Middletown transcript., 1898-11-12
MIDDLETowN. DEL. NOV. -, 1898
CAPTAIN sIGsBEE AND THE
MAINE.

Captain Slgsbee's personal Nara
i've OF the Maine' begins in the No
7ember Century. Captain Sigsbae says
If his efforts to guard the vessel when
she lay in Havana harbor: Every pre-
caution that could be taken against in
iury or treachery was taken on board
The Maine, so far as could be permitted
under the restrictions of my orders re-
uuiring me to make friendly visit. Ii
one. when dining with friend at his
home, were to test the dishes for poison,
he would not be making friendly visit
The harbor could not be dragged with
out giving offense; it could not be
patrolled by our picket-boats at night,
nor could the search-lights be kept
going:but every internal precaution was
exercised that the situati)l suggested.
There were sentries on the forecastle
and poop, quartermaster and signal-boy
on the bridge, and second signal-boy
on the poop, all of whom were charged
with the necessity fora careful lookout.
The corporal Of the guard was specially
instructed as to the port gangway, and
the officer of the deck and the quarter
master as to the starboard gangway.
Instead Of the usual anchor-watch, a
auarter-watch was kept on deck at
night. The sentries we're supplied with
ammunition; a number of rounds OF
rapid-fire ammunition were kept in the
pilot.house and in the spare captains
pantry inside the aftersnperstructure.
An additional supply of shells was kept
at hand for the six-inch guns. In order
to be prepared more completely to work
the hydraulic mechanism Of the turrets,
steam was kept up on two boilers in
stead of one; special instructions were
given to watch all the details of the hy-
draulic gear and to report defects. The
officer of the deck was charged by me
to make detailed reports, even in minor
matters, acting on the suspicion that
we might be in an unfriendly har-
Dor. personally instructed the mas
ter-at.arms and the orderly sergeant to
keep careful eye on every visitor that
came on board, and to cnarge their
own subordinates to the same purpose.
instructed them to follow visitors
about at a proper distance whenever
the ship was visited below; they were
carefully to watch for any packages
that mi hit be laid down or left by
visitors. on the suppositi that dyna-
mite or other high explosives might be
used. They we're also required to in
spect the routes over which visitors had
passed. The officer in charge of the
marine guard was required to make a.
least two visits during the night te the
various posts Of the vessel. The pur-
por of my own orders and instructions
was that we should consider the Maine
/ in a positi,n III demanding extreme
vigilance, and requiring well sustained
routine both by day and by night.
After the destruction Of the Maine,
and while the Vizcaya' and Oquendc
were in the harbor, we could observe
no drills taking place on board Of those
vessels, although it is possible that they
might have gone on without our being
able to observe them. There was much
shipvisiting on board. In everything
they did, except in respect to etiquette
the practised nautical eye could not fai
to note their inferiority in one degre'
or another 10 the vessels of our owl
squadron at key West. Our vessel
were then having general quarters TO
action" three times week, and wer,
keeping up their other drills, including
nightdrills, searchlight practice, etc
The vessels of the Vizcaya class, below
in the captains cabin and officer quar-
I ters, were one long stretch ef beautifn
woodwork, fiuer than on board our owl
vessels. The smaller guns of their p.i
mary batteries, and the rapid firm,
guns of their secondary batteries, wer
disposed between the tGrrets on tw
n decks in such uovetailed fashioned tha
in order to do great damage an enem
Leeded only to hit anywhere in th
region of the tunnels. | remarke
several times-Once to Admiral SamI
son, who was then Captain Sampson
the court of inquiry on the destructio
of the Maine-that the Spanish vesse
would be all afiame within ten minute
after they had gone into close aetiel
and that their gu rters at the gu
would be a slaughter-pen. Futul
events justified the statement. Afte
ward, when boarded the wreck Of u
Lnfanta Maria Teresa near SAINT ago {
Cuba, her a.tGored deck was belo
water, bat ab1ve that there was nj
even splinter Of woodwork in sigh
I in fact. there was hardly cinder le
Of her decks or of that beautiful art
Of bulkheads. II may have been th
the Maine remained longer in Hawai-
than had originally been intended
the Navy Department. II was expe
: ted, I believe. to relieve her by anoih
vessel; which vessel, | do not know.
had hoped that the Indiana er the Ma
sachusetts would bs sent to dispei T
/ prevailing ignorance among the Spatii
people in regard to The strength q
efficiency OF cur ships. The departme