The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-02-23
Explosion in Havana HarbOr
Wrecks an American
| Warship.
Scores of the Crew Killed and
WOunded--Exact Cause of the
Disaster Not Yet Fully
Determined.
Spanish Naval and Military Authori.
ties Assist in Caring for the In
iured--One of the Worst
Catastrophes in the AM
mails of Our Navy.

Havana, Feb. 16.-At 9:45 last even
ing terrible explosion took place on
board the United States warship
Maine in Havana. Many were killed
or wounded. AS yet the cause of the
explosion is not apparent. The wound
ed sailors of the Maine are unable to,
explain it.
The explosion shook the whole city,
The windows were broken in all the
houses. Several of the wounded sail
ors say that the explosion took place
while they were asleep, SO that they
can give no particulars as to the cause.
The widest CONSERVATION prevails
in Havana. The wharves are crowded
with thousands of people. 1t is be-
lieved the explosion occurred in a
small powder magazine. At 10:45 p.
m. what remained of the Maine was
still burning. Capt. Sigsbee and the
other officers were saved. 1t is esti-
mated that over 100 of the crew were
killed, but it is impossible as yet to
give exact details. Admiral Manterola
has ordered that boats of all kinds
shall go to the assistance of the Maine
and her wounded
Gen. Solano and the other generals
have been ordered by Gen. Blanco to
take steps to help the Names crew in
every way possible. The correspondent
of the Associated Press has been neal
the Maine in one of the boats of the
cruiser Alfonso XII. and seen others o1
the wounded who corroborate the state
ment of those first interviewed that
they were asleep when the explosion
occurred.
Capt. Sigsbee says the explosion oc
Cured in the bow of the vessel. HI
received wound in the head. Orders
were given to the other officers to save
themselves as best they could. Th'
latter who were thrown from theil
hunks in their night clothing, gave thu
necessary orders with great self-pos
session and bravery. At 11:30 the Main
continues burning.
Many officers of the Maine wer
ashore at the time of the explosion
Admiral Manterola believes the disas
ter was caused by the throwing of
grenade from the navy yard, nea
which the Maine was anchored, ont
J. the deck of the American warship.
Washington, Feb. 16.-The secretar
of the navy received the following tele
gram from Capt. Sigsbee: main
blown up in Havana harbor at 9:40 an
destroyed. Many wounded and doubt
, less more killed and drowned. WOUND
= ed and others are on board Spanis
= man-of-war and Ward line steamer
t Send lighthouse tenders from Ke
2 West for crew and few pieces of equil
' ment still above water. No one hs
other clothes than those upon hin
Public opinion should be suspende
until further report. All officers b,
9 lieved to be saved. Jenkins and Me
q ritt not yet accounted for. Many Spal
= ish officers, including representative
u of Gen. Blanco, now with me and e:
press sympathy"
Y The officers referred to in the aboy
|
Y and Assistant Engineer Darwin ]
e Merritt. From the wording of the di
It patch the navy department thinks
n possible that they were on shore at IL
# time of the accident. The secretal
of the navy received another dispatc
d from Key West at the same time, bl
IS it's contents were not made public. II
q orders for the lighthouse tenders we
l. at once sent to Key West.
Secretary Long received Capt. Sig
IS bees dispatch but few seconds befo
n the press dispctches from Havana we
e. handed to him. His first act was
,e comply with Sigsbee's request that {
n sistance be sent from Key West
Immediately wired Capt. Forsythe
- Key West to proceed with the nav
tender Fern to Havana.
The Maine was battleship of t
co second class and was regarded as o
~ of the best ships in the new navy. S
was built at the Brooklyn navy va
Lo and is 31s feet long, 81 feet broad a
~ w 6,6s2 tons displacement. She carri
81 four 10-inch and six 6-inch breech-los
~ ~ ing guns in her main battery and sew
80 80 6-pounder and eight 1-pounder rap
fire guns and four Gatlings in her s.
ondary battery, and four Whitehe
torpedoes.
d., The Maine was built in 1890 at c,
eo of 81, ,5SS, 900. She had steel hull a
he a complement of S74 men.
,st Arbitration Bill Favorably Reported
rn Washington, Feb. 16.-The sen;
| cnmmittan ON ednnatinn and lnhn,. !