River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-02-17
CRUISER MAINE A WRECK.
The Battleship Blown Up In The
Harbor of Havana.
Over One Hundred are Killed. The Cause
of the sad Disaster Is not Definitely
Known. The Explosion Oc-
Cured Late at Night


Havana, Feb. I6.-At a quarter OF 10
o'clock last evening a terrible explosion
took place on board the United States
battleship Maine in Havana harbor
Many were killed and wounded
All the boats OF the Spanish cruiser
Alfonso XIII. are assisting
As yet the cause OF the explosion is
not known.
1t is believed that the ship is totally
destroyed.
The explosion shook the whole city.
The windows were broken in all the
houses
The wounded sailors who were res
cued say the explosion took place while
they were asleep, and they know moth
ing Of the cause
The widest CONSERVATION prevails in
Havana
The wharves are crowded with thou
sands of people.
1t is believed the explosion occurred
in small powder magazine.
At quarter OF II, what remains OF
the Maine is still burning.
Captain Sigsbee and the other officers
have been saved.
1t is estimated that over 100 OF the
crew were killed but it is impossible as
yet to give exact details.
The Maine was built in New York in
1890, at a cost of s., $4,000. She had
steel hull and compliment of S74 men.
The Havana fremen are giving aid,
tending carefully to the wounded as they
are brought on shore
General Solano and the other generals
have been ordered by Captain General
Blanco to take steps to help the Names
crew in every way possible.
The correspondent OF the Associated
Press has been near the Maine, and seen
others of the wounded. who corroborate
the statement OF those first interviewed
that they were already asleep when the
explosion occurred
Captain Sigsbee says the explosion
occurred in the bow OF the vessel. He
received a wound in the head
Orders were given to the other off
GERS to save themselves as best they
could.
They showed great self-possession
and heroism.
At 1890 the Maine still continues
burning.
The first theory was that there had
been preliminary explosion in the
Santa Barbara (magazinc). with powder
or dynamite below the water.
Capt. sigsbee Confirms the Report.
Washington, Feb. 16-The secretary
telegram from Captain Sigsbee:
"Maine blown up in Havana harbor
at GAO last night and destroyed.
tsATop1- ,,-p,tujaj 1pJ Ip,,btiacc mora
killed and drowned
Wounded and others on board Span
ish man-of-war ard Ward line steamer.
Send lighthouse tenders from Key
West for crew and few pieces OF equip
ment still above (water).
No one had other clothes than those
upon him
Public opinion should be suspended
till further report
"All officers believed to be saved.
Jenkins and Merritt not yet account
ed for.
MANY Spanish officers. including
representatives OF General Blanco now
with me and express sympathy.
The officers referred to in the above
dispatch are Lieutenant Friend w Jen-
kns and Assistant Engineer Darwin X.
Merritt
From the wording Of the dispatch the
navy department thinks it possible that
they were on shore at the time OF the
accident
The secretary Of the navy received an
other dispatch from Key West at the
same time with the above, but its CON
tents were not made public.
The orders for the lighthouse tenders
were at once sent to Key West in plain
language, thus avoiding the delay that
would have arisen from the use of
cipher
Learned at Washington.
Long received Captain Sigsbee's dis
patch but a few minutes before the press
dispatches from Havana were handed to
him He received the news with APP
parent calm, and his first act was to
comply with Captain Sigsbee's request
that assistance be sent from Key West.
He Immediately wired Captain Forsythe
at Key West to proceed with the naval
tender Fern to Havana harbor
Secretary Long then sent for Captain
Dickens. and the two discussed Captain
Sigsbee's brief telegram. No other
naval officers were present, and besides
the secretary and Captain Dickens the
naval colony here is ignorant of this dis
aster, the greatest which has befallen
the American navy since the disaster at
Apia many years ago.
The secretary is inclined to believe
that most of the officers of the Maine
were on shore at the time OF the acct
dent, as it was still early in the night.
While neither the secretary nor Cap
tain Dickens are inclined to discuss the
probable cause OF the accident. several
suggestions were ventured upon.
They believe that it may have been
caused by fire in the bunkers, heating
the bulkhead near magazine, or that
an accident may have occurred while
inspecting high explosives for torpedoes.
OF course, this is mere speculation,
and the secretary is anxiously awaiting
a more detailed report from Captain
Sigsbee.
Later the secretary sent another tele-
gram to Key West, directing that the
tender Mangrove also be sent to Ha-
vana.