At frame seventeen the outer shell of the ship, from a point eleven and one-half feet from the middle line of the ship, and six feet above the keel, when in its normal position, has been forced up so as to be now about four feet above the surface of the water; therefore about thirty-four feet above where it would be had the ship sunk uninjured.

The outside bottom plating is bent into a reversed V-shape, the after wing of which, about fifteen feet broad and thirty-two feet in length (frame 17 to frame 25), is doubled back upon itself against the continuation of the same place extending forward.  At frame 18 the vertical keel is broken in two and the flat keel bent into an angle similar to the angle formed by the outside bottom plate.  This break is now about six feet below the surface of the water and about thirty feet above its normal position.

A submarine mine.

In the opinion of the court this effect 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.

The conclusions of the court are:  That the loss of the Maine was not in any respect due to fault or negligence on the part of any of the officers or members of her crew;

That the ship was destroyed by the 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 fixing the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine upon any person or persons.

I have directed that the finding of the Court of Inquiry and the views of this Government thereon be communicated to the Government of Her Majesty, the Queen Regent, and I do not permit myself to doubt that the sense of justice of the Spanish nation will dictate a course of action suggested by honor and the friendly relations of the two governments.

It will be the duty of the Executive to advise the Congress of the result, and in the meantime deliberate consideration is invoked.

(Signed,) William McKINLEY.  Executive Mansion, March 28, 1898.

Report of the investigating board.

The text of the report of the Board of Investigation was as follows: 

U. S. S. Iowa, first rate, Key West, Florida, Monday, March 21, 1898.

After full and mature consideration of all the testimony before it, the court finds as follows: 

1.  That the United States battleship Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, on the twenty-fifth 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 regulations in regard to the care and safety of the ship were strictly carried out.  All ammunition was stowed in accordance with prescribed instructions, and proper care was taken whenever ammunition was handled.  Nothing was stowed in any one of the magazines or shell rooms which was not permitted to be stowed there.