Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-18
STORY OF THE DISASTER.
Lieutenant Biandin. of Baltimore.
Gives His Impressions.

Lieutenant Binndin. of baltimore.
Gives His Impressions.
KEY WEST. FLA. February 17-J.ieu-
tenant John J. Blandin. Of Baltimore one
OF the Maine survivors. who is at the
Key West Hotel. gave the correspondent
Of the Associated Press the following ac-
count of the disaster. saying that not
only has he been able TO recollect the
sequence Of the awful ten minutes fol-
lowing the explosion Tuesday evening,
but the ten minutes prior to II.
Lieutenant .Bandin was on the Tren-
ton al the time Of the terrible disaster
of Samoa. IN March 1889. when the Ameri-
can and German vessels lost pa men. all
told.
Lieutenant Blandn says
Il was on watch. and when the men
had been piped below. / looked down the
main matches and over the side Of the
ship Everything was absolutely normal
/ walked aft TO the quarterback behind
the rear turret. and sat down on the port
side. where 7 remained for a few minutes.
Then. Tor some reason. l cannot explain
10 myself now. / moved 10 the starboard
side and sat down there I was feeling
a bit glum, and In fact was so quiet that
Lieutenant j. Hood came up and asked,
laughingly. If / was asleep. / said: No;
] am on watch
Scarcely had I spoken when there came
"a dull. sullen roar Would 10 God that l
could blot out the sound and the scenes
that followed Then came sharp eN-
plosion-some say numerous detonationsi
/ remember only one. IL seemed 10 me
that the sound came from the port size
forward Then came perfect ram OF
missiles of all descriptions, from huge
uieces of cement TO blocks of wood. steel
ratings. fragments OF gratings. and all
the debris that would be detachable IL
an explosion.
Il was struck on the head by piece OF
cement and knocked down, but l was not
hurt. and got 90 my feet IN a moment
Lieutenant Hood had run 10 the poop.
and supposed. as / followed. he was
G91ad bv the shock and was about TO
iYmp overheard. ] hailed him, and he
answered that he had run TO the poop
=, beln To lower the boats. When 1 got
tbere though scarcely "A minute had
eiansed / had 70 wade in water up 10
r., knees and almost instantly the quar-
ter-dock was awash.
CAPTAIN SIGSBEE COOL.
CON the poop 1 found Captain Sigspee'
40 cool az II at ball, and soon all the
oeicers except jenkins and Merritt joined
,,e TN. noon was above water after the
Naine settled on the bottom. captain
sio.hee ordered the gig lowered, ana 'he
officers and men, who by TINS uihe n"S
sr.erbled cot the boats out and rescueu
..,,,tor in the water. Captain SlssDee
ordered TJeutenant-C Commander VAN
80 so-.,rard 10 sec the extent OF the
5..,...,, ,na ~ ANYTHING could be zone 10
80 ttose forward or 10 eNtinsuish 'hc
osrce which followed close upon 'ne
e,ntosion. and burned nerceiy az 'on7 a"
there we're any combusuDies aDoNe ""'e'
70 feed them. xVaf,o,,ioht
lieutenant Commander MaihW' nm,
IN his return, reported me 'ola' 'l'S
awful character Of the calahi'y' anu
CAPTAIN sigsbee gave the iaSt sau VI u '..i,,,
sAts,5on ship 10 men overwhelmed win
- t,',,..G bpt calm and apparently un-
.In The mean time. boats from 'ne
o,o.fsb ,ruiser Alfonso XII. arrived 10
he followed soon after by those from We
s,os,oec CITY Of Washington. Inc Doa'S
,,,.o-od srorn the CITY of Washington Were
to,,,d "a be riddled with Tying dfpil9
s,om the Maine. and unfit for use. CAP
tain Slgsbee was the last man 70
his vessel. and left in his own gig.
NO THEORY AS TO CAUSE.
.,r have no theories as 10 the cause Oh
the explosion. cannot FORM my ,o,oe-
examination by divers may u" SUI,
,t,,,,, ~ court Of inquiry. l. WIN
others other had heard that the Habana lar az
Dor was fun OF torpedoes. but . the , Gmi,
GERS whose duty It was to eNain'no ''.o
~, renorted that they found no signs
~ any personally, j DO not Dehste .he
snor5eb had anything 10 DO WIN 'ne
disaster Time may tell. hope 50. ~.
I'VE were ~ delicate postum -" TINS
Maine. so far as taking any precau,,' a., =
We're concerned. We were friends u =
freedly or alleged friendly. port. ana
could not are upon or eh1llens &c. me @o ep
preach OF any boat boafaink ~ It'll
Convinced that her intention was h's .l',
81 wish 10 Heaven that could foise,
II have been in TWO wrecks now, ana
have had my share. But the ressfy ,o.r
tlons Of that sulien, yet tesoiap', .,,,.,r.
as II the bottom Of the sea WERE 800 $50.
inp In torture. viii haunt me iof h'in y,
q dav and the reflection Of the pillsl ~ ,,
name comes 10 me when l close my es'7'