Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-18
STORY OF THE MAN ON WATCH.
Lieutenant Blandta, Who Was Also In
the Apia DisaIter, Tells of
the Explosfon.

Key West Fla, Feb. 'T.-Lieutenant
John J. BIandin, of Baltimore, one of the
Maine's survivors. who is at the Key west
hotel, gave The correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press this evening a succinct account
of the disaster. saying that not until now
has he been able to recoIlect the sequence
of events in the awful ten minutes follow
ing the explosion Tuesday evening. Lieu
tenant Blandin was on the Trenton at the
time of the disaster of Samoa, in March,
1889 when American and German vessels
lost pa men, all told. Lieutenant Biandin
says:
II was on watch, and when the men had
been piped below. / locked down the main
matches and over the side Of the ship.
Everything was absolutely normal.
walked aft to the quarterback. behind the
rear turret, as is allowed after o'clock
in the evening, and sat down on the port
side, where remained for a few minutes.
Then, for some reason 1 cannot explain to
myself now. / moved to the starboard side
and sat down there. 1 was feeling bit
glum, and, in fact. was SO tired that LIEU
tenant Hood came up and asked laughing
ly IL ] was asleep. / said. No: l am on
watch
Scarcely had / spoken when there came
a dull. .sullen roar. Would to God l could
blot out the sound and the scenes that
followed Then came a sharp explosion
some say numerous detopations. / remem-
Der only one. 1t seemed to me that the
sound came from the port side forward
Then came a perfect rain Of missiles or
all kinds. from huge pieces Of cement to
blocks of wood. steel railings. fragments
Of gratings. and all the debris that would
be detachable in an explosion.
Il was struck on the head by piece OF
cement and knocked down. but 1 was not
Fanf in, v1lnr
Lieutenant Hood had run TO the poop. and
l supposed. as l followed. he was dazed
by the shock and about to jump overheard.
i hailed him and ne had answered that
he had run to the poop to help lower the
boats When / got there. though scarce
q minute could have elapsed, had to wade
in water 10 my knees, and almost instantly
tho quarterback was awash. On the poop.
] found Captain Sigsbee. as cool as IL at a
ball, and soon all the officers except Jer-
kins and Merritt Joined US. The poop was
aboye wafer after the Maine settled to the
bottom Captain Sigsbee ordered the launch
and barge lowered. and the officers and
men. who by this time had assembled, got
the boats out and rescued a number in the
water.
Captain Sigsbee ordered Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright forward to see
the extent oil tne damage. ana II anything
could be done 10 rescue those forward or
10 extinguish the flames which followed
close upon the explosion. and burned fierce
ly as long as there was anything combusti.
BILE above water TO feed them.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright. on
his return. reported the total and awful
character OF the calamity. and Captain
Sigsbee gave the last sad order, Abandon
Ship to men overwhelmed with grief. in.
deed. but calm and apparently unexcited.
Meantime. four boats from the Spanist
cruiser. Alfonso Nil. arrived. TO be follow
cd soon by two from the Ward line steam
or. City of Washington. The two boats low
cred from the City OF Washington wer,
found TO be riddled with flying debris from
the Maine and unfit for use. Captain Sigs
bee was the last man to leave his vessel
and left In his own gig.
IT have no theories as TO the cause of tn,
explosion. I cannot form any. An examina
tion by divers may tell something to :
court of inquiry. 1. with others, had heart
that the Havana harbor was full OF tor
pedos. but the officers whose duty 1t wa
TO examine into that reported that the,