated by the physicians attached to the Maine, who was already there; that those who were treated by him personally were 4 or 5 on board of the Machina and the same number on board of the Alfonso XII, although we can not state the precise number. As to the causes, he was unable to say what they were, and when he asked the surgeon on board the American war ship, that surgeon told him the same thing. This deposition stopped here and the deponent read it and ratified its contents, signing it with his honor the judge and with me, the clerk of the court, who certify. AUGUSTIN MACHORRA. [Flourish.] PEDRO DEL PARAL. [Flourish.] DEPOSITION OF THE PHYSICIAN IN CHIEF OF THE NAVY, DON GABRIEL LOPEZ MARTIN. In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, appeared before this court the aforesaid officer, who, being reminded of the reason why his deposition was needed, made oath that he would tell the truth, and having been informed of the penalties incurred by a person who bears false testimony, he was asked the usual preliminary questions. He said that his name was Don Gabriel Lopez Martin; that he was physician in chief of the navy, employed at this naval station; that he was married, and of full age. Being asked whether he attended the wounded men yesterday who had received their wounds in consequence of the disaster to the Maine, and what was the number and kind of said wounds, and being requested to tell all that he knew in connection with the matter, he said that when he heard the explosion, in his house in the navy-yard where he was, and suspecting that it might be some accident of importance in the bay, which he did judging from the direction in which he saw the light of the explosion, he went to the commandant of the navy-yard, and having there been informed of the orders received from the commandant-general, he went on board of the Machina and went to her commander, placing himself at his orders, and went to the part of the vessel occupied by the sailors where the wounded were lodged, treating those who were brought on board after he arrived at 2 o'clock a. m., treating some 15 or 20 extensive burns of all grades and in all parts of the body, caused, for the most part, by the direct action of the flames; he observed in some of them the implantation of grains of powder in various parts of their bodies. When asked whether he had seen in any seaman or wounded man anything that could throw light upon the causes of the disaster, he said that he heard from a person who acted as interpreter that the causes of the disaster were not known, and that he heard 3 or 4 of the wounded men say that they had no precise knowledge of the fact; that only one, the last one treated, whose wound was less serious, said that it must have been caused by the explosion of a powder magazine; that he did not remember who the person was who acted as interpreter, nor did he remember who the wounded man was; but he thought that he was taken immediately afterwards to the Hospital of San Ambrosio. This deposition stopped here; deponent read it, ratified its contents, and signed it with his honor the judge and with me, the clerk of the court, who certifies. PEDRO DEL PARAL. [Flourish.] GABRIEL LOPEZ. [Flourish.] DEPOSITION OF DON GUILLERMO FERRAGUT, NAVAL ENSIGN. In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, appeared the aforesaid officer, who, being admonished concerning that which he was to be questioned upon, made oath that he would tell the truth. He was then reminded of the penalties incurred by anyone who testifies falsely, and being asked the usual preliminary questions, he said that his name was Don Guillermo Ferragut y Sbort, a native of Palma, Majorca, 22 years of age, unmarried, naval ensign, doing duty on board of the war transport Legazpi, which anchored in the bay last night near to the Maine. When asked to state what he knew concerning the case before the court, he said that he was doing guard duty on board of his vessel, which was anchored very near the Maine, and that being in the officers' room at about half past 9 o'clock p. m., he heard a great noise, accompanied by a very bright light, which was caused beyond a doubt by a tremendous explosion, and also by the fall of objects on board and by the falling of a great number of glasses, which from the very first led him to suppose that a disaster had occurred on board. A moment's reflection, however, was sufficient to convince him that the disaster had not occurred on board of his own vessel. He immediately ran up on deck and got there in time to see the things thrown into the air by the explosion. It produced a horrible effect upon him to see the Maine all on fire, while continual detonations and explosions of minor importance were going on, these latter explosions succeeding the first great one. He quickly ran to rouse the crew and they were already up and came to meet him, all of them without one exception, being desirous to lend their services at once. They immediately went in the fishing boat and the fifth boat, being unable to go in the third boat because that was entirely submerged. They got into the boats with extraordinary rapid ity; less than five minutes elapsed between the time of the explosion and the time when the last of the boats was there rendering aid. It was afterwards learned that our boats were the first to arrive. We sent our small boat to the side of the Machina in case the captain of that vessel desired to come on board. Being asked whether at the time when the explosion took