The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-12-07
CkpTAIN SIGsBEE'S STORY.

GAE LAIN SlUSDtL kOh /.
Els Account Of the Destruction Of the
Ratt!eshio Maine.
Cart Charles d. Sigsbec is contr;-
bu:ing to The Century magazine his
Personal Narrative ot the Maine. lie
viii write for no other periodical. In
the December Century his second pa
per describes the blowing up Of the
Maine and thescenes that followed it.
Capt. Sigsbec says:
About an hour before the explosion |
bad completed report called for by
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt, assistant Sec
rctary of the navy, on the advisabillty
of continuing to place torpedo tubes on
board cruisers and battleships. | then
wrote letter home in which struggled
to apologize for having carried in my
pocket for 10 months letter to my wife
from one of her friends of long stand
ing. The cabin-mess attendant, James
Pinckney. had brought me. about an
hour before, civilians thin coat, be-
cause Of the prevailing heat; l had
taken off my blouse, and was wearing
this coat for the only time during the
cruise. In the pocket had found the
unopened and undelivered letter.
| Pincknev. 4 lighthearted colored man.
who spent much Of his time in singing.
playing the banjo, and dancing jigs:
was for some reason in an especially
happy frame Of mind that night. Poor
fellow! He was killed, as was also good
old John r. Bell. the colored cabin
steward. who had been in the navy q
years.
Attaps ('turn in and keep quiet'),
10 minutes after 9 o'clock, l laid down
my pen to listen to the notes of the bu-
gle, which was singularly beautiful in
the depressing stiffness of the night.
The marine bugler, Newton. who was
rather given to fanciful effects, was
evidently doing his best. During his
pauses the echoes hoated back to the
ship with singular distinctness, repeat
ing the strains of the bugle fully and
exactly. A half-hour later Newton was
dead.
I.was enclosing my letter in its en-
velope when the explosion came. The
impression made on different people on
board the Maine varied somewhat. To
me, in my position, well aft, and with
in the superstructure, it was bursting,
rending. crashing sound or roar Of i'm
mense volume, largely metallic in char
acter. 1t was followed by succession
of heavy, ominous, metallic sounds,
probably caused by the overturning of
the central superstsucture and by fall
ing debris. There was trembling and
lurching motion Of the vessel. list to
port, and movement Of subsidence.
The electric lights, of which there we're
eight in the cabin where | was sitting;
went out. Then there was intense
blackness and smoke.
The situation could not be mistaken,
the Maine was blown up and sinking.
For moment the instinct Of self-pre-
servation took charge of me, but this
was Immediately dominated by the ha-
bit of command. went up the in
cliaed deck into the starboard cabin,
toward the starboard air-ports, which
were relieved somewhat against the
background Of the sky. The sashes
were out; and the opening was large.
Myfrst intention was an escape through
an air port, but this was abandoned in
favor Of the more digniied way Of max.
ing an exit through the superstrure. l
CROPPED my way through the passage to
the outer door. The passage turned to
the right, or starboard, near the for
ward part of the superstructure.
When the turn was reached, some one
ran into me violently: 1t was Private
William Anthony, the orderly at the
cabin door. He said something apollo
getic, and reported that the ship had
been blown up and was sinking. He
was directed to 60 out to the quarter
deck, and I followed him. Anthony
has been pictured as making an exceed
ingly formal salute on that occasion.
The dramatic effect of salute cannot
add to his heroism. If he had made a
salute it could not have been seen in
the blackness of that compartment.
Anthony did his whole duty, at great
personal risk, at a time when he might
have evaded the danger without ques-
ton, and deserved all the commenda-
ton he received for his act. He hung
near me with unfagging zeal and watch
fulness that night until the ship was
abandoned.
stood for moment on the star
board side of the main-deck, forward OF
the superstructure, looking toward the
immense dark mass that loomed up
amid ships, but could see nothing dis
tinctly. There l remained for a few
seconds in an effort to grasp the situa-
ton. and then asked Anthony for the
exact time. He replied: The explo-
sion took place at $40, sir" It was
soon necessary to retire from the main
deck, for that part Of the ship was
sinking rapidly. | then went up on the
poop-deck. By this time Lieut.. Com
mander Wainwright and others were
near me. Everybody was impressed by
the solemnity Of the disaster, but there
ives no excitement apparent: perfect
discipline prevailed.
The question has been asked many
times if believed that the Maine was
blown up from the outside. My an
swer to this has been my first order on
reaching the deck vas to post sentries