Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-31

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in.the forward bunkers. No report was
received from the chief engineer that any
coal had been too long In the bunkers,
and the fire alarms ia the bunkers were
sensitive.
In 50 far as the regulations regarding
inaammab!es and paints on board, Cap
tain Sigsbes testified that the regulations
Were strictly carried out in regard to stor-
age, and hat the waste also vas subject
TO the same careful disposition. AS to the
situation of the paint room, he fixed 1t as
In the ''eyes of the ship" just below the
berth deck, the extreme forward compart-
ment AS Tor the disposition OF inflam.
mables, they were slowed away according
to the regulations, and when inflamma-
bles were in excess Of chest capacity they
We're kept in the bath room of the cab
In. Regarding the electric plant of the
Maine, Captain Sigsbee stated that there
was no serious grounding nor a sudden
up of the lights before the explosion, but
a sudden and total eclipse. AS for regu-
lations affecting tho taking OF tempera-
tnre OF the magazines, etc., Captain Sigs-
bee said there were no special regulations
other than the usual regulations required
by the department.. He examined the
tSlAptI0JufC hillStll ALI tOuNcTSCu WIN
with the ordnance officer las To tine various
temperatures and The contentso Of the mag
azines, and according to the opinion Of
the officer, the temperatures were never
at the danger point. II do not think
there was any laxity in this direction"
said the captain in reply TO a question of
Judge Advocate Mark.
No wors on the Magazines.
He had no recollection of any work 60
ing On ia the magazine or shell rooms on
the day Of the explosion. The keys were
called for in the usual way on the day in
question II We're properly returned. At
the time of the disaster the two after boil
ers in the after fire room were III Use be-
cause the hydraulic system was somewhat
leaking. Speaking generally of his rela-
tons with the Spanish authorities, Cap
tain Sigsbee stated that with the
officials they were outwardly cordial.
The members of the autonomist council
of the government, however, seem to have
brought to the attention of the navy
department the fact that he did not visit
them N that fact brought embarrass-
ment TO hes government at Washington.
He took the ground to the department
that it was unknown etiquette to call on
the civil members of the colonial govern
ment other than the governor. Without
waiting for such an order Captain Sigs-
bee made a visit afterwards and, as he
states, was Pleasantly received and his
visit promptly returned by certain mem
beers of the council. Later a party of
ladies and gentlemen called and the pres
ident of the council made a speech which
Captain Sigsbee could not understand but
which was interpreted to him briefly, to
which he replied
"My reply" said Captain Sigsbee, twas
afterwards printed in at least two papers
In Havana, but the terms made me favor
autonomistic government in the island. I
am informed that the ~autonomistic gov
eminent in Havana Is unpopular among
a large number of Spanish and Cuban res
idents. I have no means Of knowing
whether my apparent interference in the
political concerns of the island had any
relation to the destruction OF the Maine"
Tells of the ExpIosi on.
The captain said the night was quiet
and warm, and that he remembered hear
ing distinctly the echoes of the bugle at
tattoo, which was very pleasant stars
were out, the sky, however, overcast. He
was writing at his port cabin table at the
time of the explosion and was dressed.
He then went into a description of the ex-
plosion when he felt the crash. He char
acterized IL as a bursting. rending and
crashing sound or roar OF immense vol
ume, largely metallic in character. It
was succeeded by a metallic sound, prob
ably. of falling debris. Is trembling and
lurching motion Of the vessel, thcn an
impression OF subsidence, attended by an
eclipse of electric lights and intense dark
ness within the cabin. He thought i'm
mediately that the ntaint had been blown
up and she was sinking. He hurried to
the starboard cabin port, but changed
his course TO the passage leading to the
sup~erstructure.
discusses tn Explosion
The captain told Of the escape from the
sinking boat and in reply to tho direct
question Of whether any of the magazines
or shell rooms were blown up the captain
said 1t was extremely difficult to come to
any conclusion. The center Of the ex-
plosion was beneath and e little forward
OF the coming tower on the portside. In
the region Of the csnter Of the explosion
was the o-inch reserve magazine which
contained very little powder, about $40
pounds. The 10-ilch magazine was in the
same general region but on the starboard
side. Over the le-inch magazine in the
loading room OF the turret and in the ad-
joining passage a number OF i0-incb
shells were permanently placed Accord
ing TO Captain Sigsbee it would be diff
cult to conceive tho explosion involved
l0-in h magazine because VI the location
of the explosion.