The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-17


in Naval history since the sinking of
the big British warship Victoria by col
lision with the Camperdown in the
Mediterranean. off Malta, June, 1898.
BY that accident the British Admiral
commanding, twenty-five officers and
three hundred and thirty-six men lost
their lives.
A CHANCE ACCIDENT.
The Spanish legation was early ad~
vised of the horror by Captain Genera4
Blanco. who expressed his profound re-
gret and added that the occurrence was
n chance accident, the undoubted cause
being an explosion of the boiler of the
dynamos. This was the only specific
cause assigned from an official source
during the day. 1Senor .Du Bose, the
Spanish Charge D. Affairs, called at the
State Department to express his pro-
found regret, and the entire Spanish
staff left their cards at the Navy De-
partment as mark of personal condos
lence. At all of the foreign establish
ments there was the deepest interest
and solicitude over the affair, and during
the day Ambassador Canbon of France,
Sir Julian Pauncefote, of the British
Embassy, and other foreign represent
tatives called ON the President or at the
State Department to express their re-
grcts.
The disaster is remarkable in that
only two officers lost their lives and
these were of junior grades. They We're
Lieutenant Friend w. Jenkins and As
sistant Engineer Darwin r. Merritt.
The former was unmarried, but leaves
n mother and sister, The latter, it is
thought, also was unmarried but the
department was unadyised concerning
his family.
Mr.. jenkins was born in Allegheny
CITY, Pa, June 26, 1865, and was APP
pointed Naval Cadet September 2S
1882. by Representative Thomas NJ
Bayne, of the twenty third Congress
s;onal District. After Il short cruise
on the Atlanta he was graduated june
1888 after which he served sTtccessively
OIL the Galena, Kearsarge, and Swatara.
He was next attached to the coast sur
<sey and served with it until February,
1890 when he was again ordered to sea.
sn the gnnboat bennington, From
Dune, 1898 to September, 1896, he was
On. Ordinance duty ait the Naval PROV,
h. Inflisas. Elesd, .Mas@dnd or
September IS, 1895, he was ordered tC
the battleship Maine and has since beer
attached to that vessel with the excep
tion of a short interval in the spring oi
1897. He reached his present grade o.
junior lieutenant in January, 1897. HI
had many friends in this city and wa:
regarded as a most capable and efficien
officer
THE TWO DEAD OFFICERS.
Assistant Engineer Merritt was borl
ut Red Oak, Montgomery county, Iowa
April II, 1872 He was appointed to the
| Naval Academy September 10, 1891
| graduating at the head of his class fou
years later He went to sea on th'
Amphitritc and was subsequently trans
ferred to the Indiana, receiving his tina
graduation July list, 1897. After ;
short service at the New York Nav,
| 10 70 hn haf
Maine September 10, 1897, and ha
since been attached to that i'll fated yes
sell Although his Naval service ha
| been short it is said at the department
to have been extremely creditable.
Captain Dickins, chief of the Naviga
ton Bureau, expressed the opinion to
day that the explosion took place in tn
magazine of the Maine. He said tina
this was evident for the reason that tn
ship was afloat for an hour after tn
explosion. Had torpedo been fired IN
der the battleship she would have sun
almost Immediately.
| Secretary Long, for the President, ha
SEiiI LlllS fCINSl W OC1pbdAl hClSSbNS'
"Sigsbee, T. s. S. Maine, Havana.
"The President directs me to expires
for himself and the people of the Unite
States his profound sympathy with tn
officers and crew of the Maine and dt
sires that no expense be spared in pre-
viding for the survivors and the care 4
the dead.
(Signed) JOHN D. LONG,
Secretary"
The President lIas recalled his invit;
Y tions for receptions this evening and t.
E morrow night owing to the disaste
7 which has befallen the American Nav.
a The President and several Of his Cal
a met associates held an extended confe
: encc about noon. 1t was not CabinC
i meeting, as 10 notices had been SCI
: out, and only Secretary Of the Nav
: Long, Secretary Gage, Attorney Gener
c Griggs, Postmaster General Gary an
= former Attorney General McKenna we
Y present The disaster to the Maine w;