St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-30

ted States has Interior purpose in send
ing the ship. Say it will obstruct au-
tonomy, and produce excitement, Sad
most probably demonstration. Ask
that it not be done till they can get
instructions from Madrid. Say that If
for friendly purposes, as claimed, delay
is unimportant."
1t was too late, however; the Maine
had already sailed. She arrived next
day and Lee reported her arrival to the
state department.
Captain Sgsbee, in testifying before |
the court of inquiry, which convened in
the harbor Of Havana Monday, Feb. 81,
said that he assumed command Of the
Maine on April 10, 1897, and that the ship
arrived in the harbor of Havana the
last time Jan. "a, 1898. The authorities
at Havana knew Of the Names coming,
Consul General Lee having informed the
authorities, according to official custom
After he took on an official pilot, sent
by the captain Of the port Of Havana,
the ship was berthed in the man-of-war
anchorage off the Nochina, or the
Shears, and, according to his under
standing, was one of the regular buoys
Of the place.
He then stated that he had been in
Havana in 1872 and again in 1878. He
could not state whether the Maine was
| placed in the usual berth for men-of-
war but said that ne had heard remarks
since the explosion, using Captain Ste
vens, temporarily in command of the
Ward line steamer City of Washington,
as authority for the statement that he
had never known in all his experience,
which covered visits to Havana for five
or six years, man-of-war to be an
chor%d &C the buoy; that he had rarely
known a merchant vessel to be anchored
there and that it was the least used
buoy in the harhor.
In describing the surroundings when
first moored to his buoy, Captain Sigs-
bee stated that the Spanish man-of-war
Alphonso XII. was moored in position
now occupied by the Fern, about $50
yards to the northward and westward Of
the Maine. The German ship Gniesenau
was anchored at the berth now occu-
pied by the Spanish man ofwar Segas-
pc; which Is about 400 yards about due
north from the Maine. He then located
|
which came into the harbor day or two
later, which was anchored to the south
ward of the Names berth, about four
or five yards.
In describing the surroundings at the
time of the explosion Captain Sigsbee
stated that the night was calm and still.
The Alphonso XII was at the same
berth. The small Spanish dispatch boat
Segaspe had come out the day before
and taken the berth occupied by the
German man-ofwar Gniesenau, which
had left. The City Of Washington was
anchored about 200 yards to the south
and east of the Names stern, slightly
on the port quarter. The Maine coaled
at Key West, taking on about $50 tons,
the coal being regularly inspected and
taken from the government coal pile.
This coal was placed generally In the
forward bunkers. No report was received
from the chief engineer that any coal
had been too long in the bunkers and that
the fire alarms in the bunkers were sem
sitive. In so far as the regulations re-
garding inhammables and paints on
board, Captain Sigsbee testified that the
regulations were strictly carried out in
regard to stowage, and that the waste
also was subject to the same careful
disposition. AS to the situation Of the
paint room, he fixed 1t, as in the "eyes
-, Of the ship" just below the berth deck,
the extreme forward compartment. AS
for the disposition of inflammables, they
were slowed in chests, according to reg
ulations, and when inflammables We're
In excess Of chest capacity, they were
allowed to be kept in the bathroom Of
the admirals cabin. Regarding the cleo
trio plant Of the Maine, Captain Sigsbee
stated that there was no serious
grounding nor sudden flashing up of the
lights before the explosion, but q sud-
den and total eclipse AS for regulations
affecting the taking Of temperature Of
the magazines and so on, Captain Sigs-
bee said there were no special regula-
tions other than the usual regulations
required by the department. He ex-
amined the temperature himself and
conversed with the ordnance officer as to
the various temperatures and the con-
tents Of the magazines, and according
to the opinion of this officer as we'll as
Sigsbee, the temperatures were never
at the danger point.
II do not think there was any laxity
in this direction" said the captain in re-
ply to question Of Judge Advocate
Mark.
He had no recollection of any work go
Ing on In the magazines or shell rooms
on the day Of the explosion. The keys
were called for in the usual way on the
day in question and were properly re-
turned. At the time of the disaster the
two after boilers in the after hreroom
were in use, because the hydraulic sys-
TEN was somewhat leaky.
Speaking generally of his relations
with the Spanish authorities, Captain
Sigsbee stated that with the officials
they were outwardly cordial. The
members of the autonomlstic council OF
|