Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-02-24

On the evening Of Tuesday, the 18th in
stant. at a quarter to 10 O'Clock, one ofthe
most terrible and pitiful disasters that has
ever come upon the United States Navy
occurred TO the battleship Maine, while
anchored in the harbor of Havana.
1t will be remembered that the ship was
sent to that harbor by our government
several weeks ago, when an outbreak in
Havana was threatened, and american
citizens and their interests seemingly
needed protection. The Maine was built
in 1890 at a cost of s, 2,55S, 900. She had
a steel hull and was considered one Of the
best ships in the service. She was in COM
manG of Captain Charles D. Slasbee, who
is one ofthe fayurite officers in the Navy.
The other officers of the Maine were:
Lieutenant Commander Richard Vain
wright; Lieutenau;s George T. W. Hol-
man, John Wood, and Carl W. Juagen ;
Lieutenants Junior grade George T..
Blow. John J. Blandin, and Friend w.
jenkins; Navajo Cadets Jonas Il. Holden,
Watt 7. Cluverius, ANON Bronson, and
David f. Boyd, Jr. Surgeon Lucien q.
Heneberger; 2aymaster Charles W. Lit
tlefeld; Chief Engineer Charles P. How
ell; Past-Assistant Engineers John Il.
Morris and Darwin r. Merritt. Naval
Cadets lengineer division) Pope Wash
ington and Arthur Creushaw; Chaplain
John p. Chidwick; First-Lieutenant Of
Marines Albertus W. Catlin; Boatswain
Francis T. Larkin; Gunner Joseph Hill :,
Carpenter George Helms. OF this num-
Der all escaped death but Lieutenant
jenkins and Past-Assisjant Engineer Dar-
win Il. Merritt. All that escaped imme-
diate death were twenty-five officers, is
of crew uniDjured and 50 of crewwounded.
OF the wounded a good many have since
died, which added to the 253 who were
instantly killed swells the number Of deaths
to 260 or more.
The whole country was profoundly
stirred by the fearful calamity Many
theories were advanced as to the cause Of
the explosion. The President and Gov
ernment officials while profoundly moved
by the occurrence advised that public
opinion be with held until there could be
full and careful investigation,
There is deep seated conviction in the
public mind that the disaster was not the
result of accident but was occasioned by
Spanish brutality and treachery. The
hour at which the accident happened,
when most of the men had retired for the
night, has some influence in arousing such
a suspicion.
Capt. Sigsbee gave the following tragic
story Of the affair
''On the night of the explosion" said
Captain Sigsbee, Il had not retired. l was
writing letters. l find it impossible to de-
scribe the sound or shock, but the impress
sion remains Of something awe-inspiring,
terrifying, Of noise rending, vibrating, all
pervading. There is nothing in the for
mer experience Of anyone on board to
measure the explosion by.
CROPPED HIS WAY TO TIE DECK.
''After the first shock-I cannot myself
recall now many sharper d4tonations l
heard. not more than two or three--I knew
nv ship was gone. In such structure as
the Maine the effects Of such an explosion
are not for a moment in doubt.
81 made my way through the long pas
sage, in the dark, cropping from side TO side,
to the hatchway, and thence to the poop,
being among the earliest to reach that
spot.
HASTE TO RESCUE sEAMEN.
$50 soon as I recognized the officers
ordered the high explosives to be flooded,
and 1 then directed that the boats availa-
BILE be lowered to rescue the wounded OF
drowning.
'Disciplne, in perfect measure, pre-
vailed. There was no more confusion than
a call to general quarters would produce, il
K Ssmuch. soon saw, by the light Of the
flames, that all my officers and crew left
alive and on board, surrounded me.
STUCK TO TIE SHIP TO THE LAST.
sI cannot form any idea of the time, but
it seemed five minutes from the time left
the last MN it was possible to reach hay'
inc been saved. 1t must have been three
quarters of an hour or more, however, from
the amount Of work done.
~ remember the officers and mer
worked together lowering tile boats. die
not notice the rain of debris described by
Lieutenant Blandin, but did observe The
explosion of the fixed ammunition, anJ
wonder that more were not hurt thereby.
WAS PREPARED FOR ATTACK.
"Without going beyond the limits o
what was proper in the harbor Of friendly
power, always maintain precauhon
against attack, and the quarter-watch was
ordered to have ammunition for thesmallel
guns ready to hand, so that in the i'm
probable event of an attack on the ship il
would have been found ready. 1t was TIM
ammunition which exploded as the hea
reached it"
JENKINS SLAIN RUSHING TO DUTY.
1t is known that Lieutenant jenkins, o
Allegheny, Pa, who is among the missing
was alive after the explosion. a coloreC
mess attendant, now at Key West, Fla,
met jenkins running forward. He evi
IDENTITY thought in the confusion that th'
Maine had been fired on, and was rushin!
to lhe forecastle, where was located th'