The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-17
|0ENE On THE SHIP.
Second Explosion Five Hours
Later.
HEROES DIE IN The HOLD.
Men Sent to Flood the Gun
Cotton Never Return.
STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
Vessel Sank Quickly After the
Disaster.

Havana. Feb. 16.-On board the Ward
line steamer City of Washington, one of
the officers of the Maine said to-day that
at o'clock last night all the magazines
on board the battleship Maine were closed,
and that the keys had been turned over
TO Capt. Sigsbee, her commander.
The explosion occurred at 9:45 o'clock.
The officer then rushed on deck and as
sisted in lowering a boat and in trying to
rescue the men in the water.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII, which
was anchored close to the Maine, also low
cred her boats and saved thirty-seven of
the crew of the American warship.
Another officer said: 81 was sitting with
two more officers in the mess room when
heavy explosion occurred. 1t was so heavy
that we understood the ship would be lost
and we went on the upper deck and found
she had been badly wrecked by an explo-
sion, that she was on fire and sinking. All
efforts were then directed toward lowering
the boats and saving lives The Maine set
tied quickly on the bottom of the harbor,
only her upper works remaining above the
water.
"A number of boats from the Spanish
warship Alfonso XIII and boats from the
Ward Line steamer City of Washington
came alongside and rendered assistance.
TWenty-four men, who We're slightly
of Washington, and the rest of the wound
ed were carried on board the Alfonso XIII,
from which place they were taken to other
quarters, and after receiving valuable as
sistance from the naval doctors, sent to
the military hospitals
This officer said the explosion occurred
somewhere in the forward part of the mid
ships sections of the battleship. Many of
the crew, who were below at the time of
the explosion, wereg unable to escape, and
those who succeeded in reaching the up
per decks saved their lives with great diff
Guilty with the assistance of the officers
and men on watch.
AT o'clock in the morning, while the
correspondent of the Associated Press,
was going ashore, there was another ter
r.hle explosion. AT the same time boats
from the Spanish steamers Colon and Mex
leo were taking eight wounded men ashore
after having saved them from the water
Up to 2 O'Clock in the morning fifty-seven
men and twenty-four officers had been ac-
counted for. s.s
Paymaster Ray said that last Sunday
there were 354 men on his list all told
Lieut.. jenkins and Assistant Engineer
Merritt are among these who are not ac-
counted for.
Lieut.. Blandin was on watch at the time
ol the. explosion.
Some of the wreckage of the Maine fell
on board the City of Washington. and
knocked two holes in her deck. The chap
4aln of the Maine, Rev. Mr.. J. p. Chad
wick, went on board the Alfonso XIII in
order to administer to the wounded.
Capt sigsbee Informed the correspondent
Of the Associated Press that he could not
make any statements regarding the dis
aster until after investigation.
Spanish naval officer said that Capt
sigsbee was the last man TO abandon the
sinking ship and that he remained along
side the wreck as long as it was possible
10 do anything in the work of rescue.
Soon after the explosion Chief of Police
fngliery went on board the Maine with
an American correspondent to act as in
tefpreter. Capt. Sigsbee expressed total
ignorance of the cause of the explosion.
shortly afterwards Capt. sigsbee left the
Maine, after doing everything possible
under the circumstances, and went on
board the City of Washington. He refused
10 grant any interviews on the subject Of
Tie disaster.
there is no truth in the report that
0en Fitzhugh Lee and Vice Consul
springer have called at the palace to thank
Gen Blanco for his offer of assistance.
The large number of deaths reported
among the crew of The Maine is said to be
Cue to the fact that most of them were
esleep below at the time of the explosion
Most Of the officers saved were dining on
board the City of Washington.
It is reported that the disaster was due
10 the explosion of the boiler Of the dyna-
mo machine.
Inc Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII was
lor some time after the explosion in great
PERM and her mooring tackles were Stacked