The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-17
appalling loss OF life
BY THE MAINE disaster
concluded from First Page.)

concluded from First Page.)
on deck. Only very ptiable few Of
the $50 Jackies ever got from below
The water rushed over them and many
were stunned and drowned, but not
mangled. 1t Is not likely that more
than forty sailors were saved. The Of
ficers on deck narrowly escaped. In
the Junior officers mess all had to
Chamber out through water and wreck
age waist deep. One ladder from the
after torpedo compartment was jam
med with men struggling up for life.
All agree that double explosion oc-
CURED from the natural result of an
underwater explosion of the maya
zines"
The dispatch says that the account
Of the passengers on the Ward Line
steamer City of Washington. which
WAS lying 500 yards from the Maine,
bears out the foregoing statement
spanish boats from the shore Joined
those of the Washington alongside at
once, but the rcgula. ferry boats pass
ing soon after The explosion did not
stop TO offer aid"
REPORT FROM HAVANA.
Havana. Feb. LION board the
Ward Line steamer City Of Washing
ton one OF the officers Of the Maine
said to-day that at s o'clock last night
all the magazines on board the battle
ship Maine were closed and that the
keys had been turned over to Captain
Sigsbee. her commander. The eXplo-
sion occurred at 9:45 p. m.
Another officer said: II was sitting
with two more officers in the mess
room when heavy explosion occurred.
II was so heavy that we understood the
ship would be lost. and we went on
the upper deck and found she had
1r,~S ~, a
that she was on fire and sinking. All
efforts were then directed toward low
erinE the boats and saving lives. The
Maine settled quickly on the bottom
OF the harbor, only her upper works
remaining above the water"
This officer said .he explosion oc-
Cured somewhere in the forward part
OF the midship's section Of the battle
ship. Many of the crew who were
below at the time of the explosion were
unable to escape. and those who sue
ceeded in reaching the upper decks
saved their lives with great difficulty
with the assistance of the officers and
men on watch.
At O'Clock in the morning, while the
correspondent of the Associated Press
was going ashore. there was another
terrible explosion. At the same time
the boats from the Spanish steamers
Colon and Mexico were taking eight
wounded men ashore, after having
been saved from the water.
Spanish naval officer said that
Captain Sigsbee was the last man to
abandon the sinking ship, and that
he remained alongside the wreck as
long as it was possible to do anything
in the work of rescue.
The large number of deaths reported
among the crew of the Maine is said to
he due to the fact that most of them
were aslesp below at the thine of the
explosion. Most of the officers saved
were dining on board the City of Wash
ington.
1t is reported that the disaster was
due 10 the explosion of the boiler of
the dynamo machine on board the
Maine.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso Mi. was
for some time after THE explosion in
great peril. and her mOoring tackles
were Stacked away and she was an
chored at n greater distance from the
burning warship. being assisted by
other Spanish vessels She then low
cred her boats and took part in the
work OF rescue.
One OF the Names officers who is
being cared for Al; the sanitary head
quarters is seriously wounded. He is
very young, and is believed to have
been the officer on guard at the time
OF the disaster. He is said to have
asked for PRIEST 10 make his confess
sion.
Half an hour after midnight Thirty
SIN OF the crew of the Maine had been
carried TO the military hospital of San
Amhrosia. They were all most So
riously wounded Five others of the
crew were taken to Ghe Alfonso Nil.
hospital.
On board the Spanish cruiser Alfonso
Nil. twenty-siN of the wounded were
created and thirty-siX were succorcd
on board the City of Washington.
George Cowler. an accorr,:aut of ,bc
Maine, is among the seriously wound
ed.
me Maine, ut the time Of the en-
pIoslon. was az anchor about 400 Yards
from the arsenal and sCme 200 Yards
frcm the. floating dock