The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-23

be made.
THE United States warship MAINE" was
destroyed by q terrific explosion last week
Tuesday evening, while lying at anchor in
Havana harbor. The ship was sunk and
more than $50 men and two officers we're
killed. The explosion shook the city, and
windows were broken in many Of the
houses. The widest CONSERVATION pre-
vailed in the city. The wharves were
crowded with thousands OF people. All the
electric lights were put out by the shock.
Fire engines rushed madly from one direc-
ton to another, and no one knew for GER
tain from which direction the explosion
came. Consul General Lee received tele-
phone message from Gen. Blanco telling
him that the MAINE" had been blown up.
Gen. Lee fastened to the palace, where the
cabinet was assembled.
The first dispatch sent to Washington by
Consul General Lee said: 1.-THE explosion
occurred we'll forward, under mems quar-
ters, conse quently many were lost It ia
believed that all the officers were saved
but Jenkins and Merritt not accounted for.
The cause OF explosion Is yet to be investi-
gated. Spanish captain general and army
and navy officers rendered every assistance.
Sigsbee and most OF his officers are on board
the "City OF Washington" Others are on
Spanish gunboat and in the city. am
with Sigsbee, who has telegrsphed the
navy department"
In dispatch sent Tuesday night Capt.
Sigsbee announced the disaster and loss Of
life and said that Public opinion should
be suspended till farther report" Wednes-
day morning he said: "Advise sending
wrecking vessel at once. MAINE" sub
merged except debris; mostly work for di-
vers now. Jenkins and Merritt still miss
ing. Little hope for their safety. Those
known to be saved are: Officers, twenty
four, uninjured; crew, eighteen, wounded,
now on board Ward line steamer; in city
hospital and at hotel. fifty.nine, 80 far as
known. All others went down on board
or near the MAINE" Total lost or missing,
253. With several exceptions no officer nor
man has more than part OF a suit OF cloth
ing, and that is wet with harbor water.
Officers saved are uniniured. Damage was
in compartments OF crew."
Lieutenant John j. Blandin of Baltimore,
one of the survivors gives the following
graphic and suceinct story of the disaster: :
81 was on watch, and when the men had
been piped below 1 looked down the main
matches and over the side of the ship. Every
thing was absolutely normal. | walked aft
to the quarter deck, behind the rear turret,
as is allowed after eight o'clock in the even
ing, and sat down on the port side, where
remained for few minutes. Then, for
some reason L cannot explain to myself
now, moved to the starboard side and sat
down there. l was feeling bit glum and,
in fact, was so quiet that Lieutenant Hood
came up and laughingly asked If l was
asleep. said, No, / am on watch Scarce
ly had l spoken when there came dull,
sullen roar. Would to God that / could
blot out the sound and the scenes that fol-
lowed Then came sharp explosion
some say numerous detonations. l remem
Der only one. 1t seemed to me that the
sound came from the port side forward.
Then came perfect rain of missiles Of all
description, from huge pieces of cement to
blocks Of wood, steel ratings, fragments Of
gratings and all the debris that would be
detachable in an explosion.
~ was struck on the head by piece OF
cement and knocked down, but 1 was not
Lieut.. Hood had run to the poop and 1 SUP
posed, as followed, that he was dazed by
the shock and about to jump overheard.
l hailed him and he answered that he had
run to the poop to help lower the boats.
When L got there scarce minute could
have elapsed, but had to wade in water to
my knees and almost instantly the quarter
deck was awash. On the poop l found
Capt. Sgsbee, as cool as il at a ball, and
soon all the officers except Jenkins and
Merritt joined us. The poop was above
water after the maine" settled to the bot
tom. Capt. Sigsbee ordered the launch and
gig lowered, and the officers and men, who
by this time had assembled, got the boats
out and rescued number in the water.
Capt. Sigsbee ordered Lieutenant Comman-
of the damage and If anything could be
done TO rescue those forward or to extin-
guish the flames, which followed close upon
the explosion and burned fiercely as long as
they were any combustibles above water to
feed them. Lieutenant Commander VAIN
wright on his return reported the total and
awful character Of the calamity and Capt.
Sigsbee gave the last sad order, Abandon
Ship to the men overwhelmed with grief,
indeed, but calm and apparently unexcited.
Meantime four boats from the Spanish
cruiser Alfonso XII arrived, to be followed
soon by two from the Ward line steamer
City of Washington" The boats lowered
from the "City Of Washington" were found
to be riddled with flying debris from the
Maine" and unfit for use. Capt. Sigsbee
was the last man to leave his vessel, and
left in his own gig"
The only Vermonter on the MAINE" was
Hannibal Holden, son OF George Fl. Holden
OF Burlington. The young man graduated
two years ago from the naval academy at
Annapolis, and has been on several cruises.
He was assistant navigator and captains
clerk ON the MAINE" A telegram has been
received announcing that he was not in
juTed.
To correspondent OF the Associated
Press Captain Sigsbee, who was in COM
mand, says: There is very little can tell
You. I was in the cabin at the time. 1 had
Just finished letter TO my family when the
Sinoai Se.htO' AhS oi'P .eASHou hoo'Aiy W
port, and knew In an instant what it all
meant-that my ship had blown up.
All the cabin lights were put out, and as 1
CROPPED my way out of the apartment met
my orderly running toward me. Reaching
the deck l gave orders to post sentries,
keep silence and to food the magazines.
The magazines were already flooding them
selves. / saw then that the disaster was
co nplete. Only three boats were left of the
number we carried" Asked what he
thought caused the explosion Capt. Sigs-
bee said: You will have to excuse me from
answering that, In such cases 1t is best
not to ;hink: it in hest TO know. That re-
qnires investigation and nme."
Some OF the wounded have been brought
to Key West, and others are in Havana hos
pitfalls. The funeral Of the victims took
place at Havana ON Thursday. The entire
city WAS in mourning and all classes were
represented in the throDgs that filled the
streets. A naval court OF inquiry has been
appointed To inv' sligate the disaster. As
TO how the explosion may have occurred,
greal diversity OF opinion il expressed both
in naval and civilian circles. Some navy
officers believe spontaneous combustion ig-
nirt the coal in ont of the Names bunkers,
aud that the burning fuel heated the metal
partition between the bunker and maya
zine, ca Ising an explosion of the ammuni-
ton. o. hers think some explosive suit
stance in the coal caused the disaster wht n