Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-29
ness. on being recalled stated that h. had


been driving the day before and found a big
square hole that looked something like a
big shell or compartment. He thought It
might have been a boiler blown in. Said he
examined 1t and it looked to be a place
measuring inside ten feet wide and of the
same length. The top OF the boiler looked to
be in good condition He found also. dur
ing his examination, three 1O-inch shells at
the place where he first went down. Coal
was found after going through the square
hole in one of tn, coal bunkers. The
next day he was ordered Gown and found
three 10-inch shells lying fat down. He
also found a 10-inch powder tank, which
was sent Up. On going up he found n
heavy piece OF plating belonging to the
transverse armor. 1t was about six inches
thick. When he first landed on the 10-inch
shells. they were found lying side by side
with their noses toward the starboard and
he found the 6-inch shells close to the 10
inch. The powder tank he sent up showed
that the top and bottom were gone. The
rest of 1t was in good condition, but empty.
What He Found March 4.
Rundquist went down again March on
the port. side and found the berth deck
sloping aft to starboard. There was coal
several feet deep just forward of the crane;
none Of it had been blown out of the ship
on that side. He also found a 1O-inch tank
and powder bags. which he sent up. He
them in a bunch" In the afternoon he
went down in the same place and followed
the armor plate and found the break where
the armor plate ended. Here he found a
long string of heavy wire fifteen feet long.
Asked as to the condition of the backing
Of the armor he replied: THE end was all
twisted and torn, and ragged edges and
then they all looked and pointed inboard.
l also examined the upper part of the back
ing and found the inside corner gone
Then there was no plate of the ship
under the armor plate?"
This was just at the first break of the
armor belt and there was no plate left
underneath. There was nothing of the
ships side left"
Continuing, he described how he found
talks all pressed in, tanks and pieces of
tanks all around and black mud. He
found 1O-iEch tanks. The next day Rund-
quist went down on the starboard side and
found a break "a good way forward"
This break" he said. was vertical and
with ragged edges
The corner of the lower edge of the ram
plate he said, was nearly doubled over
and bent outward. I got the same plate
and found lots of backing extending out
five or six feet. This backing was all
pointed outboard"
SfEmond ROthschiId.
Sgmond Rothchild, one of the passengers
on the City Of Washington, was an eye
witness to the explosion. In company with
abe ard the City of Washington on the
night of February ID as she sailed into
Havana harbor. He was on the stern of
the Washington, which was astern and on
the port side of the Maine. The vessels
were about 100 yards apart Rothchild
said he was naturally interested in the
Maine and had taken a position where
they could get a good look at her.
Just as he had taken his eyes off her 20
move his chair there was the sound like a
cannon shot in the darkness. He immedi-
ately looked toward the Maine. He saw
the forward end of the vessel rise, he
thought, couple of feet out of the water.
An instant later came a second distinct
explosion.
This seemed to burst from the interior Of
the vessel forward in a dull flame and the
air was instantly filled with flying debris.
The vessel lurched back in the water after
the force OF the first detonation that had
lifted her bow and quickly began to sink
fCfward. In less than a minute her bow
had disappeared. The wreck took fire and
burned for two hours. There were single
reports that kept up through all that time
IS the liked ammunition was reached BY
the flames, but these We're not to be con-
fused with the two big explosions which
had destroyed the Maine. There was no
doubt either about the separation of these
two first explosions, an interval OF two
seconds ct least separating them.
The much discussed section of cemen.
that fell on the deck of the Washington
NdS Two Inches tnlCk ana weighed thirty
pounds. The engineer of the Washington
took it to Mexico. Pieces CT iron stove in
some of the Washington's boats and de-
layed the work of rescue. Other wreckage
was hurled clear over the Washington.
The boats of the Spanish war ship Al
phcnso XII, he said, were prompt to go
to the rescue and were aided by the search
lights.
Private VIM. Anthony, Marine Corp..
Private William Anthony of the United
States Marine Corps, whose calmness at
the time of the explosion in reporting to
Captain Sigsbee has become the theme
of admiration throughout the world, testi-
fed that he had the first watch from 8
to II O'clock on the night of the explosion
There was Grill that day and it was not
necessary TO epen the magazines.
In response to questions Private Anthony
ted his story.
Il was standing on the main deck inst
outside tie door on the starboard side
first noticed a trembling and buckling of
the decks ard then this prolonged roar
not short report, but prolonged roar
The awnings were spread and where
the wing awning and the quarterback avn
ing should join there was a space of at
least eighteen inches L looked out and
saw al immense sheet of fame, and then
l started in to warn the captain"
Did you notice any perceptfble list to
the ship at the first shock?''
AT the first shock the ship instantly
that is, the quarter deck where 1 was