Show blown up from outside washington december ath the tile united states battleship mime maine which sunk in hairim have no harbor february 1898 as a of the explosion pl obion was blown up from the outside this was xiaq announced today by the naval board that ins has been examining the wreck the finding confirms the tile report of the original in ip estimators who nho made i superficial examination of the wreck soon after tho disaster the statement was uis given gien out ly by the viavi nav department in brief secretary mear docs does not behee it necessary to issue ana an extended ex c of the blaids conclusions beyond the flat sta statement kment that an exterior explosion was nas responsible sible for the kossof the w n i airship and the lives live of many men inen the statement fol follows loiNs A the board find that the injuries to the bottom of the maine were re caused by the of a charge of low form of avea to the ship between frames 28 and 31 baake B port side this resulted in igniting and exploding the contents of the six inch reserve magd maga cinc A 14 M said lid contents included a large quantity of black powder the less complete explosion of the contents of the remaining forward magazine followed the tile magazine explosion resulted in the destruction of the vessel 11 secretary mener that there might be 1 a I further statement on the report of the board aftel it had been considered by the dent one member of the board w is of the opinion that the report would not bo be published in full but would bo be kept in the confide confident nl ia files of the navy department the declaration that a low loi v form of explosive was used in the outside explosion indicates indicate a belief that a mine and not a dirigible torpedo was the instrument of destruction this on oab 13 deepens the maery of the destruction of tha the maine A mine charged with nith sufficient gunpowder po der to blow in the bottom of the ship must hae lime weighed several hundred pounds pound to plant ilant buch n mine and lay the elec erectile tile connections necessary for its disei discharge arge would have required the services of tt num number berof of men |