The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-03-31

large class of Spanish and Cuban residents
] have no means of knowing whether my
apparent interference in the political con-
Germs of the island had any relation to the
destruction OF the Maine"
Animosity Afoat.
When asked whether there was any dem
onStraton of animosity by people afioat,
Capt Sigsbee said that there never was
on shore, as he was informed, but there
was afioat. He then related that on the
first Sunday after the Names arrival a
ferryboat crowded densely with people,
civil and military. returning from bull
light in Regla, passed the Maine and about
40 people on board INDUCED in yells,
whistles and 3eriSive calls. Durirg the stay
in Havana Capt. SigSbee took more than
ordinary precautions for the protection of
the Maine by placing sentries on the fore
castle and poop, quarantine and signal
buoys on the bridge and on the poop.
corporal of the guard was especially
instructed to look out for the port gang
way, and the officer of the deck and quar-
tcrmaSter were especially instructed to
look out for the starboard gangway; a
Guarter-Watch was kept on deck all night,
sentrieS' cartridge boxes were filled, their
arms kept loaded, number OF charges OF
rapid-tire ammunition kept in the pilot
house, and in the spare captains pantry
under the after superStructure were kept
d~IulllOidi charges Oh smell close al mana
for the second battery: steam was kept up
on two boilers instead of one. ana positive
instructions were given to watch carefully
all the hydraulic gear and report defects.
Suspected Treachery.
He said he had given orders to the mas
ter-at-arms and the order to keep a care
full eye on everybody that came on board
and to carefully observe any packages that
might be held on the supposition that dyna-
mite or other high explosive might be en-
ployed, and afterwards 10 inspect the routes
these people had taken, and never to lose
sight Of the Importance of the order. He
states that very few people visited the
ship, Lieut. Commander Wainwright be-
ing rather severe on desultory visitors.
There were only two visits of Spanish mill
tary officers. Once a party of five or six
Spanish officers came on board, but accord
ing to the captain they were constrained
and not DESTROYS of accepting much
courtesy. This visit was during the alb
sence of the captain. He said he made
every effort to have the Spanish officers
visit the ship to show good will according
to the spirit of the Names visit to Havana,
but with exceptions stated no military off,
Ger of Spain visited the ship socially.
Precautions in Force.
Capt Sigsbee then went into details re-
garding the precautions in force, especially
in relation to the quarter watches, which he
said had never been rescinded. One of the
cutters was in the water at the time of
the accident and one of the steam launches.
the first. was riding at the starboard boom.
The captain said that the night was quiet
and warm and that he remembered hearing
distinctly the echoes of the bugle at tattoo,
which We're very pleasant Stars We're
out, the sky, however, being overcast. The
Maine at the time of the explosion was
heading approximately northwest, point
tr1rr - II, u -,
his port cabin table at the time of the ex-
ploSion and was dressed. He then went
into a description of the explosion when he
felt the crash. He characterized it as
bursting, rending and crashing sound, or
roar, of immense volume. largely metallic
If its character. 1t was succeeded by
metallic sound, probably of falling debris,
trembling and lurchng motion of the
vessel, then an impression of subsistence,
attended by an eclipse of electric lights
and intense darkness within the ca bin. He
thought Immediately that the Maine had
blown up and she was sinking. He hurried
to the starboard cabin port, but changed
his course to the passage leading to the
superstructure. Then he detailed the man
ner of meeting Private Anothon, which is
much the same as has been published
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright was on
deck when Capt SigSbee emerged from
the passageway, and, turning to the order
~, iS GShSu lOl TIE lliilt, WHICH WAS gwen
as $40 p. m. Sentries were ordered placed
about the ship and the forward magazine
flooded, if practicable. He called for per-
feet silence. The surviving officers were
about him at the time on the poop. He
was informed that both forward and after
magazines were under water. Then came
faint cries, and he saw dimly white float
ing bodies in the water. Boats were at once
lowered but only two were found avail
able. the gig and whaleboat They were
lowered and manned by officers and men,
and by the captains directions they left
the ship and assisted in saving the wound
ed, jointly with other boats that had ar
rived on the scene. Fire amidships by
this time was burning fiercely, and the
spare ammunition in the pilot house was
exploding in detail. At this time Lieut.
Commander Wainwright whispered to the
captain that he thought the ten-inch mag
azine forward had beenf thrown up into
the burning mass and might explode in
time. Everybody was then directed to get
into the boats over the stern, which was
done, the captain getting into the gig, ard
then proceeded to the City of Washing
ton, where he found the wounded IL the
dining saloon, being carefully attended py
the officers and crew of the vessel. He
then went on deck and observed the wreck
for few minutes and gave directions to
have muster taken on board the City of
Washington and other vessels and sat down
in the captains cabin and dictated a tele-
egram to the navy department. Various
Spanish officials came on board and eX-
pressed sympathy and sorrow for the acct
dent. The representatives OF Gen. Blanco
and of the admiral of the station were
among the Spanish officials who rendered
their respects. About 81 or So men were
found that night who survived. By the
time Capt Sigsbee reached the quarter
deck it was his impression that an over
Whelming explosion had occurred When
he came from the cabin he was practically
blinded for few seconds. His only thought
was for the vessel, and he took no note
of the phenomena of the explosion. In re-
ply to the direct question of whether any
OF the magazines or shellroomS were blown
Up, the captain said it was extremely diff
hcult to come to any conclusion. The CEN
ter of the explosion was beneath and a
little forward of the coming tower on the
port side. In the region of the center
or axis of the explosion was the six-inch
reserve magazine. which contained very
little powder-about 500 pounds. The ten
inch magazine was in the same general re-
gion, but on the starboard side. Over the
ten-inch magazine in the loading room of
the turret and in the adjoining passage q
number of ten-inch shells were perma-
nenuy placed. According to Capt Sigs-
bee, it would be difficult to conceive the ex-
plosion involved the ten-inch magazine be-
cause of the location of the explosion and
that no reports show that any ten-inch
Shn oil rIa.1