The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-17
N DENSEST MYSTERY
CONTINUED from First Page.)

explosion came. It was in the bow of the
vessel. A sentry stationed al the bow was
unhurt. He had seen nothing suspicious
SCI havetalked with some of the rescued
officers and seamen. One officer. whose
name I could not learn, said OF the ex-
plosion:
"T was in my bunk. When I got or
deck fire had started forward. There was
a good streng breeze. The call for all
hands on deck was promptly obeyed and
the men and officers were perfectly cool
All possible efforts made TO check the fire,
but without avail.
1.-The flames spread rapidly and sew
eraL explosion occurred. Magazines were
burst open and explosives were thrown
overheard. IN half an hour it was appar-
ent nothing could save the ship
TO THE EVENING WORLD.
New York, Feb. ia special copyright
cable to the Evening World from Havana
saws the officers of the Maine state that
the explosion was in the central magazine
end that the Mainew as raised out Of the
water and then went partially to pieces.
The dispatch continues:
"AlI but the surgeon were in the ward
room at the moment Of the explosion.
Then came the stUdendous shock. All the
officers below rushed on deck but could
get no further forward than the middle
superstructure on deck. Only very pit
liable few of the $50 jackies ever got from
below. The water rushed over them and
many were stunned and drowned, but not
mangled.
II is not likely that more than forty
sailors were saved. The officers on deck
narrowly escaped. In the junior offlcers
mess all had TO Chamber out through wa
ter and wreckage waist deep. One ladder
from the after torpedo compartment was
damned with men struggling up for life
All agree that a double explosion occurred
from the natural result Of an under-wa-
ter explosion Of the magazines"
The dispatch says that the account OF
the passengers on the Ward line steamer
City of Washington, which was lying 800
yards from the Maine bears out the fore
going statement Continuing, the cable
says:
Brass pipe, angle iron, etc, fell in a
shower on the decks of the City OF Wash
ington, so injuring two boats that when
lowered they were useless. Out of the
dense smoke came anguished cries for
help. simultaneously with the cessation
Of falling fragments searchlights were
thrown on the freck and its load of agony.
Spanish boats from the shore joined those
of the Washington alongside at once but
the regular ferry boats passing soon after
the explosion did not stop to offer aid.
Il have just seen twenty sailors of
the Maine silently enduring the torture
caused by powder-skinned faces and bod
les, broken bones and mangled flesh. They
are being well cared for in the military
hospital at San Ambrosio here. The less
severely injured men are yet on the steam
ship City of Washington.
THE severely wounded men will have
the best attention also from the men and
women of the colony. The injured men
show great grit. You can not hear
vhimper from one of the twenty-nine
wsathed forms in San Ambrosio hospital,
nOr from those anywhere else.
1.-The heavy rainfall which Immediately
followed last nights horrors still contin-
ues in a dreary, dismal drizzle. Out in the
bay lies the wreck of the once-proud
been completely lifted and turned over on
her starboard side. None of the big guns
in the turrets is visible. The Maine is
slightly listed to port, and all forward of
the massive cranes for unloading ships
boats has completely disappeared. The
big tunnels lie fiat upon the twisted and
gnarled iron braces and pieces of steel
deck. From the tunnels aft the ship
seems to be intact. She has settled until
the water has covered the top of her SUI
perstructure, and the stern searchlight
and the rapid-fire gun look over the wa
ter just below them.
Most if not all Of the bodies will be re-
covered
1.-TWO bodies were recovered this fore
noon. The authorities say they are those
of Lieutenant Jenkins and Assistant En-
gineer Merritt. A vgilant lookout is
being kept for bodies. out of ffty-nine
Injured not over four are likely to die. All
but five officers go to Key West. The
slightly wounded and al the able-bodied
men will so also, with the exception of
few who will be kept here to identify
bodies when they are secured by the div
ers. The officers rmaininG will stop at
tho Hotel Inglaterre.
THE following sailors are in San AM
brosio. All but three will live. One man
could not give his name: Dan Cronin.
New York; William McGinniss, Boston;
John Soffey, Boston; \. Hallen. Brooklyn;
James Rol. New York; Francisco Cahil.
Massac husetts; Joe Koena. Boston; Fred
Cfernge. New Rrunskick, y. J.; Charles y.
Smith. jeremiah Shea, Alfred Herns Nor
way; J. H. Bloomer. Portland; All john
son. Sweden: Edward Mattson. Sweden: