Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-24

Havana harbor on Tuesday week are
totally unexplained. Theories, ranging
oil the way from ths use OF assaasns'
torpedoes to some internal accident
aboard the ship, are advanced to OK
plain the disaster. One Of these, which
seams most plausible, is tho supposition
that live electric wire fired the dread
full explosives in the Names powder
magazine.
A more terrific explosion, in large
quantity OF gun cotton on board, was
averted by sailors, who tlooded this
ammunition, but lost their own lives
doing 30.
The New York Herald publishes the
following official figures: Killed or
missing, officers. q; crew, 25l; total,
253. Saved, of!cern, "a; crew, 20;
total. 04.
Unofficial reports as to the number
of the saved give maximum Of 9S.
Value Of the Mains, 81, $50, 900.
Key West, Fla, Feb. II. The
steamer Oliyette, with 81 survivors OF
the Maine on board. arrived here at
1920 O'Clock last night, seven and
half hours from Havana. OF the num-
her, 20 are wounded, 10 seriously and
one fatally. Capt Merrill, with a com
psny of the First ARTILLERY, took pos.
session of the dock, before the vessel's
arrival, and kept back the excited
crowd, which included half the popu.
lation Of Key Vest This majority we're
Cubans and muattoes No one not in
uniform was allowed to go on board.
The Associated Press correspondent
saw Purser UeniEon Of the Olivette,
who gave the following brief account
OF the disaster:
1.-THE explosion is an absolute mys-
terry to every one. 1t occurred in the
forward magazine, which ia Just fer
ward Of amidships and below the water
line. The coal bunkers are outside, but
separated by two feet Of space. Ac-
cordiug to custom, the magazine was
inspected at o'clock 10 the evening,
and the temperature found to be so.
The magazine was locked. and tue keys
were given to Can't. Sigsbee. The men
went to their hammocks, in the forward
part of the ship, soon after o'clock.
The explosion occurred at $40
o'clock, and hence the awful and over.
whelming loss Of life. No one can yet
give connected account. About 10
men, who were in the forward part of
the ship, were saved; and Of these,
sevefal bad their hammocks slung on
the lower deck. The explosion split
the large ship In two, and threw these
men and one marine, who was sleeping
% the superstructure, 40 feet into the
air and into the water.
In the magazine we're 25 tous oil
coarse powder, used for charging the
large guns. there being no dynamite,
decorating powder or torEedo heads,
and nothing, iu fact, that could be ex-
nIn(lnh In hn Is,
magazine, aft, the high explosives were
stored, aud this magazine did not ex.
plode. There are no electric wires con
Meeting with or near the magazine. II
il not believed that the Maine was
destroyed 10y torpedo underneath, as,
If this were tine case, the hole would
have been torn in the bottom and the
ship would not have been driven tc
atoms, as was the case. The aft hold
of the ship sank in three minutes, and
the officers and survivors of the crew
escaped half clothed
Pieces Of the wreckage few dis
tancs of 500 yards One large piece O.
cement struck the quarter deck OF thu
City Of Washington, of the Ward Line
which anchored ahead of the Maine q
minutes before the explosion. y
Ii was sud scene at thu dock, las
night, when stretchors wera carried tt
the waiting ambulances by artillery
men, and the sufferers tendery placed
on seats for conveyance to the Marin
Hospital. The brave fellows bure thei
suffering admirably, and SONS limpet
through the lane Of eager faces, will
their arms in sings heads bound ant
blood stained bandages on legs AM
trunks.
Every possible arrangement for th
comfort of all who were disembarket
had been made, and all who could tai
praised highly the kindness of th
Spanish. officials, who opened thei
hearts and wardrobes to the survivors
Boats from the Spanish cruise
Alphonso Doce were among the first /
reach the Maine, and Captain Genera
Blanco'placed all his resources at tn
disposal of Gen. lee.
New York, Feb. IA special copy
right cable from Havana to the Even
ing world, yesterday, said:
Tho officers of the Maine state tbp
the explosion was in the central mage
zine, and that the Maine was raise
out of the water and then went PARTIAL
to pieces. All but the surgeon wer
talking in the ward-room at the me
ment OF the explosion. Then came th
Htupendous shock. A Il the officers bulo
rushed OH deck, but could get .
further forward than the middle HupsI
structure on deck. Only very pitiubl
few OF the $50 Iaekies ever got frol
below. The water rushed over then
and many were stunned and drowned
but not mangled. 1t is not likely th,
moro than 40 sailors were saved. I'll
officers on deck narrowly escaped.
the junior officers' meas all had
Chamber out through water and wrecl
age waist deep. One ladder from ii
after torpedo compartment was jamme
with men struggling up TOR life. A
agree that a double explosion occurrt
from the natural result of an undo
water explosion OF the magazines. III
Account Of the passengers OF the Wa,
Line steamer City of Washington, whic
was lying 300 yards from the Main
bears out the foregoing statement.
Brass pipe, angle iron, &C., fell in
shower on the decks of the City
washington. 30 iniuriug two boa
that, when lowsrai, they were ussles
Out OF the dense smoke came anguiabe
cries for help. simultaneously vii
the cessation OF falling fragment
search. lights were thrown on the wret
and it's load OF agony, and Spanil
boats from the shore joined those of Il
washington alongside at once, but ii
regular ferfyboats, passing soon aft
the explosion, did not stop to offer al
"A dispatch from Havana to II
Herald says:
The officers of the Maine fail utter