Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-28

He saw fire forward. Boats began to
crowd around the wreck He induced boats
to take the wounded to different vessels.
He ordered a list taken Of the saved and
wounded. There was excellent discipline
after the explosion. Orders were followed
with promptness of drill. The only Or
der not obeyed was the order to leave The
ship.
He first examined the wreck at daylight
the following morning. He took a gig,
with Lieut.. Hood and few men, and at
ten pied to board the wreck He was warn
ed off by an armed boats crew of Span
iards and then pulled around the wreck.
There were still some burning fragments.
Capt. Sigxbee.
Captain Sigsbee, in testifying before the
court of inquiry which convened in the har-
Dor of Havana Monday, February u, said
that he assumed command of the Maine on
April 10. 1897, and that his ship arrived in
the harbor of Havana the last time Janu-
airy "a. 1898. The authorities at Havana
knew of the Names coming Consul Gen.
eral Lee having informed the authorities
according to official custom. After he took
on an official pilot sent by the captain of
the port of Havana the ship was berthed
in the man-of-war anchorage off the Ma
china, or the shears, and, according to his
understanding, was one of the regular
buoys of the place.
The Place of Anchorage.
He then stated that he had been in Ha-
vana in 1872 and again in 1898 He could
not state whether the Maine was placed in
the usual berth for men-of-war, but said
that he had heard remarks since the explo-
sion, using Captain Stevens, temporarily in
command Of the Ward line steamer City of
Washington, as authority for the state
ment that he had never known in all his
experience, which covered visits to Havana
Tor five or six years. a man-of-war to be
anchored at that buoy; that he had rarely
known merchant vessels to be anchored
there. and that 1t was the least used buoy
In the harbor. In describing the surround
ings when first moored to this buoy, Can't.
Sigsbee stated that the Spanish man-of-wcr
Alphonso XII was moored in the position
now occupied by the Fern about $50 yards
to the northward and westward Of the
Maine. The German ship Griesenau was
anchored at the berth now occupied by the
Spanish man-of-war Legaspe, which is
about 400 yards about due due north from
the Maine. He then located the German
man-of-war Charlotte, which came into the
harbor day or two later, which was
anchored to the southwark of the Names
berth. about four or five hundred yards.
In describing the surroundings at the
time OF the explosion. Capt. Sigsbee stated
that the night was calm and still. The AL
pnonso XII was at the same berth The
small Spanish dispatch boat Legaspe had
come out the day before and taken the
perth occupied by the German man
oI-"ar. the Griesenau. which had
lett The steamer City of Washington
was anchcred about 200 yards to hessouth
ard east OF the Names stern, slightly on
the port quarter.
The Maine coaled at Key West, taking on
ABOUT $50 tons, the coal being regularly in
Spscted and taken from the government
coal pile. This coal was placed generally
In the forward bunkers. No report was re-
ceived from the chief engineer that any
coal had been too long in the bunkers and
that the fire alarms in the bunkers were
sensitive.
Regulations strictly Carried Out.
In go far as the regulations regarding in
fammables and paints on board, Captain
Sigsbec testified that the regulations were
strictly carried out in regard to storage,
and that the waste also was subject to the
ton of the paint room, ne fixed it as in
the .eyes Of the ship" just below the
berth deck, the extreme forward compart-
rent
AS for the disposition of inllammabIes,
they were slowed In chests, according to
the regulations, and when inflamma bles
were in excess Of chest capacity they were
allowed to be kept in the bath room of the
admiraIs cabin. Regarding the electric
plant of the Maine, Capt. Sigsbee stated
that there was no serious grounding nor
sudden fiaring up of the lights before the
explosion, but a sudden and total eclipse.
AS for regulations affecting the taking OF
temperature OF the magazines, etc., Capt
SigsDee said there were no special regula-
tioas other than the usual regulations re-
quired by the department.
The after part of the snip appeared to be
intact The main deck was folded back in
direction from Fort to starboard. The
coming tower pointed downward toward
the armory. The forward smoke-stack was
lying abreast the after smoke-stack, lying
on the mort side. There was an angle be-
tween the after body Of the ship and the
forward, with an apex to the starboard.
First important thing found by divers
was two powder tanks one six-inch and
one ten-inch. They were crushed together
and hattened in. They did not contain any
powder. A ten-inch tank was recovered
full of powder, with cover slightly opened.
This gave the impression that the tank had
been forced open by pressure, without
flame or heat. Flame or heat would have
fired 1t before water could have reached
and drowned it.
After the questioning Wainwright asked
to state the following: Il saw in the chief
er gineer's room Of the City of Washington
a large piece of cement heavily coated with
OIL. then thought 1t was a piece of bot
tom cement. 1 am not inclined to believe
1t came from the forward blower on the
pert side
Demonstration of AnimOsity.
When asked whether there was any DEM
onstration of luminosity by people afloat
Capt. Sigsbee said that there never was on
shore. as he was informed. but there was
afioat. He then related that on the first
Sunday after the Names arrival a ferry
boat, crowded densely with people. civil and
military. returning from a bull fight at
Regla, passed the Maine and about forty
people on board INDUCED in yells, whistles
sa{x lie nrrrf tha vto to-, IT,