The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-26
THH MAINE DISASTER.
Some Intes esting Incidents Described by
Survivors OF the Battleship.


Of the recent Maine disasters Many of
the surviving sailors, especially those
who were badly wounded, do not recol-
lect anything of the explosion except
, that they found themselves in the wa
ter, and some of them do not even re.
member that as they were picked up
unconscious and came to their senses in
their cots at the hospital
One man with whom | spoke the 9th
er day could not realize what day of the
week it was.
William Maguiness, who was hurled
from his hammock, awoke. believing
the ship had been struck by shots fired
from the Spanish forts. This idea so &C.
cupied his mind that during the two
days he was at the hospital he was con-
stantly talking fight.
William Gartrell, a fireman, was
three decks down and was blown
through them without suffering a
scratch He was the only one from the
lower part of the ship who was saved.
First Glass Gunner Bullock, seeking a
cool place to sleep, was lying in the aft
er turret. When the explosion occurred,
he found himself astride the big cannon,
which had shifted to one side. Not
knowing how TO escape, he finally
squeezed himself through the gunport,
which was quite difficult undertaking.
as the hole was hardly big enough to
admit the passage of his body.
Joseph Lutz, marine, was blown
from his hammock and went with the
flying debris into the air He landed
again on deck, began hunting for his
shoes and trousers and then jumped
overheard
Captain Sigsbee tells me that the cool
ness and bravery displayed by William
Anthony are commendable. Anthony
is private in the marines. He was
stationed as orderly at the door of the
captain quarters. At the moment of
the explosion tho captain was writing a
letter to his WIFE All the lights were
Immediately extinguished. The captain
arose and attempted to make his way
through the long passage leading to the
dock, and as the ship was topping to
one side and sinking fast Captain Sigs-
bee CROPPED his way with difficulty. He
finally bumped against a man who prov
ed to be Orderly Anthony. The orderly
first begged the captains pardon and
then very coolly said:
"Sir, have come to report to you
that the ship has been blown up and
she is fast sinking"
Captain Sigsbee says that any ordi.
nary man would at that time have
thought how to save himself rather
than go inside dark passage of sink
ing vessel, not knowing if he would
ever come out again.
On board were three cats, young
tabby and two toms. The older tom was
born on board monitor at the Brook.
Ign navy yard 10 years ago. He was
tar by birth and had served all his life
in the United States navy. He paid no
attention to tabby and had the good rec
ord of never having held moonlight con-
certs on roofs or sown his wild oats on
back fences. The officers, seeing his dis
regard for Tabby, bought on shore only
two days before the accident young
Cuban tom, who, to distinguish him
from Old Tom, was named Young Tom.
He and Tabby persisted in their honey
moon. Old Tom, who was three decks
below, was also thought to have been
lost, but was discovered recently by
Commander Wainwright crouched and
meowing pitifully on pile of wreck
age on deck.
He has been taken on board the Fern,
where the sailors are giving him the
best Of care and where he has assumed
again his old post of the senior cat in
the United States navy.
Peggy, the little pug dog of Captain
Sigsbee, who never abandoned his side
while on board and who once fell and
broke her leg while trying to climb aft
er him up the ladder of the top bridge,
was at the captain side when he took
to the boat. She was trembling with
fright; bat. taking in consideration that
she is only young pug and that the
explosion was tremendous, Captain
Sigsbee says she is excusable.
All the survivors of the Maine lost
everything they had. Many landed with
hardly any clothing, and all are today
lamenting the loss of some valuable per.
sonal effects which money cannot re-
place. Father Chadwick. the chaplain,
grieves over the loss of gold chalice
which the crew of the Maine gave him
and which he says was the worldly be-
longing which he most priced. New
York Sun.