New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-17
LIEUTENANT BLAND1N DEAD
SHOCK RESULTING FROM THE MAINE
EXPLOSION KILLED HIM.
tnx rr1rnpApH ro WE rRIprNE. J

baltimore July 16-With the name OF the
lost ship, the Maine. still on his lips Lieutenant
John J. Blandn died to-day at the Sheppard
Asylum from nerve exhaustion. causeh oS 'he
shock and the strain incident to the blowing up
Of the battle ship I'm Havana Harbor Lieutenant
Rlandin though only thirty-fve years oo' had
seen a great deal Of service In the Navy he
was In the wreck OF the Trenton At Samoa. hut
he said that that disaster was nothing COM
nared with the horrors Of the Maine explosion
When be returned home from Havana he re-
marked 70 members OF his family and fr,ehds
that he could not get that scene ou' OF MS
mind Il wish 10 heaven l could forget He
u~o,1d cav but the reverberations Of that
sullen vet resonant roar. as " the bottom OF the
saa were sroaning in -ure. will haunt me for
MANY a day. and the reflection of that piiiar OF
fame comes to me even when close my eyes.
ue WAS the officer Of the watch or that fate
mi night. The shock threw him down in mass
=, debris and he was struck the head with
O svnp plank. Several days after the disaster
1ieu,enant RIandin in describing the wreck
said Il have no theories as to the cause OF 'ne
exnlosion cannot form any. ! with others
bod heard that the Havana HarbOr was fui' Oh
,ornedoes hut the officers whose duty II vas
- sxau,ine into that reported that they fouhd
No signs OF any. Personally. l do not oe"eVe
the Spanish had anything 70 do with me as
aster. Time may tell | hope SO
while stationed at the Brooklyn Navy iard
after the disaster he began TO suHe' i''" ',Y
lonsed and binding headaches tie Woulo 10
nothing interfere with his work ana 'he' ".'o
attributed to the super OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VIZ
which he discharged his duties Upon oe'"e
transferred to Washington, In the bureau VI
Monument he showed signs of nHeaK''S "'""
and DR.. Green naval surgeon VINO "''e'O1"
him. suspected meningitis aithousn ~" y '
toms were not strongly developed
On rho Fourth OF July he was removed rom
n,s co,ntry home near Baltimore 10 the asy luIi.
After that he raved about the Maine al'n ,ho
continually During lucid m,er.d1 I,r' U. ~
morning Of July eT g him. told him Of the
snn,hilation of Admiral Cerveras meet tne
Neutenant manifested great interest," anu - %
ure. and asked Are many OF he our IepIjsd Those
moor Spaniards don't seem to 90 any '"'"e
straight" 49,. h,s ,eronera-
Members Of his family say that ms ,e' s1lpisI
rnent which had always been sunny ana ss''S ho
.rtnr' The disaster became morose, ana ne
seemed saddened distracted and apatheuc 10
everything except his work. ms sese asneciaiiv
gloomy manner alarmed his friends espeCia,I'
&C. q steadily increased until mehihslt9 "
Veloned In Its most acute form.
,,.r,.nant Blandin was thirty-hve years OLD ana
mai
49, ohest He entered the Naval Academy
~ Annapolis, in 1878. completed the four years
course and was graduated in 1882 He then went
on a two years cruise on the har'ioFu "s
naval cadet After an EXTENDED cruise L" aaI
.-.,s,srrea TO the Pensacola. and on July l. 1874
hs was promoted with others Of his class to the
rank of ensign. 49,, omoo a.
He was stationed at the Hydroeraphic once a.
Washington for a time. and then TOOK ,.,s
in physics and electricity oas shs }S 10 s.
VI snsig9 and remained with her until s1e We
wrecked Apia Samoa IN Fand afterward to
t ten ert and stationed at San FIaq Fdnoudpt
.hraa vasrs he was In the Bureau OF EqS'i ~
ss Wellington and in 1898 he was ordereG 70 'o
Coast Survey steamer Endeavor AT to tho
Maine on June 20 1897 and remained VIII - 4er ur a
M njgbt Of the explosion in Havana Haro9I ,eae
y Wss made lieutenant Junior grade on s"g s.nes
and the iUliTn ome since his marriage had been IN
Eai9more County his wife being Ms, co gdhns
III,ns University Lieutenant Bandln was liked
snd esteemed by his fenow-s'uoen'S anu