Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-02-23
SIGSBEE INTERVIEWER.
Tells of the Explosion on the Mains
precautionary Meas
urG.

Havana, Feb. 19.-Capt. C. D. Sigsbee
of the battleship Maine, in an interview
today with the correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED press, described in detail the eX-
plosion which destroyed the great ship.
Ion the night of the explosion" said
Capt. Sigsbee, Il had not retired. I was
writing letters. 1 find it impossible to de-
scribe the sound or shock, but the i'm
spring, terrifying, of noise, rending, vi
brating, all pervading. There is nothing in
the form of experience GI anyone on
board to measure the explosion by.
After the first great shock-I cannot
myself recall how many sharp detona-
tlOnS-not more than two or three-l
knew my ship was gone. In such Struc-
ture as the Maine the effects of such an
explosion are not for a moment in doubt.
Il made my way through the long pass
age IN the dark, cropping from side to side.
up the hatchway and then into the poop,
being among the earliest to reach the
spot. So soon as l recognized the officers
| ordered the high explosives to be flood
ed and | then directed that the boats
availa BILE be lowered to rescue the wound
ed or drowning.
Discipline, in perfect measure, pre-
vailed. There was no more confusion
than call to general quarters would pro-
duce.
L soon saw by the light of the flames,
that all my officers and crew left alive and
on board surrounded me. [ cannot form
any idea of the time, but it seemed FIVE
minutes from the time l reached the poop
until I left, the last man it was possible
to reach having been saved. 1t must
have been three-quarters of an hour or
more. however, from the amount of work
done.
Il remember the officers and men
worked together lowering the boats and
that the gig took some time to lower. L
did not notice the rain of debris described
by Lieut. Blandin or others who were on
deck at the time of the first explosion, but
! did observe the explosion of the fixed
ammunition and wondered that more were
not hurt thereby.
without going beyond the limits of
what was proper in the harbOr of
friendly power | always maintain pre-
cautions against attack and the quarter
watch was ordered TO have ammunition
for the smaller guns ready to hand, so
that in the improbable event of an attack
on the ship 1t would have been found
ready. It was this ammunition which
exploded as the heat reached it.
Capt. SigSbee and all the men and Off
GERS here are very anxious for news
from the United States as to the public
opinion there. The captain has done all
he can TO calm the excitement in the
United States and to induce the public to
wait for the result of the official investi-
cation before forming a judgment as to
the cause of the explosion.
As the Olivette entered the har,-)r early
this morning the passengers crowded to
her upper decks-not to see the yellow
forts and long lines of walls manned by
soldiers, the beauties of palm-crowned
hills o. the thousand lights new to many
eyes-an interest centering in the first
view Of the wreck of the Inflated battle
ship and the sight was CHASTITY enough
when reached, to satisfy all who We're
DESTROYS of witnessing horrors.