The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-02-18
The Vessel Believed by Many to Have Been
Destroyed by an Enemys Hand
The Dead, and Missing of the Crew Will Number
Over Two Hundred and Fifty.
Explained
Large Number of the Wounde o West
WhereT e

1
is submerged except the debris Most
| ly work for divers Jenkins and Mer-
rift still missing, aud there is but lit
tie hope for their safety. Those known
to have been saved are the officers and
"a uninjured of the crew. Eighteen
wounded men are now on board the
Ward line steamer, in the city hospital
and at the MascOtte hotel SO SO far as
known. All the others went down on
board or near the Maine. The total
loss or missing is 25S. With several
exceptions no officer or man has more
than part of a suit of clothing and that
is wet with harbor water"
HAVANA, Feb 17.-Capt. Gen. Blan-
co.'s official cable message was filed at
midnight.
Half an hour after midnight Sc OF
the crew of the Maine had been car
ried to the military hospital of San
Ambrosio. They were all most seri-
ously wounded. Five others of the
crew were taken to Alfonso Kill hos
pital
On board the Spanish cruiser Al
fOnso XII. % of the wounded were
treated, and So were succored on board
the City of Washington
George Coweler, an accountant OF
the Maine, is among the men seriously
wounded.
The crew of the steamer Colon saved
two wounded men.
The Maine at the time of the explo-
sion, was at anchor about 500 yards
] Al
from the floating dock.
The explosion put out the street
lights near the wharf and blew down
telephone and telegraph wires in that
vicinity.
Adm. Manterola and Gen. Zolao put
off to the Maine soon after the explo-
sion and offered their services to Capt.
! Sigsbee.
Vernel, Burllhardt, VIM. McGinness,
j. H. Bronner. Alfred johnson, Geo.
Bolsemet and Chas. Begnan were sue
| cOred at the San Ambrosio military
hospital, and James Roure, Francis
Kehet, Daniel Cronin and George Rob
ert received attention at sanitary head
quarters
The first explosion is said to have
been caused by over six hundred
pounds of gun cotton, and the subse-
quent explosion is alleged to have been
! caused by shells and cartridges
Among the saved on board the CITY
of Washington is a Mr.. Dressler Gus
tav G.. Dressler, of the Maine), who has
lost both his eyes.
! The passengers of the City of Wash
| ingtOn gave up their staterooms to the
injured men.
An iron truss from the Maine fell
on the pantry of the City of Wash
ington, breaking the table ware of
the steamer.
! WASHINGTON, Feb. 17-After a day
of intense excitement at the navy de-
partment and elsewhere, growing out
of the destruction Of the battleship
Maine. in Havana harbor Tuesday
night, the situation Wednesday night.
after the exchange of a number OF
cablcgrams between Washington and
Havana. can be summed up in the words
of Secretary Long, when asked. as he
was about to depart for the dav.
whether he had reason to suspect that
the disaster was the work of an enemy.
replied:
L do not. IN that / am influenced
by the fact that Capt. Sigsbee has not
yet reported to the navy department
on the cause He is evidently waiting
to write a full report. So long as he
does not express himself l certainly
can not. l should think from the in,
dications, however, that there was an
accident-that the magazine exploded.
How that came about l do not know.
For the present, at least. no other war
ship will be sent to Havana
The appalling nature of the disaster
and the gravity of the situation that
would arise should investigation give
basis for the undercurrent of sus-
picion of treachery and foul play that
ran through all minds, had a SOLDERING
effect on public men of all shades OF
political opinion. The fact stands forth.
and is little less than remarkable. that
not single resolution was introduced
or single speech made in either house
OF congress, save one of coincidence
with the families of the killed. offered
by Mr.. Boutelle and adopted by the
house of representatives. Public men
expressed their opinions with reserve
when approached for interviews. but
everywhere there was demand for an