The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-18
torpedo DEATH TRAP.
| Maine Might Have Been Lured
TO a Fatal Anchorage.
|FRIGHTFUL FLASH OF FIRE.
Eyewitness Describes the
Explosion,
NAY NEVER SOLVE MYSTERY
Ship May Be Too Badly Wrecked
to Furnish a CleW.

q Kew West Fla, Feb. H.-Joseph NJ.
E Mann. a passenger on board of the City
4 of Washington of the Ward Line, which
was rnoored near the Maine on Tuesday
night. at the time of the disaster to the
batteship, in describing the catastrophe
F to-day, said: "While we were conversing
a in the cabin about 20 minutes past on
4 Tuesday night, loud report startled the
passengers. They rushed to the port
holes and saw an immense flash shoot up
q In the air with a terrific report. Debris
of all kinds and large number of bodies
were thrown upward. 1t was at first be-
leved that the Maine was being fired
upon, but after the City of Washington
was struck by what turned out to be
Il falling debris and she careened, it was
thought she was being fired upon. A sec
ond explosion took place and following it
we heard groans and cries of Help
4 Help
Il The boats of the City of Washington
y and those of the Spanish cruiser Alfonso
v XII were hurriedly launched and went to
n the rescue was in one of the boats
q of the City of Washington and the scenes
I witnessed were heartrending beyond de-
4 scripton.
Two of the small boats on board the
4 City of Washington were stove in by de-
& bris from the Maine.
The battleship sank even with the wa
\ ter in about three minutes after the ex
y plosion.
n The City of Washington was converted
4 into veritable hospital. Many of the
4 rescued men were brought on board al
most nude, but passengers gave them
n clothing, etc. The officers of the City of
4 Washington did all in their power to make
n the rescued men comfortable.
The affair caused the utmost excite
ment in Havana. Seven bodies were pick
+ ed up in the harbor yesterday and were
identified, though horribly mangled."
The City of Washington was anchored
j three hundred feet from the Maine. The
4 City Of Washington was rocked like a
cradle from the concussion, and the de-
bris rained like hail against her. Large
pieces of cement from inside the Maine
feu on deck and smashed chair which
mad just been vacated by an officer, who
. mad not gone ten feet away. The Wash
ihgton being nearest, picked up the larg-
est number of survivors. One man was
asleep in a launch of the Maine, and was
picked up uninjured, but no trace of the
launch has ever been found.
Later reports to-day from the wounded
men of the Maine show that they are all
doing well, except in the case of Patrick
foley, an apprentice, whose skull is frac-
tured, and 1t is feared he will die
The officers of the Maine are at the ho-
tels or are quartered with army or navy
friends, and the seamen and others not
provided for at the barracks have been
sent to the cruiser New York.
distribution of clothing win be made
TO them as soon as possible. The officers
can buy all they want here in the way of
clothing.
Regarding the explosion the officers of
the Maine are retlcent. They are evident
~ under orders to keep quiet, but the men
lalk more freely, and they, including the
petty officers of the Maine, are almost
unanimous in insisting that the explosion
was caused by large torpedo planted be-
lore the Maine arrived at Havana.
Ihe naval men here say that would be
possible, but is not likely. The anchorage
Tor the Maine was designated by buoy,
and the location of the buoy was fixed
by the harbor officials. 1t is stated that
persons posted as to the currents might
plant a torpedo at night, so that under
conditions of the tide it would be under
the forward part of the Maine as The
swung to her moorings. once planted, it
is further stated here, such a torpedo could
oe exploded from the shore. or from a
poat at any time fixed upon by those in
'he secret All this however, is regarded
as being unlikely to cccur. as being all
most impossible to occur without the col
iusion of Spanish offid ais.
The Maine, according 10 the reports re-
ceiVed here, was split open forward, there
lore, 1t is added, Il Is difficult to see how
ms result could be obiained by torpedo
from the outside II is pointed out that
'he explosion seems 10 have come from
Within although the keys of the magazine
We're in the hands of Capt Slgsbee at 8
o'clock.
Fears are expressed here that the divers
VIII not be able to throw light on the
cause of the disaster, since the forward
part of the Maine is practically in atoms.
why the Names after magazine, which
was filled with high explosives and easily
affected by concussion, did not so up
j. another mystery. and a mercy as welt,
since had the after magazine exploded no
one on board could have escaped death.
There were some curious escapes from
ueath when the Maine blew up. Three
men were doing punishment watch on the
port quarter deck when the explosion oc-
CURED. They all escaped unhurt.
one man was sleeping in yawl hang
ing from the dayits The bow was blown