Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-29

for men-of- war but said that The had
|'hesiid remarks since the explosion, us
ing Captain Stevens. tempo lyulily III,
| command of the Ward Lime .tt,un..r
CITY OF Washington. as iu,Lrority for
the sta teinent. that he had never known
in n'l his experience. which covered
VISITS to Havana for five or six years.
a man of-wur To be anchored to tl,rt
buoy; u!ltut he had rarely known aner-
| chant ve.Stls 10 be anchored there
and Fiat 1T was TIN. least used buoy
| i1l tl:ee harbyr.
In describing the surroundings at .i;,e
time az The explosion Captain Si.cs,i,et.
EStr,e.l that THE Alfonso MI was at
northW'ard and westward OF the Maine.
\ THE Maine coaled ut Key West. talk
ing oa, $50 tons. the coal being regular
| ly inspected and taken from the govern
rns-nt cecil pile.
| No report was received from the chief
ens,me,r That amy cosul had been too
long in the bunker-s. and THAT the fire
Alarms I'm the bunkers We're sensitive
Insofar as THE regulations Regarding,
.nilnmnuhles and paints ON board. Cap
;afh SiHs5ee testified that the rcSul;l
items We're Str.StlS carried out in regard
10 Storage. anh tina; the waste was - .
subject to the same careful dis l,,,>.e.,n.
| Regarding ille electric plant Of THE
NMnt- Captain SSi|sb4.,. stated that
| there Was serious grounding nor
sudden il;lI-ing up of the lights before
| the explosion. hut II sudden and totsul
| eclipse. Captain Sig il,eva SliI he exam
rel the Temperature. of tha ,nar,zin,.s
himself nnd cynverst.u wiz, NM ,,,,l
nance officer as to the various temper
atures and the contents of the a,ar,yl-
zines. amt according tn ttl. opinion of
| this officer as We'll AS Captain SigSbee
| HE temperatures were never at The.
danger point. AT the time of the dis
aster the two after boilers i'm the after
fire room We're in Use because the ny
generally OF his relations with the
Spanish authorities Captain Ssgsba,,
lstutx>d that with the officials they were
outwarllv cordial
| When asked whether there was any
demonstration nf ani,nuslty by people
ailuat Captain t,iEs,bet said that there
never was ON shore as he was i'm
FORMED, but there was atloat He re
dated that on the first sunday after TIN.
M.lllk.'s ci-l1iW4l A ferry boat tlt4rrsaly
crowded With people, civil and 1mlitary
returning from Hull fight in Regla
PASSED the Maine and u'bout forty Ico-
Pile on, board iniulged i'm yelis. whistles
and derisive calls. During the stay iIl
e-rNlinuny precautions for the protection
tE The Maine.
The Maine, at the time OF the ex-
J lS!ts!s:l. was 'heat,.nss approximately
| ntsrthwv,.t He was writirrS at his port
cabin tnb!,. at the tarl.. of the explos-
| ialn ANA wars dressed Hc then went
|'Jnato description of THE explosion when
lne ft-lt the crash. He characterized IT
as a bursting. rendirg, and crashing
| sound, or roar of Immense volume
inrgeGy metallic in its character lit
| wa, succeeded by 4 eai,io sound,
| Il4a3aib!y of failing debris, a trembling
and lurthing ln>,tiun Of THE vessel, then
| am impression of subsides TpttsnAle+i
Ny an eclipse of eiectr'icaAtg.. Il. aIb1 i'm
tense darkness, w'itilTn the cabin. He
knew immediately that the Maine had
blown up and trualt SHE was sin lining.
'4As soon as he arrived on deck rea,tute,
| We're ordered pliced about the ship
and the forward maya zine Flooded If
practicable. Then GAME faint cries and
The saw dtmly white fN'sntng bodies in
| the water. Boats were at once Ordered
| lowered but only two We're found
available the gig and the whale boat.
| They We're lowered and manned by
officers and men and by The Captain $
lirt.c ii onS they eft t,lt. Sl.ip and assist