The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-29
CAPT. SIGSBEE OF THE MAINE.
TALKS OF HAVANA AND HIS TRIP
TO WASHINGTON.


The Names officers Went Through
savannah Yesterday at NOOn-Are
Glad to Get Back to Uncle Sans
Domafn-An Incident of the Trip at
WaycrOss-Oiiicers Will Go Home 10
Await Orders-Gen. Lee and the
situation at Havana.
Capt. Sigsbee and several officers of the
Inflated battleshp Maine passed through
Savannah yesterday at noon on their way
to Washington. The party arrived at 12I5
O'Clock over the Plant System, and TWEEN
ty minutes were spent at the station for
dinner
In the party were Capt. Sgsbee, Pay
master c. NJ. Ray, DR.. L. G. Heneberger,
Chief Engineer c. Z. Howell and Naval
Cadet ]. H. Holden. They will go from
Washington to their homes, where they
will await orders reassigning them to duty.
Capt. Sigsbees home is in Washington,
DR.. Heneberger lives at Harrisonburg, Va;
Chief Engineer Howell at New York Pay
master Ray at Washington and Naval
Cadet Holten at Burlington, VT.
Capt Sigsbee was seen by a Morning
News reporter, to whom he talked freely
of matters not bearing upon the present
situation between the United States and
Spain and the loss of the Maine. Upon
those matters he maintains a silence when
asked concerning them he said that OBJ
vious reasons prevent him or any of the
officers of the vessel from talking. In
such cases as the present. where they
have been before the naval court of in
quiry it is enjoined upon them not to dis
cuss the questions upon which they might
have testified before the court. The naval
law in such Instances Restraints all wit
nesses and officers of the court from talk
ing about its findings or any of the mat
tiers that might have been brought up in
connection with the hearing.
Capt. Sigsbee said he had a pleasant trip
from Havana The party left there Satur-
day morning at O'Clock stopping an hour
at Key West en- route to Tampa. They
were deeply impressed with the reception
rendered them when the train reached
Waycross yesterday morning. A stop OF
twenty minutes is made there for break
fast. on the arrival of the train the officers
saw a large crowd in waiting. When they
left the train, they were roundly cheered,
and soon number of ladies appeared with
flowers. These were presented by the pa
triotic ladies 10 Capt Sigsbee, who made
touching response. He spoke of the incl
dent as the most pleasing OF his trip from
Havana.
The Maine officers cannot tell how long
II Will be before they are re-assigned to SER
vice. Capt Sigsbee was asked about this,
but said he could not tell when the de-
partment would call upon them, but that
he and the other officers are ready at any
time. Il suppose | would have to be given
time 10 get an outfit he said 'This is the
only suit of clothes 1 have. All l owned
in the way of wearing apparel went down
with the Maine. AS you see, my brother Of
ficers and myself are in citizens dress. Our
uniforms were lost"
Capt. Sigsbee pulled a handsome gold
watch from his vest pocket This went
down in the wreck, too" he said. One of
the divers got it up for ne. had it re-
paired after It's weeks stay in salt water.
and il is now as good as ever That was
the second EMERSON it has undergone /
lost it overheard once before, twenty
years ago, in one of the Cuban ports. \
diver brought it up for me at that time.
No, don't think it Is a Jonah. although
IT is a repeater, and l guess l will have il
along with me again"
Capt. Sigsbee entertains the highest re-
he is a man of great courtesy, and that
he does not know what fear is. "They are
publishing plaeards down there, from time
to time some of the fanatics, l mean,
demanding death to the Americans and to
Gen Lee, but he does not regard them.
He lives alone, eats alone and sleeps alone,
and have seen nothing TO show that he
has the slightest fear of any personal VIC
lence being done him. AS matters stand
there now, there seems but slight, if any,
danger to Americans. By all, except the
fanatics of whom 1 spoke, the utmost
courtesy is shown to our countrymen, of
whom there are many in the city. They
are principally newspaper men and Iner-
chants While we We're there, neither my
self nor any of my officers were treated
with the slightest dlscourtesy.
Capt. Sigsbee is a gentleman whose uni
form courtesy is apparent with his first
word There is that in his manner which
marks the gentleman, grace of bearing
and sincerity in his features and tones
impress one at once with the utmost con-
1idence. He is of medium size, with gray
hair. He wears eyeglasses that seem, in
some way to add to the pleasing whole
OF his appearance.
While Capt. Sigsbee and his officers
were pleasantly engaged in discussing
Their dinner, he remarked that 1t was a
pleasure to him to get back to the land
of roast beef. mo, we don't get anything
good to eat in Havana. The disturbances
on the island seem to have interfered
with the markets. Nothing is good and the
prices for everything are very high"
-ses-