The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-05
IlESAW LIGHT.

.# ".H .." |'""E #.YH.
Thrilling story OF the Maine Eapiosion
Told before the Board OF inuniry by
Pirsmrn WILLIAM Cartel.
One OF the stories told before the naval
court OF inquiry upon tho destruction OF
the battleship Maine was that OF Fire.
man William Gartrcll. lie was In
structed 10 tell the court exactly what
he felt and heard and saw. After stat
Ing that he was In tie cteam steering
room he said:
.Just a second before that, Rushtord,
chief uiachlnIs,, came TO inc and asked
mo for the loan OF the keys to co to the
stcrcroom. He said he was restless and
couldn't sleep. I gave HIN the keys and
told him TO put the kcyg e my shoes,
that | was going TO sleep there that
night. ] laid there. had q book In my
hand and was going to read Just then
Charley Quinn. an oller, that was on
watch, came up and said: W. want
some OIL / said: It Is funny there Is
no oil out and everything like that,
but I gave him the key and he got tho
oil and throwed the key back. Then I
walked back and laid down and went to
sleep. Frank Gardiner, coal passer,
was laying down beside me. Just as
soon as I laid down ! was talking TO
him and l hadn't spoke three words.
He wns telling me his time was out In
May, and / said mine was out In June.
and he made the remark that he was
going to walt for mc-all like that, Just
fooling-and Just then a flash came. II
was n blue flash. II seemed to me like
It was right by the limp In the engine
room. I could see as plain as day"
@. How could you see into the engine
room?
A. j could see through the door, sir.
1t was a kind OF blue flame, and 1t came
all ut once.N The two Of US jumped up,
and / went or the port side up the en-
CINE room ladder. and Frank Gardiner,
he vent up the %starboard sldc-at least,
he didn't so up, because he hollered to
me. He struck the door right there
where the partition separates the two
doors, and he must have struck his head.
FIe hollered to me: he says: "oh, Jesus,
Billy, I am gone" l didn't stop then,
because the water was up to my knees.
l made a break as quick as I could get
up the ladder. and when I got up the
ladder Into the Storage room the lad
utI vas 6OllN. tLllllb WIS tll ". L
couldn't see nothing; everything was
pitch dark, and I gave up, or started to
give up. There was 4 colore1 fellow
with me; I didn't know his full name
unit %aftcrward. His name was Harris.
We got hold OF each other. I says:
Let's give up; there Is no hope" I
started in to say a prayer the best I
knew how, and ! heard II voice. 1t must
have been IN officer: ii couldn't have
been IL mans voice. because lie says:
There Is hope, men" l knew from that
that he was an officer. After that ! seen
a little light. 1t looked like on awful
distance from me but I made for the
light. and when ] got there It seemed
like I could see The heavens. 1 got
jammed in the ladder. My head was
right up against The deck. I seen the
ladder, and l caught hold OF Harris,
and the two of us Rugged each other.
Q. You got hold Of whom?
a. The ladder was hung crossways on
top. There wasn't no ladder that We
could walk up. The ladder was up
above us and we got damned In the lad
der. the two OF us. I don't know whcth-
err I got put first or this colored fellow.
bu, when l did get Out ! tried to say n
prayer. ! looked where l was and saw
tlle HedNtINs tiu .cNGls tlILiE. dIu tlleu
TO say 4 prayer or something, and l
tainted away. I felt some one picking
me up and they tlirowed me overheard.
Q. When you saw this blue fame In the
engine room did YOU feel any shock to
the ship?
\. Yes. sir; she was going like this all
the time lndicating).
Q. The ship was?
a. Yes, sir.
@. How long did that last?
a. 1t lasted until I got up to the top OF
the ladder. Then l was in the water.
Q. You only felt n continuous shak-
ing?
A. Ies, sir.
Q. Did YOU hear any noise; any re-
port?.
A. Yes. sir: I heard a terrible report.
G. How did 1t sound: like 4 gun?
4. No, sir; 1t wasn't a gun. 1 couldn't
tell you how 1t s~oundcd-like the whole
earth had opened up.