Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-02-18
THE MAINE BLOWN UP
The 4. =. i;aiti,>hi. Is. Destroyed h. an
Explosion in the iiurbor of Ea-
wanna.
NBMR KllLi.D AND WovNliHn
cause of the Di>tstcr Nu, Knonn. hu
1t Is Thought 4" Have Eccn An
accident

Accident
iiAyANl. Feb. lG. The United States
battleship Maine was blown up in ila-
vana harhor ut 10 o'clock last night.
Many were killed and wounded.
The cause of the accident is not vet
apparent. but it seems to have been an
accident
The wounl ed sailors are unable to
explain it.
The explosion shook the whole city
and windows were broken i'm almost
every building in the town.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press says he has converscd with sew
eral of the wounded sailors and under
stands from them that the explosion
took place while they were asleep. so
that they can give no particulars as to
the cause.
The widest CONSERVATION prevailed
in Havana. The whaiwes were crowded
with thousands of people. 1t is be-
lieved the explosion OH the Maine oc-
CURED i'll IL small magazine.
Commander Sigsbee and the other
officers were saved.
Admiral Manterolla ordered that
boats of all kinds should go to the as
sistance of the Maine and her wound
ed. The Havana firemen gave aid to
wounded and carefully attended them
as they were brought ashore. 1t was IA
terrible sight. General Solano and the
other generals were ordered by Capt.
Gen. Blanco to take steps to help the
Names crew in every possible way.
| Commander Sigsbee says the explo-
sion occurred in the bow of the vessel.
He received Il wound in the head. Or
ders were given to the other officers to
save themselves as best they could
The latter were literally thrown from
their hunks i'll their night clothes, gave
the necessary orders with great self
possession and bravery.
The New York Evening Telegram's
Havana reporter says: "As far as
Can now learn the explosion occurred
in the magazine used for the storage
of gun cotton for torpedoes. The YES.
sells life boats are wholly submerged.
only A part OF her stern showing. The
explosion shook the city from end to
end and created the widest excite
ment All electric lights were put out
by the shock Fire engines rushed
madly about as no one knew for GER
tain from which direction the explo.
sion came.''
Two hundred and fifty three men.
including two officers are missing
Captain Dickens. chief of the navi
! CATION bureau. expressed the opinion
> that the explosion took place in the
, magazine of the Maine. This was evil
, dent for the reason that the ship was
atloat an hour after the explosion.
! Had torpedo been fired under the
, battleship she would have sunk almost
; Immediately.
Capt. Gen. Blanco telegraphed his
profound regrets and declared that it
was undoubtedly chance accident.
believed to have resulted from the ex-
plosion of the boiler of the dynamo.
General Blanco has offered every as.
sistance possible.
Washington dispatches say that the
greatest interest prevails among the
senators and representatives as to the
extent of the Maine disaster. With
only the first reports before them and
the recognition of the gravity of any
utterance there is hesitancy to en-
press opinions. The immense gravity
OF the situation. in case later advices
should show the disaster to be not ac-
cidental. is admitted by all.
Ex-senator Butler of South Caro-
lima. member of the committee on
foreign relations during his service.
was OF the opinion that some bold man
had gone aboard among the MANY who
doubtless were allowed to visit the
ship. and placed IL grenade with a slow
match where it would explode the
magazine.
The Maine disaster formed the prin.
clpal topic of conversation by the SEN
ate committee Oh foreign relations at
the meeting today.
3 The opinion was generally expressed
by the members of the committee tothe
, effect that the occurrence WAS ona of
i very great Importance and may result
: in grave complication unless Spain
: can make it very plain that no Span
lard was i'll any way responsible for it.
A prominent member of the committee
said after the meeting that Spain
would he expected to omake an explaua
tion which would entirely clear up the
mystery, and if she did not this conn.
try would have right to demand such