New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-29
CARE OF THE MAGAZINES

for the explosion. but sudden and total ecipse'
CARE OF THE MAGAZINES.
A. for the regulations affecting the taking OF
temperature Of the magazines and so on IaP'a'"
eiesbae said there were no special Tesuia"o"'
other than the usual regulations required by 'he
Denar,nrnt He examined the temperature him
self and conversed with the ordnance ofhcer as
10 the various temperatures and the contents OF the
magazines ard. according to the opinion OF 'ms
officer as well as his own. the temperatures were
never at the danger point. Il do not think there
was any laxity in this direction. said the captain
In reply TO a question OF Judge Advocate Mark
He had recollection Of any work going on IN
the magazine shellrooms on the day OF the ex
plosion. The keys were called for In the usual
way on the day in question. and were properly re-
turned At the time of the disaster the two after
boilers in the after freroom were in use. because
the hydraulic system was somewhat eakS.
RELATIONS WITH SPANISH OFFICIALS.
Speaking generally Of his relations with the Span
ish authorities Captain Sissbee stated that with
the officials they were ou,wardly cordial. The
members OF the Autonomistic Council OF the Gov
eminent however. seemed 10 have brought to the
attention OF the Navy Department the fact that
he did not visit them. and that fact brought some
embarrassment to the Government at Washington
He took the ground 10 the Department that it
was unknown etiquette TO call on the civil men,
bers OF the Colonial Government other than the
Governor. Without waiting for such order
Captain Sigsbee made a visit afterward. and. as
he states. was pleasantly received. and his visit
promptly returned by certain members Of the
Council. Later a party OF ladies and gentlemen
called and the President OF the Council made a
speech which Captain Sigsbes could not under
stand hut which Interpreted 10 him briefly. TO
which he replied "My reply" said Captain Sigs-
bee, was afterward printed in at least two news
papers In Havana but the terms made me faVor
Autonomistic Government In the island. am In
formal that the Autonomistic Government In
Havana is unpopular among large class OF Span
fish and Cuban residents. l have n, means OF
knowing whether my apparent interference In the
political Of the island had any relation 10
the destruction Of the Maine"
When asked whether there was any demon
s;rauon Of luminosity by people nfoat. Captain
eigsbee said that there was never on shore as ne
was informed. but there was ahoat. He thin re-
lated that on the first Sunday after tho Names
arrival a ferryboat crowded densey with people.
civil and military. returning from bulhght In
Regla. passed the Maine and about forty people
on board INDUCED in yels whistles and derisve
calls.
STRICT PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
During the stay In Havana Captain sigsbee took
moro than ordinary precautions for the protection
OF the Maine by placing sen;ries on the forecaste
and poop and quartermaster and signal boys on
the bridge and on the poop. A corporal OF the
e,iard was specially instructed TO look out for the
port gangway and the officer OF the deck ana
quarterrnaster were especially Instructed 10 look
out for the starboard gangway. q quarter Wd'cH
was ken, on deck all night: sentries' cartridge
boxes ware filed their arms kept loaded. num-
Der OF rounds Of rapid-hre ammunition kept In the
pilot: house. and in the spare captains pantry
under the after superstructurc were Kept aod-
tional charges of shell close at hand for the sec
ond battery: steam was kept up on two boilers IN
stead OF one. and positive instructions were given
10 watch carefully all the hydraulic gear and re-
port defects. He said he had given orders TO the
ma.tcr-at-arms and tho orderly sergeant to keep
careful everybody that came on board and
IN Observe carefriy packages that might be
held on tho Imposition that dynamite other
high explosives might be employed. and after
ward to inspect the route these people had taken
and never TO lose sight OF the Importance Of the
order
He stated that very few people visited the ship.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright being rather
severe on desultory visitors. There we're only two
visits of Spanish military officers. Once party Of
five OF six Spanish officers came on board. but, &C
cording 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 have the Spanish
officers visit the ship TO show goodwill, according
20 the spirit OF the Names visit to Havana. but
with exceptions no military officer OF Spain
visited the ship socially
Captain Sigsbee then went into details regard
ing the precautions IN force especially in relation
u 20 quarter watches, which he said had never been
resc!ndcd. One OF the cutters was In the water
at the time or the accident and one of the steam
launches the first, was riding the starboard
boom
HIS EXPERIENCES RELATED
The captain said that the night was quiet and
warm. and that he remembered hearing distinct
ly tho echoes Of the bugle at tattoo which
very pleasant. Stars out the Sly
however being overcast. The Maine at the ti,oo
OF the explosion heading approximately north
west. pointing toward the Shears He was writing
$ah1n
sion. and dressed. He then went into a de-
scrpton OF his experience when he felt the crash
He characterized It as bursting. rendng and
crashing sound OF immense volume largely
metallic IN its character. II succeeded nv a
metallic sound probably Of falling debris a trern-
bling and lurching motion Of the vessel then an
impression Of subsistence attended by an eclipse
Of electric lights and intense darkness within the
cabin.
He Immediately knew that the Maine had been
blown up. and that she sinking He hurried
TO the starboard cabin ports. but changed his
course to the passage leading 10 the superstructure
Then no detailed the manner OF meeting Private
Anthony. which is much the same has been pub
ushed. Lieutenant Commander Wainwright was on
deck whom Captain Sgsbee emerged from the pas
sagoway. and turning TO the orderly he asked for
the time which was given $40 p m sentries
were ordered placed about the ship and the for
ward magazine flooded II practicable. He called
for perfect silence. The surviving Officers were
about him at the time on the poop He was in
formed that both forward and after magazines
were under water.
Then came faint cries and he saw d!mly white
floating bodies in the water. Boats were at once
ordered lowered. but only found avail
able, the gig and the whaleboat They were lowered
and manned by officers and men, and by the cap
tsin's direction they left the ship and assisted in
saving the wounded Jointly with other boats that
had arrived the Fire amidshps at this
ton in the pilot-house was exploding in detail
At this time Lieutenant, Commander Wainwright
whispered 10 the captain that he thought tho
lo-inch magazine forward had been thrown UP
into the burning mess and might explode in time
Everybody was then directed 20 get into the boats
A,,er Acro ~