Richmond planet., 1898-02-19
VARSHTP BLOWN Up
The Cruiser Maine Destroyed In
Havana HarbOr.
PERHAPS A HUNDRED DEAD.
The Cause Of the Explosion Is Not
Yet Apparent.
PERHAPS A HUNDRED DEAD.
THE SAILORS WERE ALL ASLEEP.

All the Boats or the Spanish Cruiser
Alfonso XIII Assisted In the Work
OF RescuiuG the wounded-rho Ex-
plosion Shook the Whole City, VIM
dows In All the Houses Being Broken.
Wounded Sailors Can Give No Par
ticulars.
Havana, Feb. 16.-At a quarter before
10 O'Clock last evening a terrible ex-
plosion took place on board thu United
States cruiser Maine. in Havana har-
Dor. Many were killed or wounded. All
the boats OF the Spanish cruiser Al
fonso XIII are assisting. AS yet the
cause of the explosion is not apparent.
The wounded sailors Of the Maine are
unable to explain II. 1t is believed that
the cruiser is totally destroyed.
The explosion shook the whole city.
The windows were broken in all the
houses
A press correspondent has conversed
with several Of the wounded sailors
and understands from them that the
explosion took place while they were
asleep, so that they can give no par
ticulars as to the cause.
The widest CONSERVATION prevails in
Havana The wharves are crowded
with thousands Of people. 1t is be-
lieved that the explosion occurred In n
small powder magazine.
Captain Sigsbee and the other officers
have been saved. 1t is estimated that
over hundred OF the crew were killed.
but 1t is impossible as yet to give the
exact details.
Admiral Manterola has ordered that
boats Of all kinds should go to the as
sistance OF the Maine and her wound
ed. The Havana firemen are giving aid.
tending carefully to the wounded as
they are brought on shore. 1t is a ter
rible sight. General Solano and the
other generals have been ordered by
Captain General Blanco to take steps
to help the Names crew In every way
possible.
Captain Sigsbee says sthat the ex-
plosion occurred in the bow Of the YES
sci. He received a wound in the head.
Orders were given to the other officers
to save themselves as best they could.
The latter, who were literally thrown
from their hunks liz their night cloth
ing, gave the necessary orders with
great self possession and bravery.
The first theory was that there had
been a preliminary explosion in the
Santa Barbara (magazine) with powder
or dynamite below water.
The Maine was a battleshipof the sec
ond class. and was regarded as one Of the
best ships in the new navy. She was
built at the Brooklyn navy yard, and IL
31S feet long, 81 feet broad, 21s feet
mean draught and 6622 tons displace-
ment. She had two ten inch vertical
turrets and two military masts, and
her motive power was furnished by twin
screw vertical triple expansion engines.
having a maximum horse power OF s.
293, capable of making a speed of 17.45
knots She carried four ten inch and
six six inch breech loading guns In her
main battery and seven six Founders
and eight one pound rapid fire guns
and four Gatlings in her secondary bat
terry. and four Whitehead torpedoes.
The Maine cost $2,5SS,000 She had a
steel hull and a complement OF STA men.
The officers OF the Maine are: Cap
tain Charles D. Sigsbee. commanding:
lieutenant commander, Richard VAIN
wright; lieutenants, George f. w. Hol-
man, John Hood and Carl w. Jungen;
lieuentants (Junior grade), George p.
Blow, John c.. Blandin and Friend w.
Jenkins; naval cadets. Jonas H. Hol-
den, Watt T. Cluverius, Anon Bron-
son and David f. Boyd, Jr; surgeon,
Lucien c. Heneberber: paymaster,
Charles w. Littlefieid; chief engineer.
Charles P. Howell; passed assistant en-
gineer, Frederic c. Bowers; assistant
engineers, John r. Morris and Darwin
r. Merritt; naval cadets (engineer di-
vision), Pope Washington and Arthur
Crenshaw; chaplain. John P. Child
wick; first lieutenant of marines, AL
bertus w. Catlin; boatswain. Francis
E. Larkln; gunner. Joseph Hill; car
penter. George Helms.