The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-03-31

aU the Ul1ne OIL Inc explosion, captain SlSS-
bee sta Ted that the night was calm and
still. The Alphonse XIII. was at the
same berth. The small Spanish dispatch
boat Legaspe had moved the day before and
taken the berth occupied by the German
man Of-war Griesenau, which had left.
The City of Washington was anchored
about 200 yards east of the Names stern,
slightly on the port quarter.
Coal Had Been Inspected.
The Maine coaled at Key West, taking
on about $50 tons, the coal being regularly
inspected and taken from the government
coal pile. This coal was placed generally
in the forward bunkers. No report was
received from the chief engineer that any
coal had been too long in the bunkers,
and the fire alarms in the bunkers were
sensitive.
In SO far as the regulations regarding
infiammables and paints on board, Cap
tain Sigsbee testified that the regulations
were strictly carried out in regard to stOr-
age, and that the waste also was subject
to the same careful disposition. AS to the
situation of the paint room, he fixed it as
in the ''eyes of the ship just below the
berth deck the extreme forward compart-
ment. AS for the disposition of inf1am-
mables, they were slowed away according
to the regulations, and when inflamma
bles were in excess of chest capacity they
were kept in the bath room of the cab
in. Regarding the electric plant of the
Maine Captain Sigsbee stated that there
was no serious grounding nor sudden
up of the lights before the explosion, but
sudden and total eclipse. AS for regu-
lations affecting the taking of tempera-
ture of the magazines, etc, Captain Sigs-
bee said there were no special regulations
other than the usual regulations required
by the department. He examined the
temperature himself and conversed with
with the ordnance officer as to the various
temperatures and the contents of the mag
azines and according to the opinion of
the officer, the temperatures were never
at the danger point Il do not think
there was any laxity in this direction"
said the captain in reply to question of
Judge Advocate Mark.
No WORK on the Magazines.
He had no recollection of any work go
ing on in the magazine or shell rooms on
the day of the explosion. The keys were
called for in the usual way on the day in
question and were properly returned. At
the time of the disaster the two after boil
ers in the after fire room We're in use be-
cause the hydraulic system was somewhat
leaking. Speaking generally of his rela-
tions with the Spanish authorities, Cap
tain Sigsbee stated that with the
officials they We're outwardly cordial.
The members of the autonomist council
Of the government, however, seem to have
brought to the attention of the navy
department the fact that he did not visit
them and that fact brought embarrass-
ment to the government at Washington.
He took the ground to the department
that it was unknown etiquette to call on
the civil members of the colonial govern
ment other than the governor Without
waiting for such an order Captain Sigs-
bee made a visit afterwards and as he
states, was Pleasantly received and his
visit promptly returned by certain mem
bers of the council Later a party of
ladies and gentlemen called and the pres
ident of the council made a speech which
Captain Sigsbee could not understand but
which was interpreted to him briefly, to
which he replied.
''My reply" said Captain Sigsbee, twas
afterwards printed in at least two papers
in Havana, but the terms made me favor
autonomistic government in the island. l
dl1l lulOIu1ou tllttU tilC tuUDuOlUlSJlC gov
eminent in Havana is unpopular among
a large number of Spanish and Cuban res
idents l have no means of knowing
whether my apparent interference in the
political concerns of the island had any
relation to the destruction of the Maine"
Tells of the Explosion.
The captain said the night was quiet
and warm, and that he remembered hear
ing distinctly the echoes of the bugle at
tattoo, which was very pleasant. stars
were out, the sky, however, overcast. He
was writing at his port cabin table at the
time of the explosion and was dressed.
He then went into a description of the eX-
plosion when he felt the crash. He char
acterized it as a bursting rending and
crashing sound or roar of immense vol
ume, largely metallic in character. 1t
was succeeded by a metallic sound, prob
ably. 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 dark
ness within the cabin. He thought i'm
mediately that the Maine had been blown
up and she was sinking. He hurried to
the starboard cabin port, but changed
his course to the passage leading to the
superStructure.
Discusses the Explosion.
The captain told Of the escape from the
sinking boat and in reply to the direct
question of whether any Of the magazines
or shell rooms were blown up the captain
said it was extremely difficult to come to
any conclusion. The center of the ex-
plosion was beneath and little forward
of the coming tower on the pOrtSide. In
the region of the center of the explosion
was the 6-inch reserve magazine which
contained very little powder, about 800
pounds. The 10-inch magazine was in the
same general region but on the starboard
side Over the 1O-inch magazine in the
loading room of the turret and in the adj
Joining passage number of 1O-incb
shells were permanently placed Accord
ing to Captain Sigsbee it would be diff
cult to conceive the explosion involved
10-inch magazine because of the location
of the explosion.