The San Francisco call., 1898-02-18
Tells of tbe Horrors After tbe Explosion oD
 the Maine.
Captain Sigsbee, Cool as Though in a Ballroom, Calmly Di- rected tbe Rescue
 of SedDen.

KEY WEST, Feb. 17.-Lieutenant John J. Blandin of Baltimore one or the Maine's survivors, who is at the Key West Hotel, to-day gave sue cinct account of the disaster, saying that not until now has he been able to recollect the sequence of events in the awful ten minutes following the ex- pIosion Tuesday evening. Lieutenant Blandin was on the Trenton at the time of the disaster off Samoa In March, lSS9, when American and German vessels lost PA men all told. Lieutenant Blan- din says:
 T was on watch, and, when the men had been piped below, I looked down the main matches and over the side of the ship. Everything was absolutely normal I walked aft to the quarter deck, behind the rear turret, as allowed after o'clock in the evening, and sat l down on the port side, where re- 1 mained for a few minutes. Then TOT some reason I cannot explain to myself now I moved to the starboard side and sat down there. I was feeling bit glum, and, in fact, was so quiet that Lieutenant J. Hood came up and asked laughingly if I was asleep. 1 said: | Mo- am on watch
 Scarcely had I spoken when there came a dull, sullen roar. Would to God I could blot out the sound and the scenes that followed Then came a 1 sharp explosion, some say numerous detonations. I can remember only one. | It seemed to me that the sound came from the port side forward. Then came a perfect rain of missiles of all Aihos, l from huge pieces of cement to plocNs of wood, steel railings, fragments or gratings and all the debris that would | be detachable in an explosion.
 "I was struck on the head by piece of cement and knocked down, but l was not hurt and got to my feet Tn mo ment Lieutenant Hood had run 10 the poop and, I supposed as followed, he was dazed by the shock and about to jump overheard. I hailed him ana he answered that he had run to the poop to help lower the boats.
 s.When I got there, though scarce minute could have elapsed, l had to wade in water to my knees, ana almost instantly the quarterback was awash. | On the poop I found Captain Slgspee' as cool as If at ball, and soon all the officers except Jenkins and Merritt joined us. The poop was above water | after the Maine settled to the bottom | Cantain Sigsbee ordered the launch and barge lowered and officers ana men. who had by this time assembled 1 eot the boats out and rescued numper | in the water.
 "Captain Sigsbee ordered Lieutenant | Commander Wainwright forward to see the extent ot the damage, and 1T any thing could be done to rescue those for- ward err to extinguish the flames, which followed close upon the explosion and burned fiercely as long as there was onv combustibles above water to feed l them.
 "Jjeutenant- Commander Wainwright on his return reported the total and 1 awful character of the calamity, anu Cantain Sigsbee gave the last sad or l der. Abandon ship to men over- whelmed with grief, indeed, but, calm and apparently uneXcited.
 "Meantime four boats from the span ,sb cruiser Alfonso XIII arrived. to be followed soon by two from the Ward liner City of Washington. The two l boats lowered from the City of Wash ineton were found to be riddled with flying debris from the Maine and unfit | for use. Captain Sigsbee was the last man to leave his vessel and left in his | own gig.
 "I have no theories as to the cause of | the explosion. I cannot form any. An examination by divers may tell some thing to court of inquiry. I with.oth- | CTS had heard that the Havana harbor 1 was full of torpedoes, but the officers whose duty it was to examine into | that reported that they found no signs of any Personally. I do not believe the Spanish had anything to do with the disaster Time may tell. I hope | so.
 we were in a delicate position on the Maine so far as taking any precau- tions were concerned. We were friends in friendly. or alleged friendly. port, and could not fire upon or challenge the approach of any boat boarding us un- less convinced that her intention was hostile.
 T wish to heaven I could forget It. have been Tn two wrecks now, and have had my share. But the reverber- ation of that sullen yet resonant roar, as if the bottom of the sea were groan- ing in torture, will haunt me for day, and the reflection of that pillar of flames comes to me even when l close my eyes"
 The officers of the Maine here are at the hotels or with army and navy friends and the seamen and others have
 been provided for at the barracks, or
 have been sent to the cruiser New
 York. A distribution of clothing will
 be made to them as soon as possible. The officers can buy all they want here
 in the way of clothing.
 ] Regarding the explosion, the officers