The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-18

able few of the $50 tackles ever got
from below. The water rushed over
them and many We're stunned and
drowned. but not mangIed. 1t is not
likely that more than forty sailors were
saved. The officers on deck narrowly
escaped. In the Junior officers mess
all had to Chamber out through water
and w~reckage waist deep. One ladder
from the after-torpedo compartment
was damned with men struggling up
for life. All agree that a double ex-
plosion occurred from the natural re-
suit OF an under water explosion of
the magazines"
The dispatch says tina the account
Of the passengers or the Ward Line
steamer City of Washington. which was
lying 800 yards from the Maine, bears
out e foregoing statement.
Spanish boats from the shore Joined
those of the Washington alongside at
once, but the regular f~erryboats pass
ing soon after the explosion, did not
stop to offer aid.
Havana, February LION board the
Ward Line steamer City of Washing
ton, one of the officers OF the Maine
said today that at s o'clock last night
all the magazines on board the battle
ship Maine were closed and that the
keys had been turned over TO Captain
Sigsbee, her commander. The explo-
sion occurred at 9:45 D. m.
Another officer said: Il was sitting
with two more officers in the mess
room when a heavy explosion occurred.
1t was so heavy that we understood
the ship would be lost and we went on
the ppe deck and found she had been
badly wrecked by an explosion; that
she was on fire and sinking. All eff
forts were then directed toward lower
ing the boats and saving lives. The
Maine settled quickly on the bottom
of the harbor, only her upper works
remaining above the water"
This officer said the explosion oc-
CURED somewhere in the forward part
of the midshipS section of the battle
ship. Many of the crew were below at
the time of the explosion and were I'M
able to escape, and those who succeed
ed in reaching the upper decks saved
their lives with great difficulty, with
the assistance of the officers and men
on watch.
AN EXPLOSION AFTER THE
WRECK.
At 2 o'clock in the morning, while
the correspondent of the Associated
Press was going ashore, there was
another terrible explosion. At the
same time boats from the Spanish
steamers Colon and Mexico were TAX
ing eight wounded men ashore, after
having been saved from the water.
A Spanish naval officer said that Cap
tail Sigsbee was the last man to aban-
don the sinking ship and that he re-
manned alongside the wreck a. long as
it was possible to do anything in the
work of rescue.
THE GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
The large number of deaths reported
among the crew of the Maine is said
to be due to the fact that the most of
them were asleep below at the time of
the explosion. Most of the officers
saved were dining on board the City
of Washington. Out Of 354, the total
umb of the crew of the Maine, nine
ty-SiX were saved.
1t is reported that the disaster was
due to the explosion Of the boiler of the
dynamo machine Of board the Maine.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII was
for sometime after the explosion in
great peril, and her mooring tacklers
were Stacked away and she was an
chored at a greater distance from the
burning warship, being assisted by
other vessels. She hen lowered her
boats and took part in the work Of
rescue.
One Of the Maine officers who is
being cared for at the sanitary head
quarters is seriously IND He Is
very young, and is believed to have
been the officer on guard at h time
of the disaster. He is said to have ask
ed for a priest to make his confession.
Half an hour after midnight thirty
six of the crew of the Maine had been
carried to the military hospital of San
Ambrosio. They were all most serious
ly wounded. Five others of the crew
were taken to the Alfonso XIII hos
pital. On board the Spanish cruiser
Alfonso XII twenty-six of the wounded
| were treated and thirty-six were sue
| cored on board the City Of Washing
ton. George Cowler, an ~acountant of
the Maine, is among the men serious
Iy wounded.
The Main, at the time Of the explo-
| sion, was at anchor about 500 yards
from the arsenal and some 200 yards
from the floating dock.
! vurnel Backurt (Burkhardt), Will
! liam McGuinness, j. H. Bronner, AL
fred Johnson, George Bolsemet and
! Charles Begnan were succored at the
| San Ambrose military hospital, and
! James Roure, Francis Kent, Daniel
Cronin and George Robert received at
i tention at sanitary headquarters T..
| The first explosion is aid to haye
been caused by over 600 pounds of gun
cotton, and the subsequent explosion
is alleged to have been caused by shells
and cartridges.
Among the V on board the CITY
Of Washington is a Mr.. DRESSER, Gus
tav G.. Dressler) of the Maine who
has lost both his eyes.
The passengers OF the City of Wash
ington ave UP their staterooms TO the
injured men of the American warsnip.
HEROES OF THE OCCASION.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright,
of the Maine. was half dressed at 9:45
o'clock D.. m, and was smoking in his
. cabin next to that OF Captain Sigsbee,
it is said, when the explosion oc-
CURED, and put out the electric lights.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
then lit a match and went to Captain
/ Stgsbee's cabin. The captain. RI ap-
pears. had been thrown from his bed,
but was uninjured. They both went
on deck and ordered some men 10 food
2.5e9 pounds Of gun cotton which was
on board.
/ THE ORDER WAS CARRIED OUT,