Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-02-18
ALL OVER THE WORLD
MAINE BLOWN UP.

MAINE BLOWN UP.
United States Bsttleship Destroyed IN
. Havana IIarbor.' d"
HAVANA, Feb. 16.-At 10 o'clock last
aight, while the United States battle
ship Maine was lying in the harbor. a
terrible explosion took place on board
Most of the crew were in bed at the
time and there is absolutely no knowl-
edge of what caused the explosion.
The explosion shook the entire city
and aid was soon 1T hand. The vessel
took fire ut once and burned to the
waters edge. 1t is estimated that one
hundred of the crew were killed, but
as yet this ismerely conjecture. Many
are wounded. The sailors who escaped
saved nothing but their nightclothes.
The rescued sailors were taken on
board of a Spanish man-of-war and q
Ward line steamer. Capt. Gen. Blanco
ut once rendered his services to
Captain Sigsbec, Of the Maine, and
expressed the deepest sympathy. Cap
tain Sigbee wired Secretary Long, OF
the navy department, to send light
house tenders from Key West for the
crew. He also urged that public opin-
ion be suspended until further particu-
lars were at hand. The Maine was
built in New York in 1890 at cost OF
s.. $685. She had a steel hull and
compliment of s74 men and was re-
garded as one of the best ships in the
new navy.]
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE loss of
the cruiser Maine in Havana harbor
is still shrouded in mystery, but the
navy department at Washington is in
clined to the belief that it was due to
an accident, probably to fire in the
coal bunkers, which communicated
sufficient heat to the magazines to ex-
plode the ammunition. The admins
tration will adopt this view and exon
crate the Spanish from all blame until
proof to the contrary is produced.
The situation of the Maine in Spanish
waters and all the circumstances give
rise to suspicion in naval and diploma
TIC circles that the loss of the ship may
not be due to accident. An
examination of the hull by divers will
be ordered in order to determine
whether the explosion was within or
without the ship. The total loss of
life, including missing, was placed by
Commander Sigsbee in report to the
naval e6O. Only two officers lost their
lives. One of them was Assistant
Engineer d. r. Merritt, of Red Oak,
la. Among the ships crew were a
number of Iowans who were .ost. The
Maine lies in water with only her fun
nels and part of her upper works in
sight. Hope is expressed that she may
be raised or at least that some of her
valuable ordnance may be saved.
LONDON, Feb. 17.-The headlines Of
all the London newspapers hint that
the disaster points to trcachery, either
Cuban or Spanish, and the papers al
lude to the excitement and resentment
at the Names dispatch to Havana.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-There seems
to be a feeling among the many cores
pondents at Havana that the
Maine disaster was not due to accident.
Although as yet there is no evidence
to prove their belief, certain things
help to justify the claims that the dis
astcr was due to Spanish treachery.
The court of inquiry alone can dis
claim the facts, but the opinion is
growing that serious complications
may arise as q result of. the, disaster.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-Admiral ST.
card, commander of the North Allan
tic squadron, has notified the navy de-
partment that he has detailed Captain
Samson, commander of the battleship
Iowa, Captain Chadwick, commander
of the New York, Lieutenant Commad-
err Schroeder of the Massachusetts,, and
Lieutenant Commander Mark, of the
Vermont, as a court to investigate the
Maine disaster.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-Captain Cen
eral Blanco and the mayor of Havana
sent their condolences to the United
States through the Spanish embassy,
on the loss of the Maine, the former in
behalf of the insular government.
Messages of sympathy have also been
received from Emperor William, the
Prince of Wales, and other representa-
tives of European countries.
HAVANA, Feb. 1S.-The bodies of the
victims of the Maine disaster were in
tered yesterday. The entire ceremony
was most impressive demonstration
of sympathy.
STEAMER WRECKED AT SEA.
All the Passengers and Crew Rescued in
the Nick of Time.
New York dispatch: The American
line steamer St. Louis arrived from
Southampton. having on board the
passengers and crew, 212 souls, of the
Holland american line steamer Vcen-
dam, from Rotterdam for New York;
The story was told by Captain Stenger,
of the Vccndam, to the effect that
shortly after o'clock the evening of
February 6, three days out from Rot
terda!n. the vessel struck submerged
wreck, tearing hole in the ships