Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-02-18
ONE OF OUR BEST SHIPS.

Washington, Feb. 15.-The Main'
is a battleship of the second clas
and is regarded as one OF the bes
ships in the new navy. She was
built IN 1888 at the Brooklyn nav
yard, ana IL 3lS feet long, % fee
breadth. 81 9 feet mean drdugh
aud 6.eS2 tons displacement. Sht
COS, 81 800, 600.
She has two ten.inch verilcA
tulrets and two military masts
anu her motive power is furnished
bv twin screw, ytrtical triple ex
mansion engines, having a maxi
mum horse power OF 9,2s3, capable
of making a speed of 1888 knots
She carries four ten inch and sil
sIx.inch breeeh. 10 ding guns in he
main battery and seven six pound
ers and eight one pound rapid hr,
guns and four Gatlings in bel
secondary battery, and four White
head tOrpedoes.
Captain-Charles ID. Sigsbee
was IN command.
SurgeOn-Luclen &. Heneberger
of Harrlsonburg.
The der OF the Name
Captain SigSbee, Is a favorlte IL
the Navy Department. For fou
years he was chief of the hydro
graphic Office and bJ his energ'
brought the Office up to a high
standard. He was lucky to get sc
important a ship as the Maine
considering his actual rank, whlcI
IS that of com nlnder, but I'm
mediately he Justified the depart
ment's Judgment in the selection
by running his ship straight INTO
dock in New York harbOr to ayOl(
running down a packed excursion
boat. THIS was a display of qulcl
Judgment, nerve and p'ucb tina
pleased the department so hlghl!
that the Captain was sent a com
plimentary letter.
havana. Feb. lG-All the Off
GERS were saved exc pit Jrnkln'
And Merritt. both of whom ar
lmisslng. Vice Consul Syringe
says at least three hundred lives
were lost. Captain Slgshee was on
deck when the explosion came, bu'
was uninjured. A sentry station
ell at the bow was uIhnrt, in fac
he had seen nothing suspicious
One of the ships officers said o
tbs explosion: "When l got on
deck fire had started forward. L ie
call for all hands on deck was
promptly obeyed and the men ant
nfficers were perfectly cool. All
possible efforts we're made TO checl
The fire, but the flames spread
rapidly aud several explosions oc
Cured. Magazines were bars
open and explosives were thrown
overheard. In half an hour 1t was
app treut nothing could save the
ship"
New York, Feb. ia dispatch
from Havana says the explosion
was in the central magazine ant
that the ship was raised out OF tb'
water and hes went par Tally to
pieces. The dispatch continues
'Only few of the $50 sailors eve
got from below, 1t is not likel,
that more than 40 sailors were
saved. The officers OH deck mar
rOWly escaped. In tue J1ulo
officers mess ali had TO ella DbeI
out through water and wTeckag'
waist deep. All agree that
double explosion occurred from
the natural result Of an under
water explosion of the magazines
Out of the dense smoke came an
gulsaed cries Tor halp WIN th'
cessation of falling fragments,
search lights we're thrown on thu
wreck and Its load of agony
Spanish boats from the shore JOIN
ed those OF the vessels in harbo
at once, but the regular ferry boats
did not stop to offer aid"
Capt. Sigsbee's brief report, as
we'll as Gen. Lees dispatch, IN
dIcates that thew now incline
strongly to the belief that the ex
plosion was of internal origin
Both agree that the force OF it wal
IN the forward part OF the shiI
aud this is borne out by the es
cape of the majority OF the officers
hose quarters are ait, and the
heavy casualties among the crew
sleeping forward,
At. 11:20 o'clock Secretary Loni
received the following unsigned
telegram from Havana:
"Only two officers unaccountet