The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-29
STORY OF THE SINKING.
continued from First Page.)


i,,,vs of the place.
could not state whether the Maine
,lqcel in the usual berth for meu-of-
W. Int said that he had heard remarks
sin.s Tia, explosion, using Capt. Stevens,
s'r-,orsriy commanding the Ward Line
.-1.rrsr city of Washington as authority
e. the statement, that he had never
80 in all his experience, which COW
81 visits to Havana for five or six years,
,,,,,-,f war TO be anchored al that buoy;
al ne had rarely known merchant YES
IN be anchored there, and that it was
me least used buoy in the harbor.
Tn describing the surroundings at the
.t15a Of the explosion. Capt Slgsbee stat
~ mai the Alphonse XII was at her usual
bsrrb about go yards to the northward
snd westward of the Maine
T7a Maine coaled at Key West, iaking
90 sfa1t $50 tons, the coal being regularly
irsnae-rd and taken from the government
Va rsnoru was received from the engineer
.r.t any coal had been too long in the
bankers. and the fire alarms in the bunk
ars were sensitive. In so far as the reg
,,ls+tans regarding infiammables and
raints on board. Capt Sigsbee testified
hat the regulations were strictly carried
ar In regard to the storage and that the
waste also was subject to the same care
ful disposition
REGARDING the electric plant of the
Maine. Capt Sigsbee stated that there
was no serious grounding or sudden far
Inc up of the lights before the explosion,
rgt sudden and total eclipse.
Can't sigsbee said he examined the tenn
paraure Of the magazines himself and
ronversed with the ordnance officer as to
the various temperatures and contents of
the MAGAZINES, and according TO the opin-
ion of this officer, as well as Capt. Sigsbee,
The temperatures were never at the dan
ger point
At the time of the disaster the two after
boilers in the after fireroom were in use
because the hydraulic system was leaking.
Snealgng generally of his relations with
the Spanish authorities, Capt. Sigsbee stat
cd mat with the officials they were out
wardy cordial
When asked whether there was any de-
n,onstration of anlmosity by people afioat,
Capt Sigsbee said that there never was
on shore as he was informed, but there
was atloat. He then repeated that on the
first Sunday after the Names arrival,
ferrvboat crowded densely with people,
civil and military, returning from bull
fight in Regla passed the Maine and about
forty people on board INDUCED in yells,
whistles and derisve calls. During the
stay in Havana, Capt. Sigsbee took more
than ordinary precautions for the protec-
The Maine at the time of the explosion
was heading approximately northwest.
He was writing at his port cabin table
at the time of the explosion
He went into description of the ex-
plosion when he felt the crash He char
acterized it as a bursting, rending and
crashing subject, or roaring of immense
volume, largely metallic in it's character.
II was succeeded by a metallic sound,
vroha b1Nr of falling debris a trembling
and lurching motion of the vessel,
than an impression of subsistence, at
tended by an eclipse of electric lights
and intense darkness within the cabin.
He knew Immediately that the Maine had
blown up and that she was sinking. AS
soon as he arrived on deck, sentries were
ordered placed about the ship and the for
ward magazine flooded If practicable.
Then came faint cries, and he saw
dmly white floating bodies in the water.
Boats were at once ordered lowered, but
only two were found available, the gig
and the whaleboat. They were lowered
and manned by officers and men, and by
the captains directions they left the ship
and assisted in saving the wounded jointly
q with other boats that had arrived on the
4 scene. Fire amidship by this time was
B burning tiercely, and the spare ammuni-
ton in the pilot house was exploding.
AT this time Lieutenant Commander
4 Wainwright whispered to the captain that
he thought the ten-inch magazine for
ward had been thrown up into the burn
ing mass and might explode in time,
Everybody was then ordered to get into
the boats over the stern, which was done
the captain getting into the gig and then
proceeding to the City of Washington,
where he found the wounded in the dining
II saloon being carefully attended by the
officers and crew of the vessel.
Various Spanish officials came on board
and expressed sympathy and sorrow for
the accident. The representatives of Gen.
Blanco and the admiral of the station
were among the Spanish officials who ten
dered their respects.
Eighty-four or eighty-ive were found
that night who survived
In reply to the direct question as TO
whether any of the magazines and shell
rooms were blown UP the captain said it
was extremely difficult to come to any
conclusion. The center of the explosion
was beneath and little forward of the
coming tower on the port side. In the
region of the center or axis of the ex-
plosion was the G-inch reserve magazine,
which contained very little powder, about
oD pounds. The 10-inch magazine was
III the same general region, but on the
starboard side. Over the 10-inch maya
zne is the loading room of the turret
anu IN the adjoining passage a number
o. lO-inch shells were permanently placed
according to Capt. Sigsbee it would be
uncut to conceive The explosion involved
rae lV-inch magazine because of the loca-
lioh OF the explosion, and that no reports
snow that any 10-inch shells were hurled
m'o the air because of the explosion.
he said the discipline of the ship was
Ncelleht. In the engineers department
ie vessel was always ready and always
espohsive He paid tribute to the crew
anu SAID that quieter, better-natured lot
" men ne had never known on board any
Vessel in which he had served On his
Summation by the court Capt. Sigsbee
anu mat the highest temperature he could
e"'e inoer was 112, but that was in the
@''er magazine; the temperature in the
ward magazines being considerably
"vF' There was no loose powder kept
Inc magazine. The coal bunkers were
e".ualed through air tubes, examined
",eN'y by the chief engineer and we're
iNecied electrically to the annunciator
@ ms cabin door. The forward coal
,"Net on the port side was full. The
"dIa coal bunker on the starboard sGe
naf fun, and it was being used at