place, or soon afterwards, he had observed any motion in the water and whether the vessel suffered any shock or shaking up thereby, he said that he had not noticed anything of the kind whatever. Being asked what further measures he took, he said: That with the men who remained with him he cleared the vessel to make ready for a fire because many inflammable objects kept falling on board of the Legazpi. As soon as these precautions had been taken, he observed that the third boat was sinking because a board had been knocked out of it, whereupon he ordered that every effort should be made to prevent its loss; that the damage was caused by a piece of iron apparently from a platform such as those which are used for getting on board, and that also a large piece fell on the awning, which, owing to the fact that it was seen at once, caused only a few burns and other slight injuries; moreover, many glasses in the skylights were broken. The boats of the vessel lent, according to the statements of the men in charge of them, the following services: The first made fast to the Maine aft, took up a wounded man, three of the third boat, and three more from one of the American boats, without allowing it to make fast alongside; in view of the fact that the surgeon of the vessel was on shore, he sent it to the infirmary of the Machina. He made another trip without any result. The fifth, which was the first that left, found on its trip two men in the water, whom it picked up, and on reaching the vessel, another, whom it turned over to the first boat. After an explosion, which was one of those that followed, an officer of the ship from the Maine, speaking Spanish, ordered them not to remain fastened alongside. The Chinchorro (fishing boat) took up 7 men, one of whom was very seriously wounded, and took them on board; they were supplied with clothing and were sent to the Machina to have their wounds treated. All the boats, moreover, went around the vessel several times for the purpose of exploration and then they all retired; ours did the same. A boat of the Maine afterwards came alongside with 4 sailors in it, who were supplied with clothing by the Spanish seamen, who gave them their own, and who also gave them brandy, and sent them to the Machina in one of the ship's boats, the boat of the Maine remaining on board. This deposition stopped here. Deponent read all of it, ratified its contents, and signed it with his honor the judge and with the present Iclerk of the court who certifies. GUILLERMO FERRAGUT. Flourish.] PEDRO DEL PARAL. [Flourish.] JUDICIAL ACT. In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, the bay was searched in order to see if anything from the explosion could be found. Remnants of the vessel were found, but no dead fish, which formed the principal object of this inspection, the result of which is hereby judicially stated. JAVIER DE SALAS. [Flourish.] ORDER. In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, his honor the judge having received a communication from the warden of the morgue stating that it was extremely urgent that the bodies which had accumulated in that establishment from on board the Maine should be buried at once, his honor decided to append said communication to the other papers in this case, and to state in reply that in anticipation of this case his excellency the commandant-general of the naval station has already, in all probability, made suitable arrangements, he having been consulted in concert with the United States consul. His honor so ordered before me the notary who certifies. JAVIER DE SALAS. [Flourish.] JUDICIAL ACT. HAVANA, February 16, 1898. A communication was sent to the officer in charge of the morgue, containing the foregoing order, and his communication was added to the other papers in this case. I certify. JAVIER DE SALAS. [Flourish.] DEPOSITION OF JOSÉ LOPEZ SANCHEZ, SEAMAN. In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, appeared before this court the above-named person, who, having been told concerning what he was to be questioned about, made oath that he would tell the truth, having been warned of the penalty incurred by any witness who declares falsely. Having been asked the usual preliminary questions, he said that his name was José Lopez Sanchez; a second-class seaman belonging to the crew of the Alfonso XII; 21 years of age, and unmarried. He stated that he had no interest whatever in the case before the court. Being asked whether he was in charge of the boat which made the round, he said "Yes." Being asked what instructions he had and whether he was under instructions to watch the bay, he said "Yes, and principally near to the dock." That near the dock and without seeing the Maine they heard the explosion, thinking that it was in the dock; but as soon as they saw that it was the American ship they went near it to see if their assistance was needed. When asked whether he observed any motion of the waters he said that he had observed none. This deposition stopped here. It was then read by the clerk of the court and the deponent ratified it, making the sign of the cross, because he was unable to write, with his honor the judge and the present clerk of the court, who certifies. PEDRO DEL PARAL. [Flourish.] ORDER. [A cross.] In the city of Havana, on the 16th of February, 1898, his honor the judge, thinking proper to hear the commandants of engineers and artillery of the naval station and the commandant of the torpedo brigade, in order that he might form a more correct opinion of the fact, |