The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-20

ognized the officers / ordered the high
explosives to be flooded, and l then di-
rected that the boats available be low
cred to rescue the wounded or drown
in. Discipline in perfect measure pre-
vailed. There was no more confusion
that a call to general quarters would
produce, nor as much
Il soon saw by the light of the flames
that all my officers and crew left alive
and on board surrounded me- I cannot
form any idea of the time, but it seem
ed five minutes from the time / reached
the poop until left the last man it was
possible to reach had been saved. 1t
must have been three quarters of an
hour or more, however, from the
amount of work done.
Il remembered the officers and men
worked together lowering the boats,
and that the gig took some time 20
lower. did not notice the rain of debris
described by Lieutenant Blandin or
others who Were on deck at the time
of the first explosion, but / did observe
the explosion of the fixed ammunition,
and wondered that more were not hurt
thereby.
Without going beyond the limits of
what was proper in the harbor Of a
friendly power, 1 always maintain pre-
cautions against attack, and the quar-
ter watch was ordered to have ammu-
milton fer the smaller guns ready 20
hand, SO that in the improbable event
of an attack on the ship it would be
found ready. 1t was this ammunition
which exploded as the heat reached it."
IN in Il
are very anxious for news from the
United States as to the public opinion
there. The Captain has done all he can
to calm excitement in the United States,
and to induce the public to wait for the
results of the investigation before form
ing judgment as to the cause of the
explosion.
As the Olivette entered the harbor
early this morning, the passengers
crowded to her upper decks to see the
yellow forts and long lines of walls
manned by soldiers, the beauties of
palm-crowned hills or thousands of
sights new to mary eyes All interest
centered in the first view of the wreck
OF the Inflated battleship. and the sight
was CHASTITY enough when reached to
satisfy all who were DESTROYS of wit
Messing horrors
The wreck is the central figure of an
otherwise bright picture, and it is as
sad as 1T is terrible. The huge mass
of ffame-charred debris forward looks
as though it had been thrown I'D from
subterranean storehouse of fused ce-
ment, steel, wood and iron. Further
aft one military mast protrudes at a
slight angle from the perpendicular,
While the poop, on which gathered the
band, offers a resting place for the
Workmen or divers. OF the predomi-
nant white which marks our warships,
not vestige remains. In its place is
the blackness of desolation and death.
1t is known that Lieutenant Jenkins
who IS among those missing, was alive
after the explosion. A colored mess
attendant now at Key West met Jen-
kins running forward. He evidently
thought in the confusion that the Maine
had been fired on and he was rushing
to the forecastle, where was located the
siX-inch gun, of which he was in
charge.
The United States flag is at half
mast from, the poop of the Maine TO-
day, and two divers are at work about
the wreck under the direction of Can
tain Sigsbee 1t appears that the pre-
liminary work of the divers will be di-
dected toward salvage only When
the investigation into the cause Of the
disaster commences, the Spanish Gov
eminent, it is said here, will Cooper
ate