The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-22
IT WAS BY DESIGN
Passengers on SeguranCa
Think So.
NO REGRET BY SPANIARDS
WAR SHIPS PAID NO
FLAG TRIBUTE TO DEAD.
OTHER FOREIGN VESSELS PAID TRIBUTE
Marked Difference Between Cuban Women
and Spanish Women on Streets at Funeral
/ Of Maine Seamen-- -Spaniards Indiffer-
ent About Loss of the Maine.

ct Maine Seanen- -SpanlaroS lnoffer-
ent About Loss of the Maine.
New York, Feb. 21.-1'he Ward steam !
er Seguranca arrived at quaran- !
time to-day from Tampico and Havana. /
The Seguranaca reached Havana at ten !
o'clock on the morning after the disats- /,
ter to the Maine, and passed close 10y
the wreck. The Seguranca's passengers
said that great excitement prevailed at
Havana and that the foreign population
were generally of the opinion that the
Maine was destroye,. by design. They
cited among other things in support
of this theory the fact that the Spanish
man OF war Alfonso MI, which an |
Chored near the Maine, changed her
moorings just previous to the disaster.
tine of the passengers, VIM. l.. arbln, !
went so far as to say that he saw boat
90 near TIE Maine Il short Unne pre-
yious to the explosion. He said he would
go to Washington to make q statement
before the proper authorities.
G.. p. HolcCmb. Of New Caste, Della,
General Manager of Il Street Railroad
in Philade .phIa, one of the passengers
ON board the Seguranca was OUtspokeli
in illis bell> that the investigation ut
Havana world reveal some startling
circumstances. Il went to Havana" said
Mr.. HCIcomb. net ut all in sympathy
with the insurgCnts. but on WcdneS-
ttsy when we arrived there believed
any of the Americans on board wsls IN
IL mood to commit murder. The flags
ofthc Spanish war ship were not at half
.last. The vessels of all other nation
al{tieS had paid this sAght trf6ute TO the
dead. / had a telegram to bring back
thc remains of apprentice Glazier, who
is the son of my book-keeper. l found
that ne was among the saved.
"The contrast between the bearing of
the Spaniards and Cubans is strong. At
the funeral of the Names seamen, the
CuLan ayCnien in the streets were almost
all dressed IN mourning, while the Span
bisal women wore colOrs. The only Amer
ican flags / saw in the whole procession
were two small ones about three by six
ichse. / went aboard the Alphonso MI,
ard was received politely. The only eX-
preston of regret / heard there was
from an officer who complained that the
force of the Name explosion had bro
ken mis- toilet bottles. There can be no
mistaking the indifference of the Span
cards in Havana over the loss of the war
ship and those ON board Thursday
while driving to the cemetery with two
American friends j was assailed with
ieers and some one threw a large stone
at our carriage
+. w. Bobbett, o. this city, who was
with Mr.. Holcomb in the carriage,
added:
That's perfectly true. In fact, one or
two children yelled after us that they
had blown UP the Americana and thar
they were glad of it. i did not hear a
single expression OF regret for the terri
bic loss of life from any Spaniard during
the time / was in Havana"
Frank Weinheimer of this city, an
eye witness of the explosion and fellow
passenger of Mr.. Halcomb, told the fol-
lowing story:
"On Tuesday evening l stroled down
TO the river front for Il breath of air.
A. number of persons were walking
about the pier near the custom house.
Out in the harbor, l could see the dim
outlines of THE Maine and, close by the
Spanish warship. / was about three
hundred yards from the Maine. The
first intimatiOn | had of an explosion
was a crunching sound. Then there
was a terrible roar. Immense pieces
of debris flew skyward from the Maine.
Some of them must have been thrown
at least three hundred feet. 1t looked
as though the whole inside of the ship
had been blown out Many persons
on the pier were nearly thrown from
their feet by the force of the explosion.
The air became stifling with smoke. The
crowd on the pier rushed back toward
the city.
"The wreck burned for about two
hours. and by this glaring light we
could see the work of rescue in THE
bay but were unable to render an as
sistance."
Mr.. Weinheimer said he heard an eX-
cited Spanird declare shortly after the
explosion that if the "Americanos' sent
another warship it also would be blown
up"
Il. ]. NaughtOn, an insurance man
of Chicago, who was staying with his
Wife at the grand hotel, Passage, said he
was seated in front of the hotel when
tho explosion occurred. 1t was followed,
he said, by another and a much louder
one.
"XYe Thought the whole city had been
hIovn TO pieces" said Mr.. Naghton.
"Some said the insurgents were enter
mo Havana Others cried out that
Morro Castle was blown up"
Continuing his description of the panic
which existed in Havana shortly after
! tba nxnlosion. Mr. Naghton said:
son the Prado is large cab stand. |
| Tho minnie after the explosion was
heard the cabmen cracked their whips