The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-17

IOFpeuO.
Representative Quigg, of the Foreign
Affairs committee said he has no uouD'
that the disaster to the Maine was
caused by torpedo and by design
Representative Adams, of the same
committee, says that everything lhul-
Gates that the. explosion was an accluen'
and occurred inside the ship.
Representative Mercer, of Nebraska,
said this afternoon:
';If the death of 253 American sailors
can. r,non investigation, be traced to
Spanish origin. nothing will satisfy the
American people except war
SENATOR BUTLERS SUSPICION.
Minneapolis. Mimi, Feb. Ex-senator
Rntler of North Carolina, now in Min
neapolis attending the session of the
Populist State convention, is inclined
to view the loss of the Maine as the
result of treachery.
1.-The act Of blowing up a vessel in that
manner would appeal to many of the
Spaniards as a noble deed and the au-
thor would be a hero" he said, "but
of course the Spanish government has
on connection with it."
ONLY SO SAVED.
"Will it precipitate WARP"
''No. hardly. If it is shown that the
explosion was not accidental, the Span
ish government would be in duty bound
to disavow any connection with it and
punish the author or authors in a sum-
mary manner"
Havana, Feb. 16.-Out of 354, the
total number of the crew of the Maine,
So were saved.
THE MAGAZINES CLOSED.
Havana, Feb. 1G.-On board the Ward
Line steamer City of Washington, one
of the officers of the Maine said to
day that at O'Clock last night all the
magazines on board the battleship Marine
were closed, and that the keys had
been turned over to Capt Sigsbee, her
commander. The explosion occurred at
9:45 p. IN.
Another officer said: II was sitting
with two more officers i'm the mess
room when heavy explosion occurred.
1t was so heavy that we understood
the ship would be lost, and we went on
the upper deck and found she had been
badly wrecked by an explosion. that she
was on fire and sinking. All efforts
were Then directed toward lowering the
boats and saving lives. The Maine set
tied quickly on the bottom of the har-
Dor, only her upper works remaining
above the water"
CAPTAIN SIGSBEES VIEW.
Havana, Feb 16.-Captain Sigsbee
when interviewed this evening by the
correspondent of the Associated Press
with reference to the cause of the ex.
plosion, said:
II cannot yet determine the cause
but competent investigation will decide
whether the explosion was produced
from an interior or exterior cause.
cannot say anything until after such
an investigation as been made. will
not and cannot conscientiously anticipate
the decision, nor do | wish to make
any unjust estimate of the reason for
the disaster"
This officer said the explosion occurred
somewhere in the forward part of the
midship section of the battleship Many
of the crew who were below at the time
of the explosion were unable to escape
and those who succeeded in reaching
the upper decks saved their lives with
great difficulty with the assistance of
the officers and men on watch.
A SECOND EXPLOSION.
At 2 O'Clock in the morning while the
correspondent of the Associated Press
was going ashore, there was another
terrific explosion. At the same time
boats from the Spanish steamers Colon
and Mexico were taking eight wounded
men ashore, after having been saved
from the water.
A Spanish Naval officer said that Cap
%,,, fhaN In IN ,hun n
don the sinking ship and that he remain
ed alongside the wreck as long as it was
possible to do anything in the work of
rescue.
The large number of deaths reported
among the crew of the Maine is said to
be due to the fact that most of them
were asleep below at the time of the ex-
plosion. Most Of the officers saved were
dining on board the City of Washing
ton.
1t is reported that the disaster was
due to the explosion of the boiler of
the dynamo machine on board the
Maine.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso MI was
for some time after the explosion in
great peril. and her mo0ring tacklers
were slacked away and she was an
chored at a greater distance from the
burning war ship. being assisted by
other Spanish vessels. She then lowered
her boats and took part in the work OF
rescue.
One of the Names officers who is
being cared for at the Sanitary Head
quarters is seriously wounded. He is
very young, and is believed to have been
the officer on guard at the time of the
disaster. He is said to have asked for
a priest to make his confession.
Half an hour after midnight thirty
six of the crew of the Maine had been
carried to the military hospital OF San
Ambrosio. They were all most serious
~ wounded. Five others of the crew
We're taken to the Alfonso XII Hospital.
On board the Spanish cruiser Alfonso
XII. twenty six of the wounded were
treated and thirty six were succored on
board the City of Washington.
George Cowler, an accountant Of the
Maine. is among the men seriously
wounded.
The Maine. mt the time Of the ex-
plosion. was at anchor about 800 yards
from the Arsenal, and some 200 yards
from the floating dock.
Vurnel Backurt (BurkhardD, VIM
McGuinness, J. III. Bronner, Alfred
Johnson. George BOlsemet and Charle.,