The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-20
S|GSBEE'S Own STORY
Names Commander Relates
Personal Experience.
SPANISH DIVERS BARRED
Court of Inquiry on the Way
to the Scene.

Havana, Feb. 19.-Captain c. D. Sigs-
bee, of the battieship Maine, in an inter-
view today with the correspondent Of the
associated press described in detail the ex-
plosion which destroyed the great ship.
ION the night of the explosion" said
Captain Sigsbee, 81 had not retired. was
writing letters. 1 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 any board to measure
the explosion by.
After the first great shock-I cannot
myself recall how many sharp detona-
tons 1 heard, not more than two or three
Il knew my ship was gone. In such a
structure as the Maine the effects Of such
an explosion are not for moment in
doubt
Il made my way through the long pas
sageway in the dark cropping from side to
side the hatchWay and then into the poop,
being among the earliest TO reach that
spot. AS soon as l recognized the officers
l ordered the high explosives to be flood
ed and I then directed that the boats
available be lowered to rescue the wound
cd or drowning.
Discipline in perfect measure pre-
vailed. There was no more confusion
than call to general quarters would
produce-not as much.
Il soon saw by the light Of the flames
that all my officers and crew left alive
and on board surrounded me. 1 cannot
form any idea OF the time, but it seemed
five minutes from the time l reached the
poop until left, the last man it was po-
sible to reach having been saved. 1t
must have been three-Quarters Of an hour
or more however, from the amount Of
work done.
Il remember the officers and men
worked together lowering the boats and
that the gig took some time to lower.
I did not notice the rain of debris de-
scribed by Lieutenant Blandin or others
who were on deck at the time of the first
explosion, but did observe the explosion
of the fixed ammunition and wondered
that more were not hurt thereby.
Without going beyond the limits of
what was proper in the harbor of a
friendly power 1 always maintain pre-
cautions against attack and the quarter
watch was ordered to have ammunition
for the smaller guns ready to hand SO
that in the improbable event of an attack
on the ship it would have been found
ready. It was this ammunition which ex-
ploded as the heat reached it"
Captain Sigsbee and all the men and
from the United States as TO the public
opinion there. The captain has done all
he can to calm the excitement in the
United States and TO induce the public to
wait for the results of the investigation
before forming a judgment as to the
cause of the explosion.
As the Olivette entered the harbor early
this morning, the passengers crowded to
her upper decks, not TO see the yellow
forts and long lines of walls manned by
soldiers, the beauties of alm-crowned
hills or the thousand sights new to many
eyes. All interest centered in the first
view of the wreck of the Inflated battle
ship and the sight was CHASTITY enough
when reached to satisfy all who were de-
sirous of witnessing horrors.
Inc wreck Is the central uEure or an
otherwise bright picture and it is as sad
as it is terrible. The huge mass Of flame
charred debris forward looks as though
1t had been thrown up from a subterra-
mean storehouse of fused cement, steel,
wood and iron. Further aft one military
mast protrudes at a slight angle from
.the perpendicular while the poop on which
gathered the band offers a resting place
for the workmen or divers. OF the pre-
dominant white which marks our war
vessels not n vestiEe remains. In its place
Is the blackness Of desolation and death.
j is known that Lieutenant Jenkins, who
Is among those missing was alive after
the explosion. A colored mess attendant
now at Key West met Jenkins running
forward. He evidently thought in the
ronfusion that the Maine had been fired
On and he was rushing to the forecastle
where was located the six-inch gun of
which he was in charge.