Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-28
CAPT. \. n. WOODS TALE
Of the Disaster 10 the Maine One Of Best
Yet Told.

NidlN tStoil, ltA, L tD. -i.-ldpl. ii. II
Woods of the British steamship Thurs
ton is in a position to tell an absolute
~ unbiased and impartial story of the
Maine tragedy.
The Thurston arrived here yestcr-
day. from Havana. She was one of the
few British steamships in Havana at
the time the battleship was blown up.
My vessel was within half mile of
the Maine" said Capt. Woods. and
my small boat was the first TO reach tbs
wreck. 1t is beyond my power to de
scribe the explosion. 1t was awful.
1t paralyZed the intellect for Il few
moments. The cries that came over
the waters awakened US to a realization
that some great tragedy had occurred
Il Immediately examined the boat
load and made all haste to the wreck.
There were very few men in the water.
All told, | do not believe there We're -.
We picked up some of them and passed
them on to other vessels ana then con-
tinued our work of rescue.
The sight was appalling, dismcm-
bered legs and trunks of bodies Wcry
floating about. together with pieces VI
clothing, boxes Of meats. and all sol
of wreckage. Now and then the a2on-
ized cry of some poor suffering fcliU"
could be heard above the tumult.
zone grand figure stood out in all he
terrible scene. That was capt. SigShct.
Every American has reason to be proud
of that officer. He seemed to have real
lied in an instant All that had happened.
Not for a moment did he show evidence
of excitement. He alone WAS cool Dis
ciplne? Why. man. tn" discipline was
there as strong as ever despite the fact
that all around was death and disaster.
Capt SiSSbcc refused all offers of as
sistance from SpaniardS. Tie ordered
them away. When he had To leave the
battleship-you know he was the last To
leave--hc gave the order for his gig. And
he left that wreck in his gig. too. with
out any sign of haste. As long as he
could he remained on board to give such
orders as possible for the guidance of the
rescuers. When nothing more could he
done and the vessel was sinking gradu-
ally into the waters, he prepared 10 leave
1T was SO remarkable for man to
think of his rank and station at such Il
time and to depart from wreck in the
style that he would ordinarily assume
had no tragedy taken place, that | could
but marvel / really believe he would
have remained on board until the waters
cngulfed him if his gig had not been
forthcoming.
as it a fact" Capt Woods was asked
that the searchlights of MORO castl"
Fort Cabanas and the Spanish warships
were not turned upon the wreck of the
Maine to assist the r"sCucrS in their
work ?'
"The searchlight of the Alfonso one of
the Spanish war vessels, was directed to-
ward the Maine for about 10 minutes. "
Capt. Woods replied. Then for some rca-
son it was swung upon some other course
There was no Searchlight on the wreck
from any of the forts. That 10 minutes
Of uGht from the Alfons" was tho only
time any SeIrChliEht was thrown upon
the wreck
what was the opinion Of impassion9tc.
unprcjudiced persons in Havana regard
ing the cause of the blowing up of tn
Maine?''
while we had our opinion. We were
very careful, owing to tho ntlamed cor
dition of the public mind in Havana. not
to express il. There is no doubt there
was something WRONG.
What that something WAS / am not in
:, position to say. This mucn | can say
however: Capt. SigSbec. after the traS-
cdy. acted with all the good sense and
wisdom that man could use,
'''fho first message he sent out advis-
ing suspension of public Judgment in
the United States pending the official in
Y"Stigation. commanded the admiration
of all. He took the ground that if there
was anything wrong. il WAS going To be
founi ont officially"
"What view do the residents Of Ia
YanH entertain regarding the disaStor?'
That cannot say. Hofor" left Ia
Naua the Spanish newspapers had printed
the fact that tn" big magazine of til"
battl"ship WAS intact There was less
known in Havana regarding what the
divers We're discovering than seems to Ia"
known here in America. The feeling Is
Of course intense, and did not IN
d"avor 10 mix NJ Will any Of the natives
but kept my opinions to myself
Did You have anything morr to do
with tn" Maine ham the work of rescue
about tn" wreck"