The Portland daily press., 1898-10-05
JOHN BLooMER's STORY.
How He was Saved From the warship
Maine.

The readers of the PRESS will remem.
Der that when the Maine was blown up,
John Bloomer of Portland land his chum,
| William Tinsman of Deering, were mem
| bers of the crew. Tinsman was killed,
but Bloomer escaped. The particulars
were printed briefly at the time. Bloom
or was afterwards transferred to the U.
S. S. Montgomery and took part in the
Cuban blockade. He has been at home
the past ten days on furlough, and tells
this story of the explosion and his escape:
81 spent the evening" said Mr.. Bloom
er, ION deck, dancing in the moonlight
with most of the crew as 1t was quite
cool and the quarters below were very
hot and uncomfortable. Being tired
went below very promptly when all
hands were piped down at O'Clock and
slung my hammock as quickly as possi-
BILE, and in about ten minutes was Sleep
| ing soundly.
sit did not see as though had closed
my eyes before was aroused by two dis
tinot reports. and thinking instantly that
we had been fired upon by the Alphonso
XII. lying nearsus in the harbor, I started
to jump from my hammock to run to the
fixed ammunition room where was sta
toned in action and most of the shells
for the one and six-pound rapid-fre guns
were kept.
Before could hardly move there came
the big explosion and I suppose that I
went flying through space with the de.
bris, although did not regain conscious
ness until the waters begun to strange
me, and then began the struggle for life,
and can tell you it was fierce one
sit seemed to rue that striking some
object, which at this time seemed to me to
be the bottom of the harbor, aroused all
my energies, and being good swimmer
I struck out for the top, which must
have been about mile above me judg-
ing from the time it seemed to take to
reach it.
81 encountered all kinds of wreckage
and upon reaching the surface found my
self directly under a floating pla ket,
which, after very hard struggle, man
aged to get out from under.
81 managed to get some of the water
out of my lungs and looked around in
the moonlight and could see struggling
forms in all directions. Spoke to poor
fellow near by and he said: Guess
am about gone, my legs are both cut
off, Swan for piece of wreckage near
the bow of the ship and managed to get
hold of something that would hold me.
"I helped fellow in the water near
me, who proved to be Alfred johnson of
New York, to get hold of part of my
life raft as called it, and again looked
around.
"There were less forms to be seen
struggling in the water, but all around
nc bubbles of air were coming to the
surface, showing where the brave laddies |
had gone down.
ST wanted to try and save fellow in |
the water quite a distance away, but |
johnson said that we should do well if |
we saved ourselves.
ain very few minutes we were picked |
nm by boat from the Alphonso XII. |
and taken on board of her. but did not |
remain long, as boats took us to the city, |
where we received the best care at the |
p.ina Mercedes hospital, and as far as
am &C ncerned the Spaniards used me |
we'll.
az stayed there about three days where
a wound on my leg which I knew moth |
mo about until I arrived there. was
aresaed. was then taken on board the
,,,nshouse tender Mangrove and taken
10 ley West.