The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-02-18
An Explosion Wrecks the
United States Cruiser
at Havana.
Estimated That Over a Hundred
Of the Crew We're
Killed.
Telegram from Capt Sigsbse Ask
ing for q Tender to BE Sent
for the Crew.
me AecOunt OF the Catastrophe Very
MsaEe--Au the Oacrrs Are Be
IIeFsd &c Have Been
saved

Havana, Feb. 16.-At $40 Yesterday
evening a terrible explosion took place
on board the United States cruiser
Maine in Havana harbor. Many were
killed or wounded The explosion
shook the whole city The windows
were broken in all the houses. The
correspondent Of the Associated press
says he has conversed with several Of
the wounded sailors, and understands
from them that the explosion took
place while they were asleep, so that
they can give no particulars as to the
cause The widest CONSERVATION pre-
vailed in Havana The wharves were
crowded with thousands Of people. 1t
Is believed the explosion occurred in
small powder magazine At If:15
o'clock what remained OF the Maine
was still burning.
Capt Sigsbee and the other officers
have been saved 1t is estimated that
over 100 Of the crew were killed, but
it is impossible as yet to give exact de-
tails Adm ManterOla ordered that
boats Of all kinds should 90 to the as
sistanee Of the Maine and her wounded
The Havana fremen gave aid, tend
ing carefully TO the wounded as they
were brought on shore Gen Solano
and the other generals have been or
dered by Capt Gen BlancO to take
steps to help the Names crew in every
way possible The correspondent Of
the Associated press has been near the
Maine in one Of the boats Of the cruiser
Alfonso XII and seen others Of the
wounded who cOrrObOrate the state
ment Of those first interviewed that
they were all asleep when the explO-
sion occurred
Capt. Sigsbee says the explosion Oe-
CURED in the bow Of the vessel He
received a wound in the head. Orders
were given TO the other officers to save
themselves as best they could. The
latter, who were literally thrown from
their hunks in their night clothing,
gave the necessary orders with great
self-pOssessiOn and bravery.
The first theory was that there had
been a preliminary explosion in the
Santa Barbara (magazine) with pow
der or dynamite below the water.
A TELEGRAM FROM CAPT. sIGsBEE-
WAsHINGTOS, Feb. 16--The secretary
of the navy received the following
telegram from Capt. Sigsbee:
Maine blown up in Havana harbOr at 9:zJ and
destroyed Many wounded and doubtless more
killed and drowned Wounded and others on
steamer send Lighthouse tender from Key
West for crew and few pieces OF equipment
stu above water No one had other clothes
than those upon him Public opinion should
be suspended till further report All officers
believed to be saved jenkins and Merritt not
yet accounted for Many Spanish officers, in
GLIDING representatives, OF Gen BlancO now
with me, express sympathy SIGsBEE-
The officers referred to in the above
dispatch are Lieut. Friend W. Jenkins
and Assistant Engineer Darwin r.
Merritt From the wording of the
dispatch the navy department thinks
1t is possible they were on shore at the
time Of the accident The secretary of
the navy received another dispatch
from Key West at the same time with
the above, but its contents were not
made public The orders for the light
house tenders were at once sent to
Key West in plain language, thus
avoiding the delay that would have
arisen from the use Of cipher.
Secretary Long received Capt. Sigs-
bees dispatch but few minutes before
the Associated press dispatches from
Havana were handed to him. He re-
eeiyed the news with apparent calm,
and his first act was to comply with
Capt Sigsbee's request that assistance
be sent from Key West He imme-
diately wired Capt FOrsythe at Key
West to proceed with the naval ten
der Fern to Havana harbOr. Secre-
tary Long then sent for Capt Dickens
and the two discussed Capt Sigsbee's
brief telegram No other naval officers
were present and besides the secretary
and Capt Dickens the naval colony here
is ignorant Of this disaster, the great
- = 4.
navy since the disaster IN Apia many
years ago. The secretary is inclined
70 believe that most Of the officers Of
the Maine were on shore at the time
OF the accident, as it was stiu early in
the night While neither the secretary
nor Capt Dickens is inclined to discuss
the probable cause of the accident,
several suggestions were ventured
upon They believe that It may have
been caused by a fire in the bunkers,
heating the bulkhead neara magazine,
or that an accident may have occurred
while inspecting high explosives for
torpedOes. Of course, this is mere
speculation and the secretary is anx-
iously waiting q more detailed report
from Capt Sigsbee-
Later the secretary sent another
----- ~ ~ 80 ---- ------tt- G-A--I
the tender Mangrove $50 be sent to
Havana
The Maine is = battleship Of the
second class and IS regarded as one Of
the best ships IN the new navy She
vas built at the Brooklyn navy yard
and IS SIS feet long, Is feet wide, GIG
mean draught and 6,6S2 tons displace-
uent She carries four ten-inch and
SIX six-inch bresch-lnading guns in her
n battery. ana seven gix-poander
cad eight oue-pounder rapid Ere gunsH
Ind s5ur eetlings % her sssondasy