The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-16
VARSHIP BLOWN UP
The Cruiser Maine Reported De.
strOyed in Havana Harbor.
PERHAPS A HUNDRED DEAD.
The Cause Of the Explosion Is Not
Yet Apparent.
The SAILORS WERE ALL ASLEEP,

All the Boats OF tho Spanish Cruiser
Alfonso XIII Assisted In the Work
of Resculne the Wounded-The Ex-
plosion Shook the Whole City, VIM
dows In All tho Houses Being Broken.
Wounded Sailors Can Give No Par
ticulars.
Havana, Feb. 16.--At a quarter before
10 o'clock last evening a terrible ex-
plosion took place on board the United
States cruiser Maine, In Havana har-
Dor. Many were killed or wounded. All
the boats Of the Spanish cruiser Al
fonso XIII are assisting. As yet the
cause OF the explosion is not apparent.
The wounded sailors of the Maine are
unable to explain It. 1t is believed that
the cruiser Is totally destroyed.
The explosion shook the whole city,
The windows were broken in all the
houses.
A press correspondent 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 par
ticulars as to the cause.
The widest CONSERVATION prevails in
Havana. The wharves are crowded
with thousands~of people, 1t is be-
lieved that the explosion occurred In a
small powder magazine.
Captain Sigsbee and the other officers
have been saved. IT is estimated that
over hundred of the crew were killed,
but 1t is impossible as yet to give the
exact details.
Admiral Manterola has ordered that
boats OF all kinds should go to the as
slstance of the Maine and her wound
ed. The Havana firemen are giving aid
tending carefully to the wounded as
they are brought on shore. 1t is a ter
rible sight General Solano and the
other generals have been ordered by
Captain General Blanoo to take steps
to help the Names crew in every way
possible.
Captain sigsbee says that the cx-
plosion occurred in the bow of the ves-
sell He received 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 cloth
ing. gave the necessary orders with
great self possession and bravery.
The first theory was that there had
been preliminary explosion in the
Santa Barbara (magazine) with powder
or dynamite below water.
The Maine was battleship of the Sec
ond class, and was regarded as one Of the
best ships in the new navy. She was
built at the Brooklyn navy yard, and Is
31S feet long, 81 feet broad, 216 feet
mean draught and 6,6S2 tons dfsplacesssl
ment. She has two ten inch vertical
turrets and two military masts, and
her motive power is furnished by twin
screw vertical triple expansion engines,
having a maximum horse power of o.
293, capable of making a speed of 17.45
knots. She carries four ten inch and
six six inch breech loading guns In her
main battery and seven six Founders
and eight one pound rapid fire guns
and four Gatlings In her secondary bat
terry, and four Whitehead torpedoes.
The Maine cost $25SS. 900. She had
steel hull and complement of S74 men.
The officers of the Maine are: Cap
tdiH SlldiieS -. olBSUec,
lieutenant commander Richard Vain
wright; lieutenants. George F.. w. Hol-
man. John Hood and Carl W. Jungen;
lieuentants (junior grade). George p.
Blow, John G. Blandin and Friend w.
Jenkins: naval cadets. Jonas H. Hol-
den. Watt T. Cluverius. Anon Bron-
son and David F. Boyd. Jr.: surgeon.
Lucien G. Heneberber: paymaster.
Charles w. Littlefeld: chief engineer,
Charles P. Howell; passed assistant en-
gineer Frederic c. Bowers; assistant |
engineers. John R. Morris and Darwin |
r. Merritt; naval cadets (engineer di- |
Pope Washington and Arthur |
chaplain, John P. Child |
wick; first lieutenant of marines, AL
bertus w. Catlin; boatswain. Francis
E. Larkin: gunner, Joseph Hill; car
penter, George Helms.