Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-29
San Francisco

lore ana taken the perth occupied by
the German man-of-war. the Grlese-
nua, which had left The steamer City
of Washington, was anchored about
200 yards to the south and east Of the
Names stern, slightly on the port
quarter.
The Maine coaled at Key West talk
ing on about 100 tons, the coal being
regularly inspected and taken from the
government coal pile. This coal was
placed generally In the forward bun
kers. No report was received from
the chief engineer that any coal had
been too long in the bunkers and that
the fire alarms In the bunkers were
sensitive.
The regulations regarding lnnam-
mables and paints, on board. Captain
Sigsbee testified were strictly carried
out In regard to storage and that the
waste also was subject to the same
careful disposition. As to the situa-
tion of the paint room, he fixed II as
in the eyes OF the ship" Just below
the berth deck, the extreme forward
compartment. The lnnnmmables were
stored in chests. according to the reg
ulations. and when inhammables were
In excess OF chest capacity, they were
allowed to be kept In the bath room
of the admiral's cabin.
Regarding the electric plant OF the
Maine, Captain SIgsbec stated that
/ there was no serious grounding, nor
sudden fiarlng up of the lights before
the explosion, but sudden and total
| eclipse
| As for regulations affecting the tenn
! perature of the magazines, etc, Cap
| tain Sigsbee stated there were no spec
] ial regulations other than the usual
| regulations required by the depart
| ment, He examined the temperature
himself and conversed with the ord
nance officer as to the various tenn
peratures and the contents of the
magazine. and according to the opln.
ion of this officer, as well as Sigsbee.
the temperatures were never at the
| danger point.
II do not think there was any lax
| ity in this direction" said the captain
replying to a question of Judge Ad-
vocate Mark.
He had no recollection of any work
going on in the magazine or shell
rooms on the day of the explosion.
The keys were called for in the usual
way on the day in question and We're
properly returned. At the time of the
disaster the two after berths in the
| after fire room were In use because the
! hydraulic system was somewhat Leak
ing. Speaking generally of the rela-
tons of the Spanish authorities, Cap
| tain Sigsbee stated that with the Off
cials they were outwardly cordial. The
members of the autonomlstic council
of the government. however, seem to
| have brought to the attention of the
| navy department the fact that he did
not visit them and that fact brought
! embarrassment to the government at
Washington. He took the ground to
the department that it was unknown
etiquette to call on the civil members
of the colonial government other than
the governors. Without waiting for
such an order Captain Sigsbee made a
visit afterwards. and, as he states, was
| nil q a nj Nd lei
promptly returned by certain members
of the council. a party of ladies and
gentlemen called and the president of
the council made speech which Cap
tain Sigsbee could not understand, but
which was interpreted to him briefly,
to which he replied.
My reply" said Captain Sigsbee,
was afterwards printed in at least two
papers in Havana but the terms made
me favor autonomist government In
the Island. | am Informed that the au-
economist government in Havana is UNI
popular among u large class of Span
ish and Cuban residents. 1 have nc
means of knowing whether my appar-
ent interference In the political con-
Germs of the island had any relation to
the destruction to the Maine"
When asked whether there was any
demonstration of animosity by people
afloat Captain Sigsbe said that there
was never on shore, as he was in
formed, but there was afloat. He re-
lated that on the first Sunday after the
Names arrival ferry boat, crowded
densely with people civil and military
returning from u bun fight at Regla
passed the Maine and about 40 people
on board INDUCED In yelling, whistlinl
and derisive calls. During the stay IN
Havana Captain Sigsbee took more
than ordinary precautions for the pro
lection OF the Maine by placing sen
t,~t.a sl.a. tN.N
antine and signal decks on the bridge
and on the poop.
A corporal Of the guards was es.
pecially instructed to lco't out for tht
port gangway and the officers of tn,
deck and quartermaster were es-
pecally instructed to look out for the
starboard ganEway; a quarter watch
was kept on deck all night; sentries
cartridge boxes were filled. their arms
kept loaded, number of rapid fire am
munition kept in the pilot room and II
the spare captains pantry and under
the misrepresentation were kept
additional supplies OF shells, close al
hand for the second battery; steam
was kept up in two boilers instead OF
one and positive instructions We're Civ
en- to watch carefully all the hydraulic
gear and report defects.
| He said he had given orders to the
master at arms and the order to keeI
careful eye on everybody that came
on board and to carefully observe any
packages that might be held on the
superstition that dynamite or other high
explosives might be employed and af.
forwards to inspect the routes these
people had taken and not to lose sight
of the order. He states that very few
people visited the ship, Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright being rather
severe on visitors.
There were only two or three of the
Spanish military officers came OF
board. but according to the captain
they were constrained and not DESTROYS
of accepting much courtesy.
This visit was during the absence
of the captain. He said he made every
effort to have the Spanish officers
visit the ship to show good will ac.
cording to the spirit of the Names
visit to Havana but with exceptions
stated no military officers of Spain Wis.
tied the ship socially.
Capt. Sigsbee then went into details
regarding the precautions In force ant
especially in relation to quarter
watches which, he said. had never beer
resclnded. one OF the cutters was IL
the water Mt the time OF the accident
and one of the steam launches. this
first was riding at the starboard boom
The captain said that the night was
quiet and warm and that he remem-
bered hearing distinctly the echoes OF
the bugle at tattoo, which was very