The herald., 1898-02-17
EARLY REPORTS
General Blanco's Messages to the
Spanish Legation

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-The news of
the Maine disaster was learned at the
Spanish legation with horror and occa-
stoned many expressions of profound re-
gret and coincidence. Early in the day
Sepor Du Bose, the Spanish charge DAFT
faires, received a message from Captain
General Blanco, which had been filed at
Havana at o'clock this morning. 1t reads
as follows:
with profound regret I have to inform
you that the American ship Maine, in this
harbor, blew up, an undoubtedly chance
accident. believed to have resulted from an
explosion of the boiler of the dynamo.
Immediately following the accident, all
the disposable elements of the capital has
tened to the spot to extend every aid pos
sibe These included the force of the
marine fire guards and all the generals
in Havana, among them the chief of my
staff. There have been deaths and many
wounded. / have sent an aide-de-camp to
offer every assistance to the American
consul that he may wish. I will forward
further details as they become available.
(Signed) "BLANCO."
Senior Du Bose expressed the most pro-
found regret at the occurrence.
Asked if the disaster possibly could have
ssny adverse effect upon the relations be-
tween Spain and the United States, he
responded with a decided negative, and
the statement that the affair was wholly
an accident.
ONE WHO ESCAPED
HAVANA, Feb 16-On board the Ward
line steamer City of Washington one of
the officers of the Maine said today that
at o'clock last night all the magazines on
board the battleship Maine were closed
and the keys turned over to Captain Sigs-
bee The explosion occurred at $40 p. m.
The officers then rushed on deck and as
4
rescue the men in the water. The Spanish
cruiser Alfonso XII, which was anchored
close to the Maine, also lowered her boats
and saved thirty-seven of the crew of the
warship.
The officer said: "I was sitting with two
more of the officers in the mess room
when heavy explosion occurred. 1t was
SO heavy that we understood the ship was
lost. We went on the upper deck and
found she had been badly wrecked by an
explosion, and that she was on fire and
sinking. All efforts were directed toward
lowering the boats and saving lives. The
Maine settled quickly to the bottom of the
harbor, only her upper works remaining
above water. number of boats from
the Spanish warship Alfonso XII and boats
fro mthe Ward line steamer City of Wash
ington came alongside and rendered as
sistance. Twenty-four men who were
slightly wounded We're carried on board
the Alphonso XII, from which place they
were taken to other quarters, and after re-
ceiving valuable assistance from the naval
doctors, sent to the military hospitals"
This officer said the explosion occurred
somewhere in the forward part of the
amidship section of the battleship. Many
of the crew who were below at the time
were unable to escape, and those who sue
ceeded in reaching the upper decks saved
their lives with great difficulty, with the
assistance of officers and men on watch.
At o'clock In the morning, while the cor
respondent of the Associated Press was
going ashore, there was another terrible
explosion. AT the same time boats from
the Spanish steamers Colon and Mexico
were towing the men ashore. Up to a..
m. 81 men and "a officers had been ac-
counted for.
Paymaster Ray said that last Sunday
there were 354 men on his list, all told
Lieut. Jenkins and Assistant Engineer
Merritt are among those not accounted for
Lieutenant Blandin was on watch at the
time of the explosion. Some of the
~rerISage of the Maine fell on board the