The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-20
Discipline Perfect in the Jaws
Of Death.
BELIEVED IT BOMBARDMENT
Lieut.. jenkins Dies While Rushing
to His Gun.

Havana, Feb. 19.-Capt. Sigsbee of the
battleship Maine, in an interview to-day
with the correspondent of the Associated
Press, described in detail the explosion
which destroyed the great ship.
"On the night of the explosion said
Capt. Sigsbee, IT had not retired. I was
writing letters. find it impossible to de-
scribe the sound or shock, but the i'm
preston remains of something awe-inspir-
ing terrifying, nerve-rending, vibrating,
all-pervading. There is nothing in the
former experience of any one on board to
measure the explosion by.
after the first great shock I cannot
myself recall how many sharper detona-
tons I heard, not more than two or three
I knew my ship was gone. In such
structure as the Maine, the effects of such
an explosion are not for a moment in
doubt.
'I made my way through the passage in
the dark, cropping from side to side, to the
hatchway and thence to the poop, being
among the earliest to reach that spot So
soon as 1 recognized the officers, order
ed the high explosives to be flooded, and
then directed that the boats available to
be lowered to rescue the wounded or
drowning.
Discipline, in a perfect measure pre-
vailed. There was no more confusion than
a call to general quarters would produce
not as much.
Il soon saw, by the light of the flames,
that all my officers and crew left alive and
on board, surrounded me. I can not form
any idea Of the time but it seemed five
minutes from the time reached the poop
to the time left, the last man possible TO
reach having been reached. 1t must have
been three-quarters of an hour or more,
however, from the amount of work done.
l remember the officers and men worked
together lowering the boats, and that the
gg took some time to lower. I did not
notice the rain Of debris described by
Lieut. Blandn, or others who were on deck
at the time of the first explosion, but
did observe the explosion of the field am
munition and wondered that more were not
hurt thereby.
Without going beyond the limits of
What was proper in the harbor of a foreign
power L always maintain precautions
against attack and the quarter watch was
er guns ready to hand, so that in the inn
probable event of an attack on the ship
IL would have been found ready. 1t was
lnls ammunition which exploded as the
heat reached it"
capt. Sigsbee and all the American Of
Hcers here are very anxious for news from
lhe United States as to public opinion there
Inc captain has done all he can to calm
the excitement in the United States, and
TO induce the public to wait for the result
oI the official investigation before form
ing an opinion as to the explosion.
belore the Olivette entered the harbor
thls morning the passengers crowded to
her upper decks not to see the yellow forts
ana long lines of walls manned by soldiers,
the beauties of palm crowned hills, or the
thousand sights new to many eyes. All ina
terest centered in the first view of the
wreck Of the Inflated battIeship and the
sight was CHASTITY enough when reached
TO satisfy all who were desirous of wit
Messing horrors.
The wreck is the central figure of an
otherwise bright picture. The huge fame
oI charred debris forward looks as if it
had been thrown Up from a subterranean
store house of fused cement Steel wood
and iron. Further aft one military mast
Protrudes at a slight angle from the per-
pendicular while the poop on which gath
cred the band, offers a resting place for
'he Workmen or divers.
Ot the predominant white which marks
our vessels not a vestige remains. In its
place is the blackness of desolation and
death.
lt is known that Lieut.. Jenkins, who Is
among the missing. was alive after the
eApiosion A colored mess attendant, now
Ut Key West, met Jenkins running for
ward. He evidently thought in the con-
Iusion' that the Maine had been fred on
ana he was rushing to the forecastle,
"nere was located the six-inch gun, of
winch he was in charge
The United States flag is floating at half
mast from the poop of the Maine to-day
ana the divers, with six assistants, are
at work about the wreck under the di-
Iecton of Capt. Sissbee
IL appears that the preliminary work OF
tHe divers will be directed towards sal
wage, only When the investigation into
me cause of the disaster commences the
orate
Dr. Mas said at the hospital to-day.
tnat all of the eight patients from the
Name under his care are doing very well,
una that in even the worst cases there has
peen some Improvement
FRANK Fisher, who was saved by the
spanish steamer Colon, died on that ves-
sci yesterday.
Five bodies wore dfs.o,.crod A., a., hor