Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-04-07


arms kept loaded, number OF charges OF
rapid-fire ammunition kept in the pilot
house, and n the spare captains pantry
under the after superst-ucture were kept
additional charges of shell close at hand
for the second battery: steam was kept up
on two boilers instead of one, and positive
instructions were given to watch carefully
all the hydraulic gear and report defects.
Suspected Trenchery.
He said he had given orders to the mas
ter-at-arms and the order to keep a care
full eye on everybody that came on board
and to carefully observe any packages that
might be held on the supposition that dyna-
mite or other high explosive might be en-
ployed. and afterwards to inspect the routes
these people had taken, and never to lose
sight of the Importance of the order. He
states that very few people visited the
ship, Lieut.. Commander Wainwright be-
ing rather severe on desultory visitors.
There were only two visits of Spanish mill
tary officers. Once party of five or six
Spanish officers came on board, but accord
ing to the captain they were constrained
and not DESTROYS Of accepting much
courtesy. This visit was during the abb
sence Of the captain. He said he made
every effort to have the Spanish officers
visit the ship to show good will according
to the spirit of the Names visit to Havana,
but with exceptions stated no military Off
Ger of Spain visited the ship socially.
Precautions in Force.
Capt Sigsbee then went into details re-
garding the precautions in force. especially
in relation to the quarter watches, which he
said had never been rescinded. One OF the
cutters was in the water at the time OF
the accident and one of the steam launches,
the first was riding at the starboard boom.
The captain said that the night was quiet
and warm and that he remembered hearing
distinctly the echoes of the bugle at tattoo,
which were very pleasant. Stars were
out. the sky, however, being overcast. The
Maine at the time of the explosion was
heading approximately northwest, point
ing toward the Shears. He was writing at
his port cabin table at the time of the ex-
plosion and was dressed. He then went
into a description of the explosion when he
felt the crash. He characterized it as a
bursting, rending and crashing sound, or
roar, of immense volume, largely metallic
in it's character. 1t was succeeded by a
metallic sound, probably of falling debris,
a trembling and lurching motion Of the
vessel, then an impression of subsistence,
attended by an eclipse of electric lights
and intense darkness within the cabin. He
thought Immediately that the Maine had
blown up and she was sinking. He hurried
to the starboard cabin port, but changed
his course to the passage leading to the
superstructure. Then he detailed the man
ner of meeting Private Anothon, which Is
much the same as has been published.
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright was on
deck when Capt. Sigsbee emerged from
the passageway, and, turning to the order
ly, he asked for the time which was given
as $40 p. m. Sentries were ordered placed
about the ship and the forward magazine
flooded, IL practicable. He called for per-
feet silence. The surviving officers were
about him at the time on the poop. He
was Informed that both forward and after
ayif Nt>x
faint cries, and he saw dimly white float
ing bodies in the water. Boats were at once
lowered, but only two were found avail
able. the gig and whaleboat. They were
lowered and manned by officers and men,
and by the captains directions they left
the ship and assisted in saving the wound
ed, Jointly with other boats that had ar
rived on the scene. Fire amidships by
this time was burning fercely, and the
spare ammunition in the pilot house was
exploding in detail. At this time Lieut.
Commander Wainwright whispered to the
captain that he thought the ten-inch mag
aZne forward had beent thrown up into
the burning mass and might explode in
time. Everybody was then directed to get
into the boats over the stern, which was
done, the captain getting into the gig, and
then proceeded to the City of Washing
ton, where he found the wounded in the
dining saloon, being carefully attended by
then went on deck and observed the wreck
for few minutes and gave directions to
have q muster taken on board the City of
Washington and other vessels and sat down
in the captains cabin and dictated a tele-
egram to the navy department. Various
Spanish officials came on board and ex-
pressed sympathy and sorrow for the acct
dent. The representatives of Gen. Bianco
and of the admiral of the station were
among the Spanish officials who rendered
their respects. About "a or SIS men were
found that night who survived. By the
time Capt Sigsbee reached the quarter
deck 1t was his impression that an over
whelming explosion had occurred. When
he came from the cabin he was practically
blinded for few seconds. His only thought
was for the vessel, and he took no note
of the phenomena of the explosion. In re-
ply to the direct question Of whether any
of the ma gazines or shellrooms were blown
up. the captain said 1t was extremely diff
ficult to come to any conclusion. The CEN
ter of the explosion was beneath and a
little forward of the coming tower on the
port side. In the region of the center
or axis of the explosion was the six-inch
reserve magazine. which contained very
little powder-about 800 pounds. The ten
inch magazine was in the same general re-
gion, but on the starboard SIDE over the
ten-inch magazine in the loading-room OF
the turret and in the adjoining passage a
nently placed. According to Capt Sigs-
bee, it would be difficult to conceive the ex-
plosion involved the ten-inch magazine, be-
cause of the location of the explosion, and
that no reports show that any tcn-inch
shells were hurled into the air because OF
the explosion.
The captain went into details as to the
location of the small ammunition. He
said that he did not believe that the for
ward six-inch magazine blew up. The To-
cation of the gun cotton was aft, under the
cabin. The gun cotton primers and the
decorators were always kept In the cabin. |
He stated that he had examined the wreck
himself, conversed with other officers and
men, but as the Spanish authorities were
very much averse to an investigation ex-
ccpt officially, on the grounds as stated by
the Spanish admiral that the honor of
Spain was involved, he forebore to exam
inc the submarine portion of the wreck
for the cause Of the explosion until the day
the court convened. lie said the disci- |
pline OF the ship was excellent. The ma
rine guard was in excellent condition. The
reports OF the medical department show
that about one man and a quarter per
day were on the sick list during the past
year In the engineers department the
vessel was always ready and always re-
sponsive. He paid tribute to the crew