The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-02-24
ONLY NiNETY-SIx SAVED.
Scenes in Havana at the Time of the
Names Explosion.

tOIal numDer OF the crew OF the Maine,
96 were saved.
Captain-General Blanco's official
cable message was filed at midnight.
Half an hour after midnight SO of the
crew of the Maine had been carried to
the military hospital of San Ambrose.
They were ali seriously wounded.
Five others of the crew were taken to
the Alfonso XIII hospital. On board
the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII 26 of
the wounded were treated, and SO
were succored on board the City of
Washington.
George Cowler, an accountant of the
Maine, is among the men seriously
wounded.
The crew of the steamer Colon saved
two wounded men.
The Maine, at the time of the explo-
sion, was at anchor about 500 yards
from the arsenal, and some 900 yards
from the floating dock. The explo-
sion put out the street lights near the
wharf and blew down telegraph and
telephone wires in the city. Admiral
Manterola and General Salona put off
to the Maine soon after the explosion
and offered their services to Captain
Sigsbee.
The first explosion is said to have
been caused by over 600 pounds of gun
cotton, and the subsequent explosion is
alleged to have been caused by shells
and cartridges.
The passengers of the City of Wash
ington gave up their staterooms to the
injured men.
An iron truss from the Maine fell
on the pantry of the City of Washing
ton, breaking the tableware of the
steamer.
Lieutenant-C Commander Wainwright,
of the Maine, was half undressed at
9:45 P. NJ, and was smoking in his
cabin next to that of Captain Sigsbee,
it is said, when the explosion occurred
and put out the electric lights. Vain
wright then lit a match and went to
Captain Sigsbee's cabin. The captain,
it appears, had been thrown from his
bed, but was uninjured. They both
went on deck and gave orders to food
$500 pounds of gun-cotton which was
on board. The demand was carried
out, but the men who fulfilled it never
returned. Havana, however, was
saved from a still more terrible explo.
sion.
Four boats were lowered, all manned
by officers, and one of them was lost.
Captain Sigsbee went in his own
launch on board the Spanish cruiser
Alfonso XIII to thank her captain and
officers. He afterwar1 went on board
the City of Washington, where Lieu
tenant-General w. T. Drummer, acting
sanitary inspector of Havana, and the
correspondents of American papers had
already gathered.
Captain Sigsbee, interviewed this
evening by correspondent with refer
ence to the cause of the explosion, said:
81 cannot determine the cause. but
competent investigators will decide
whether the explosion was produced
from an interior or exterior cause. l
cannot say anything until after such
an investigation has been made. l
will not and cannot conscientiously
anticipate the decision, nor do l wish
to make any unjust estimate OF the
reason for the disaster"
Lieutenant-C Commander Wainwright
believes the explosion was due to the
short-circuiting of the dynamo.
One of the officers of the Maine said
today that at 8 o'clock last night all
the magazines on board the battle-ship
Maine were closed, and the keys turned
over to Captain Sigsbee, the COM
mander.
The mutilated bodies Of Is men
were washed ashore at Regia and Casa
Blanco, opposite Havana. Seven
bodies were identified by Chaplain
Chadwick as those of Graham, Nc
Donald, Kayand, Nero. Kinsman
Dierking and Brown. The others
have not yet been identified. They
have been taken to the morgue and
will be buried tomorrow at 2 P. M.
A monument will be erected by SUBJ
scriptions, headed by the American
newspaper correspondents.
An Immediate 1nVoSuBaClOA OHuCTOU'
Washington, Feb. 18. = Secretary
Long has undoubtedly summarized the
general opinion of the majority OF the
naval experts in finding 1t impossible
lust now to state the cause Of the de-
struction of the Maine. There are a
great number of theories, but most OF
them are of a character that makes it
easy to prove or upset them by single
investigation by diver. Secretary
Long has taken immediate steps to
make this investigation. He has tele-
graphed to Admiral Sicard, at Key
West, to appoint board OF naval
officers to proceed at once to Havana,
employ divers and generally make
such INQUIRIES as the regulations OF the
navy department demands shall be
made in the case of the loss of ship.
All flags on department buildings
and on naval vessels have been ordered
at half mast.
Public men express their opinions
with reserve when approached, but
everywhere there was demand for an
investigation and full details, In the
light of which the horror may be justly
viewed.
Cspsi.ed with Fatal Results.
New York, Feb. 18.-A tuRboat said
10 be the frankie capsized and sank In
the lower bay. It is said at least five