Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-29

He was informed That both forward
and after magazines were under water.
Then came faint cries. and he saw
dimly floating bodies in the water.
Boats were at once, ordered lowered,
but only two were found available, the
gig and whale boat They were low
cred and manned by officers and men.
and by the captains orders they left
the ship and assisted in saving the
wounded Jointly with other boats that
had arrived on the scene. Fire amid
ships by this time was burning fiercely
and the spare ammunition in the pilot
house was exploding in detail At this
time Lieut.. Commander Wainwright
whispered to the captain that he
thought the
TEN-INCH MAGAZINE
forward had been thrown up into the
burning mass and might explode in
time. Everybody was then directed
to get into the boats over the stern,
which was done. The Captain got in
to the gig and then proceeded to the
City of Washington, where he found
the wounded in the dining saloon, be-
ing carefully attended by the officers
and crew of the vessel. He then went
on deck and observed the wreck for a
few minutes, and gave directions to
have a muster taken on board the City
of Washington and other vessels, and
sat down in the captains cabin and
dictated telegram to the Navy De-
partment. Various Spanish officials
came on board and expressed sympathy
and sorrow for the accident The rep
resentatives of General Blanco and the
admiral of the station We're among the
Spanish officials who rendered their re-
spects. About eighty-four or eighty
five men were found that night who
survived. BY the time Captain Sigs-
bee reached the quarter deck it was his
impression that an overwhelming eX-
plosion had occurred When he came
from the cabin he was practically
blinded for a few seconds. His only
thought was for the vessel and he took
no note of the phenomena of the eX-
plosion. In reply to the direct Ques-
ton of whether any of the magazine or
she'll rooms were blown up, the captain
said it was extremely difficult to come
to any conclusion. The center of the
explosion was beneath and little for
ward of the coming tower on the port
side. In the region of the center or
axis of the explosion was the six-inch
reserve magazine, which contained
very little powder. about 800 pounds.
The ten-inch magazine was in the same
general region, but on the starboard
side. Over the ten-inch magazine in
the loading room of the turret and in
the adjoining passage number of
Ill n1-yyo1 7 prlf
placed. According TO Captain Sigsbee
it would be
DIFFICULT TO CONCEIVE
that the explosion involved the ten
inch magazine because of the loca-
ton of the explosion and that no re-
ports show that am ten-inch shells
were hurled into the air because of the
explosion. The Captain went into de-
tails as to the location of the small
arm ammunition. He said that he did
not believe that the forward six-lnch
magazine blew up The location of
the gun cotton was aft, under the cab
in. The gun cotton primers and deto-
majors were always kept in the cabin.
He stated that he had examined the
wreck himself, conversed with other
officers and men, but as the Spanish
authorities were very much adverse
to an investigation except officially on
the grounds as stated by the Spanish
Admiral. that the honor of Spain was
involved, he forbore to examine the
submarine portion Of the wreck for
the cause of the explosion until the
day the court convened.
He said the discipline Of the ship
was excellent. The marine guard was
in excellent condition The reports Of
the medical department show that
about one man and quarter per day
were on the sick list during the past
year. In the engineers department
the vessel was always ready and al
ways responsive.
He paid a tribute to the crew and
said that quieter, better natured lot
of men he had never known on board
any vessel in which he had served. He
had no fault to find with the behavior
Of any officer or man at the time of
the disaster and considered their con-
duct admirable.
On his examination by the court
Captain Sigsbee said that the highest
temperature he could remember was
112, but that was in the after maya
zine, the temperature in the. forward
magazines being considerably lower.
THERE WAS NO LOOSE POWDER
kept in the magazine. All the coal
bunkers were ventilated through air
tubes examined weekly by the chief
engineer and were connected electri-
cally to the annunciator to his cabin
door. The forward coal bunker on the
port side was full. The forward coal
bunker on the starboard side was half
full and 1t was being used at the time
Of the explosion.
Captain Sigsbee, being recalled,
stated that he had detailed Lieut.. Com
mander Wainwright. Lieut.. Holman
and Chief Engineer Howell, all of the
Maine, to obtain information in regard
to any outsiders who may have seen
the explosion.
Captain Sigsbee also gave as his
opinion that if coal bunker A Is had
been so hot as to be dangerous to the
six-inch reserve magazine, that this
condition would have been shown on
three sides where the bunker was ex-
posed. and that men constantly passing
to and fro by it would have necessarily
noticed ony undue heat.
Captain Sigsbee was recalled and ex-
ahmed as to the amount of ammuni-
ton on board the Maine. He stated
that there were no high explosives,
o,,p cotton dstopatnrs other ma =