The Portland daily press., 1898-02-17
EXPLOSION OF DYNAMO BOILER.
To This the Names Disaster is Now Attri-

EXPLOSION OF DYNAMO BOILER.
To This the Names Disaster is Now Attri-
buted.
Havana, February 16.-There Is no
truth in the report that Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee and Vice Consul Springer have called
at the palace to thank Captain General
Blanco for his offer of assistance.
A large number of death among the
crew of the Maine is said to be due to the
fact that most of them were asleep below
at the time of the explosion. Most of the
officers were dining ON board the City of
Washington.
1t is reported that the disaster was due
TO the explosion of the boiler of the
dynamo machine on board the Maine.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII. was
for some time after the explosion in great
peril and her mooring tackles were slack
ened away and she was anchored at a
greater distance from the burning war
ship, being assisted by other Spanish YES
sells. She then lowered her boats and took
| part in the work of rescue.
| Consul General Lees cable desI atch to
the United States State Department
which was filed at IL. 30 p. M, was carried
to tine palace by Vice Consul Springer as
an act of courtesy.
The first of the American sailors to
reach the machine wharf were swimming.
All the navy fire brigade and the navy
physicians were Immediately ordered on
duty.
The following is list of those who
were temporarily cared for at the machine
wharf: de
| Thomas Droscky, burned about the
arms.
Gattrell, slightly wounded on one foot. X
John MAR, seriously burned about the
arms and face.
A. Paua, wounded on the head.
| John Londay, burned, and four more,
whose names are unknown.
| Stretchers for the use of the wounded
were sent to the scene by the fire brigade,
| and the headquarters of the Red Cross
society was called upon to send four
stretchers and men were sent to patrol the
scene of the disaster and pick up the dead
| and wounded.
The smoke stack of the Maine fell at
IL. 80 p. m.
Three sailors who escaped fell senseleas
| Just as they reached place OF safety
One of the Names officers:who is being
cared for at the sanitary headquarters is
! seriously wounded. He is very young and
| is believed to have been the officer on
guard at the time of the disaster. He is
| said to have asked for a priest, to make
| his confession
: tt was said ashore this afternoon that
only 81 men of the crew of tbs Maine had
| been saved.
| Captain General Blanco's official cable
message was filed at midnight. Half an
hour after midnight thirty six of the crew
| OF the Maine had been carried to the
military hospital of San Ambrosia. They
| were all most seriously wounded. Five
IF + Ea "a Tn 10
Alfonso XIII. hospital
| On board the Spanish cruiser Alfonso
Kill twenty-five of the wounded were
treated and thirty-six were succored on
board the City of Washington.
George Cowler, an accountant of the
Maine is among the men seriously
wounded.
The crew of the steamer Colon saved
two wounded men.
The Maine at the time of the explosion,
was at anchor about 500 yards from the
arsenal and some 30U yards from the float
ing dock.
The explosion put out the street lights
near the wharf and blew down telephone
and telegraph wires in that vicinity.
Admiral Manterola and General Solano
put off to the Maine soon after the ex-
piosion and offered their services to Capt.
Si0sbee.
Vurna1, Backurt, (Burkhardt), VIM.
| MCCJulnu0SS, u.
johnson, George Botsemot and Charles
Regnan were succored and sent to the San
Ambrosic military hospital, and James
Poure, Francis Kehot, Daniel CroDin and
George Robert were attended to at SAM
tary headquarters.
The Discussion says that fire broke out
on board the Maine at 730 p. M, and
that the crew were unable to extinguish
it. The first explosion is said to have been
caused by over six hundred pounds of
gun cotton and the subsequent explosion
is alleged to have been caused by shells
and cartridges.
Among the saved on board the City of
Washington is Mr.. Dressler (Gustave
G. Dressler of the Maine) who has lost
both his eyes. The passengers of the
City of Washington gave up their state
rooms to the injured men of the American
warship. An iron truss from the Maine
fell on the pantry of the City of Washing
ton, breaking the tableware of the steam
er. 1t
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright of the
Maine was half uudressed at 9. 45 p. m.
and was smoking in his cabin next to
that of Captain Sigsbee, it is said, when
the explosion occurred and put out the
electric lights. Lieut.. Commander Vain
wright then lit match and went to
Captain Sigsbee's cabin. The captain, it |
appears, had been thrown from his bed,
but was uninjured. They both went ON
deck and ordered the men to flood twenty
five hundred pounds OF gun cotton which
were on board. The order was carried out,
but the men never returned, but Havana
was saved from still more terrible ex-
plosion. Four boats were lowered, all
manned by officers and one of them was
lost.
Captain Sigsbee went in his own launch |
on board the Spanish cruiser Alfonso |
XIII. to thank her captain and officers. |
He afterwards went on board the City of |
Washington, where Consul General Lee,
d. W. T. Drummer, acting sanitary in
spector of Havana and the correspondent |
of the American newspapers had already |
gathered.
THE SPANISH PRESS.
Madrid, February 16.-The Epoch says:
s'Whatever the relations between Spain |
and the United States, Christian feelings |
and humanity compel us to regret the !
Il Il.