The record-union., 1898-03-29
CAPTAIN S!GSBEE.
NAMES COMMANDER BEFORE
BOARD OF INQUIRY.
Details the Arrival of the Battle
ship at Havana, Her Mooring
and the Disaster.

ship at Havana, Her Mooring
and the Disaster.
WASHINGTON, March g. - Captain
Sigsbec, in testifying before the court of
inquiry. said that he assumed command or
the Maine April 10. 1897, and that his ship
arrived in the harbor of Havana the last
time January "a 1895. The authorities at
Havana knew of the Names coming, Con-
Sul-General Lee having Informed the au-
thorties according to official custom. Al
ter he took an official pilot sent by the
Captain of the Port of Havana, the ship
was berthed in the man-of-war anchorage
off the Machna. or the Shears, and, ac-
cording to his understanding, it was one
of the regular buoys of the place.
He then stated that he had been in Ha-
Vana in 1872 and again in 1898.
THE NAMES MOORlNG.
He could not state whether the Maine
was placed in the usual berth for men
of-war, but said that he had heard re-
marks since the explosion, using cap
tain Stevens temporarily in command of
the Ward line steamer City of Washing
ton, as authority for the statement that
he had never known in all his eX-
perience, which covered visits to Havana
| five or six years, man-of-War 10 be
anchored at that buoy; that he had rarely
known merchant vessels to be anchored
! there and that it was the least used buoy
| in the harbor.
In describing the surroundings when
first moored to this buoy, Captain Slgs-
bee stated that the Spanish man-of-war
! Alfonso XII. was anchored III the posi-
tion now held by the Fern. about 25g
yards to the northward and westward or
| the Maine The German ship GrieSenau
was anchored at the berth now occupied
| by the Spanish man-of-war lie Caspe.
which is about 400 yards due north from
/ the Maine. He then located the German
man-of-War Charlotte, which came INTO
the harbor a day or two later, which was
anchored to the southwark OF the maine )
/ ErrN lvsl1
| In describing the surroundings at the
! time of the explosion, Captain Sigsbee
stated that the night was calm ana stl1l.
| The Alfonso XII. was at the same berth.
! The small Spanish dispatch boat lie Caspe
! had come out the day before. and had
| taken the berth occupied by the German
man-of-War the Griesenau, which had
| left. The steamer City Of Washington
| was anchored about 200 yards TO the
| south and east of the Names stern
slightly on the post quarter.
NOTHING TO CAUSE PREMATURE
EXPLOSION.
The Maine coaled at Key West. taking
on about $50 tons, the coal being regu-
! larly inspected and taken from the Gov
ernment coal pile. This coal was placed
generally in the forward bunkers. NO
/ report was received from the Chief Engl-
| neer that any coal had been too long IN
the bunkers. and that the ire alarms IN
/ the bunkers were sensitive.
! The regular opinion regarding 1nnam-
mables and paints on board, Captain SlSs-
! bee testified, were strictly carried out III
/ regard 10 storage. and that it was also
! subject to the same careful disposition.
AS to the situation of the paintroom. ne
| fixed it as in the "eyes OF the ship, Just
| ward compartment The inflammableS
were stored in chests according TO the
regulations and when inflammables We're
| in excess of chests capacity they We're
| allowed TO be kept in the bathroom of
! the AdmiraFS cabin.
! Regarding the electric plant of the
! Maine Captain SigSbee stated that there
! was no serious groundings., nor sudden
/ haring UP of the lights before the eX-
/ plosion but a sudden and total eclipse.
! AS for the regulations affecting the tax
! ing of the temperatures of the magazines,
/ etc Captain Sigsbee stated there were no
special regulations other than the usual
! regulations required py the departnente
| He examined the temperature himself,
and conVersed with the ordnance officer
| as to the various temperatures and the
contents of the magazines. and according
| ia the opinion of this officer. as well as
| Sigsbee, the temperatures were never at
| danger point.
in this direction said the Captain. re-
plying to a question of Acknowledgment
! Mark. He had no recollection of any
work going on in the magazine or shell
rooms on the day of the explosion. The
| KEYS were called for in the usual way on
/ the day in question, and We're properly
returned. At the time of the disaster the
| two after boilers in the after freroom,
which were in use by the hydraulic SyS-
| TEN. was somewhat leaking.
| RELATIONS WITH AUTHORITIES.
| Speaking generally of the relations with
! the Spanish authorities Captain Sigsbee
| stated that with the officials they were
outwardly cordial The members of the
/ autonomist council of the Government
| attention of the Navy Department the
! fact that he did not visit them, and that
fact brought embarrassment TO the Gov
| ernment at Washington He took the
! orr nd n
known eiquette to call on the civil mem
bers of the Colonial Government other
! than the Governors. Without waiting for
| such an order Captain Sigsbee made a
visit afterward. and, as he states, was
pleasantly received and mis- visit prompt
ly returned by certain members of the
council A party Of ladies' and gentlemen
| called, and the President of the council
made a speech which Captain Sigsbee
could not understand. but which was in
interpreted 10 him briefly, TO whom he
replied
afterward printed in at least two papers
/ in Havana but the terms made me favor
autonomistic government in the island.
| am informed that the autonomistic gov
ernment in Havana ana IS unpo9puiar pc u,.s among
dents I have no means of knowing
whether my apparent interference in the
| political concessions OF the island had
any relation to the destruction OF the
Maine"
DEMONSTRATE OF ANIMOSITY.
When asked whether there was any
! demonstration of animosity by people
! afloat Captain Sigsbee said that there
/ was never on shore. as he was informed,
but there was afioat. He related that on
the first Sunday after the Names arrival
a ferrypoat crowded densely with people.
civil and military, returning from a bull
| fight at Regla. passed the Maine and
about forty people on board INDUCED III
| Yelling whistling and derisive calls.
EXTRA PRECAUTIONS.
| During the stay in Havana Captain S:gs-
bee took more than ordinary precautions
| ing sentries on the forecastle and poop,
| quarantine and signal buoys on the bridge
and on the poop.
| A corporal of the guard was especially
| instructed to look out for the port gang
| way and the officer of the deck and
| Quartermaster We're especially instructed
| to look out for the starboard gangway
quarter watch was kept on deck all
night: sentries' cartridge boxes were filed
| their arms kept loaded number of
| rapd-fire ammunition kept in the pilot
room and in the spare Captains pantry
and under the after Superstrncture were
kept additional supplies and shells. for the
| first and second battery: steam was kept
up in two boilers instead of one and posi-
| tive instructions were given to watch
carefully all the hydraulic gear and report
| defects.
He said he had given orders to the
master-at-arms and the order to keep a
| careful eye on everybody that came on
board, and TO carefully observe any pack
! ages that might be held on the suppo-
| sition that dynamite or other high ex-
plosive might be employed and afterward
| to inspect the routes the people had
4 L. i rx44 - ~