The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-29

var 10 De anchored at that buoy, that he
lad rarely known merchant vessels to be
anchored there, and that 1t was the least
used buoy in the barbor
The Maine coalsd at Key West taking
on about $50 tons, the coal being regularly
inspected and taken from the government
coal piles. This coal was placed generally
In the forward bunkers No report was re-
ceived from the engineer that any coal had
been too long IN The bunkeis ard that the
frc alarn's IN the buiikerS wera sensitive
In so far as the regulations regarding
inflammables and paints on boari. captain
Sigsbee testified that the regulations w,'i,
strictly carrsed out In regard to the sio-
age OF explosives. He examined the tenn
perature himself and the contents Of the
magazines, and according to the opinion
of his officers. as we'll as Sgshee. the
temperatures were never at dag oIlt.
Speaking of his relations With the SpNnsh
authorities. Captain Sigsbee stated that
with the officials they werc outwariiy co.,
dial. When asked whether there was any
demonstration by. people atioat Captain
Sigsbee said that thsrercver was on shore
as he was informed hut there was afl az.
He then related that On the first Su ,dav
after the Names arrival ferrvhoat
crowded densclv with neo~le returning
from bull fisht in Pcgl' ras sd the
Maine and about forty people indulgod In
wells. whistles and tlerisivs calls. During
the stav In Havana CAPTAIN Sicshsc took
more than ordinary precaiition for the FRO
lection OF the Maine ny placing sentrics OF
thu forenastle and noon and bridges He
said he had given orders to the mast a.
arms and the orderly sergeant to keNn
careful eye on everybody who come aboard
and to carefully observe any Packages Tint
might he held. on the sumo. iton that dv-
mantle or other high explosives might b.
employed. and afterwards to inspect = e
routes these peope had taken. and never
lose sight Of the Importance If the oder.
He states that few people visited the
ship. Lieutenant Commpuder Wainwr' ght
being rather severe on desTl'ory visitors,
Once y party of five or six SAanish OIL
GERS came on board hut. according to the
captain. they we're constrained End "ot d.
sirous of accepting much courtesy. Nc sail
he made every effort to have the Sranish
Officers visit the shin 10 show good viii,
according to the spirit of tho Maine's visit.
but, with tho executions stated no mill
tarv officer of Spain visited the ship so
cip,'v
He went into a description of the en-
plosion He characterized 1t as bursting
rendng and crashing eonnd largely mo-
tallic in its character II was succeeded by
a metallic sound probably of falling debris
a trembling and lurching motion of the
vessel. Then an impression of subsistence
attended by an eclipse of electric LIGHTS
and utter darkness. Fire amidships was by
this time burning fiercely and the spare
ammunition In the pilot house was ex-
plodins. At this time Lieutenant Cont
mander Wainwright WHISPERED to the CAP
tain that he thought the ten-inch magazine
forward had been thrown M into .hr
burning mass and might eSnlnde at auv
time. EVERYBODY was then directed TO n.
irto the boats over the stern. which was
done About eishtv-five men were found
4t,nt, ..rIx. Z. .t,{ r
tain siesbee rsachsd the quarter deck it
was his impression that en- overwhelming
EXPLOSION hnd occurred When he came
from The CO bin he was practically blinded
for few seconds. His thought was for
the vessel ard he took no note of the phe-
ncpiepa Of the explosion.
In reply 10 direct questions of whether
any OF the MAGAZINES Or shell rooms wern
blown m the captain said II was extremely
difficut IN come 10 any conclusion. Fa
stated that he had examined the wreck
himself. cnnversed with other officers and
men. but as the Snanish authorities were
very much averse to any investig ltion ex-
cept offcallv. mn the grounds as stated
nv the Spanish admiral that the honor OF
Spain was involved. he forebore to exam
inc the suhn erged portion Of the wrock TO-
the cause of the explosion until the dav tho
court conveyed. The discipline Of tho shin
YVES excellent. The marine guard was in
o
rov,, aen.r,ment shows that about owe
man and quarter nor dav wore on tho
eic, I;st arring tho mast year. In the en-
gineerinp department the vessel was al
wave roadv and always responsive H maid
tr;bute 70 the crew and said that
o,,ieter hotter-ratured lot he had never
known on hoard any vessel on which he bod
served We haa No f,,,It N find with the
hebayior Of anv officer or man AT the tim
Of the disaster and considered their con-
drei admirable.
an his examination rantain siesboe said
that ythe highest Temperature he could re-
member was 11o hut this was in tho after
magazine tho temnoraturo in tho forward
nagaz,no heinz oons,derab,v lower Thc-o
n,as ~ ,ooso no,dor Il, tho ragazino An
tho coo, hunkers vore Ventilated throrrN
ar t,h.s rvor,,ned weekly hy 40 rhiot
,ng;peor and were conrocted electrically 10
the art,.,,c;a,or neor his cehin door rba
coal bunEcr on the mort sido was fun. The
rorwars hu,tor on the s,nrhoard side was
fun and was being used nj the time Of the
49,