Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-29


| Havana knew Of the Names coming.
Consul General Lee having informed
| the authorities according to official
custom. After he took on an Official
/ pilot, sent by the captain OF the mort
Of Havana, the ship was berthed in the
man-of-war anchorage off the Machina,
or the Shears, and according to his I'M
| derstanding, was on one Of the regular
| buoys Of the place.
He then stated that he had been in
Havana 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 re-
marks since the explosion, using Cap
| tain Stevens, temporarily in command
| of the Ward line steamer City Of
| Washington, as authorized for the
| statement, that he had never known
IN ALL HIS EXPERIENCE
which covered visits to Havana for five
| or six years a man-of-War to be an
| chored at that buoy; that he had rarely
| known merchant vessels to be anchor
| ed there, and that it was the least
| used buoy in the harbor, In describe
! ing the surroundings when first moor
| ed to this buoy, Captain Sigsbee sta
ted that the Spanish man-of-war Al
| phOnso Kill was moored in position
now occupied by the Fern, about ESQ
| 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 shout 100 yards
| about due north IRON the Nain6F W.
| then located the German man-of-war
| Charlotte, which came into the harbor
| day or two later, which was anchor
| ed to the southwark of the Names
| berth about four or five hundred yards.
| In describing the surroundings at
! the time of the explosion, Captain Sigs-
| bee stated that the night was calm
| and still The Alphonso Kill was
| at the same berth. The small Span
| ish despatch boat Legaspe had come
! out the day before and taken the berth
| occupied by the German man-of-wars
| the Griesenau, which had left. The
| steamer City of Washington was an
| chored about eco yards to the south
| and east of the Names stern slightly
| on the port quarter.
! The Maine coaled at Key West,
! taking on about $50 tons, the coal be-
| ing regularly inspected and taken
| from the government coal pile. This
| coal was placed generally in the for
| ward bunkers. No report was received
! from the chief engineer that any coal
! had been too long in the bunkers.
/ The fire alarms in the bunkers were
| sensitive.
| In so far as the regulations regard
| ing infammables and paints on board,
| Captain Sigsbee testified that the reg
| ulations were strictly carried ont ~
| regard to storage and that the waste
| also was subject to the same careful
! disposition. Alb to the situation OF the
paint room, he fixed it as in the eyes
| Of the ship" Just below Jhe berth
| deck. the extreme forward comparL-
| ment. AS for the disposition Of IN
| fammabes. they were slowed IN chests
according to the regulations ana When
| indammables were in excess q chese
capacity, they were allowed Up pc req
| in the bath room OF the AuluIt a.
| cabin. Regarding the electric pidAL
of the Maine, Captain S!g7pte 9tatcu
that there was no serious grounding
nor sudden faring up Of the IightS oe1
fore the explosion, but q sudden ana
total eclipse. As for regulations az
fecting the taking Of temperature OK
| the magazines. etc, Captain Sissbee
said there we're no special regulations
other than the usual regulations re-
orIu ' hT' ~ ,ne donorIn,e,r He exam.
;nnd ~ to,,ro,,at ,,re himself and con-
,lTo 100 tiiV tbo rdarr officer as 20
w. W. 'Tu 49, ,,ro r ~ and the con-
sne various .eili l"L 49, and according
.entS VI nc mtg 80 - ~, ogicar as well
/ 70 the OPINION OF lnIs . o',, ,,aro new
as oigsDee' tle telilpgl 60 @-t' ST do not