Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-05
Our CUBAN LETTER.
Everyday Happenings in Havana-What the cubans sa
About the Maine Disaster-A Visit to the
Ruined City of Jaruco

the officers of the Maine say that It
was not possible for bomb to have
been exploded beneath her. The keel
lay within two feet and one-half of the
bottom of the harbor. and bomb large
enough to destroy the big vessel could
not have been crowded between the
mud and the keel: Furthermore, n
bomb of sufficient capacity to have
lifted the Maine would also have
wrecked Havana ard destroyed every
other ship in the harbor.
An oft-repeated canard Is that the
commanding officer of the Maine when
the first explosion occurred, sent five
men down to remove the gun powder
and dynamite In the hold, In order to
save the city. and that the men obeyed,
knowing that II meant death to them
all. AS matter of fact but a few Sec
onds elapsed between the first alarm
and the final explosion. and there was
no time for the giving of any orders
Whatever. ! am spending a few hours
every day with the wounded men who
remain In the Hospital de San Ann
brosia, writing letters for them 10 their
wives and sweethcarts, and carrying
them the grapes and cigarettes and
little Injuries which some of them
crave. In no case have I been allowed
to pay penny for anything for the
hospital; every merchant in Havana
Is ready TO place his entire stock at
my disposal These are the worst cases
among the living, all the rest have died
hare, or been sent to Key West. They
are all patient and cheerful fellows.
bearing their pains like heroes. Though
terribly burned, their severest injuries
came from being dashed with such
violence against the rocks. Among
them is Fred C. Holger of New York
City. with both legs and arms entirely
helpless, besides terrible burns and
hr,tt 50 nj 1,l.
IL that of William Mattingly. a hand
some young fellow from Bay City,
Michigan. His jaw is crushed and
his whole body mass of injuries, and
so circulating are his sufferlngs that
he Is kept most OF the time under the
powder blarkened faces OF all are
covered with sheets of cotton batting,
put on helmet fashion, with Sits for
eyes. mouth and. nostris: and Sister
Mary Wilberforce. of the English Red
Cross society. who is their devoted
nurse, calls them her crusaders in
battle array. This dear little woman
has washed and dressed their wounds
from he first, cheered the living and
closed the eyes OF the dying, as only an
angel in mortal guise could do.
Some thirty bodies are now In the
morgue. or rather horrible bits Of
bodies. brought up from the sea dur
ing the last few hours by ropes and
graphing hooks and dumped into
boxes. to be buried as quickly as pos
slble. out IN the splendid cemetery de
Cristobal Colon, where several wide
graves have each received their COM
plement of collins. other trenches are
Kept In readiness for receiving the re-
mains Of our boys as fast as they are
found Yesterday I made a trip with
some Cuban friends to Jaruco, thirty
miles from the capital. As we crossed
the ferry Mt o'clock In the morning to
the railway station on the other side
of the bay. we passed close to the
melancholy wreck of the Maine fleet
OF small boats Mt their gruesOme fish
ing for bodies by the light of a cres-
cent moon. When we passed that way
few days ago. on route to GUIANA
bacoa, how proud we were OF our gal
liant warship and the men who swarmed