Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-02-18
Lieut.. Blandin Tells the Story of
the Disaster.
A sULLEN ROAR.
Then Came Mighty Report and
Awfnl Scenes Followed.
The Dead Men of the Maine Given a Flu
neral With Martial Honors in
Havana.

Key West, Fla, Feb 17,-Lieut. John
]. Blandin of Baltimore, one of the
Names survivors, who is at the Key
West Hotel, gave the correspondent of
the Associated Press, this evening, a
succinct account of the disaster, saying
that not until now has he been able to
recollect the sequence of events in the
awful ten minutes following the explos-
ion.
Lieut.. BlandAp was on the Trenton at
the time of the terrible disaster off Sa-
moa, in March, 1889, when American
and German vessels lost 244 men all
told.
EVERYTHING NORMAL
Lieutenant Blandin said:
Il was on watch. and when the men
had been piped below, 1 looked down
the main matches and over the side of
the ship. Everything was absolutely
normal 1 walked aft to the quarter
deck, behind the rear turret, as is al
lowed after 8 O'clock in the evening,
and sat down on the port side; here
remained for a few minutes Then, for
some reason l cannot explain to my
self now, moved to the starboard side,
and sat down there. 1 was feeling a bit
glum, and, in fact, was SO quiet that
Lieut. j. Hood came up and asked
laughingly if 1 were asleep. l said NO,
I am on watch
A SULLEN ROAR.
Scarcely had 1 spoken, when there
came dull, sullen roar Would to God
that 1 could blot out the sound, and the
scenes that followed Then came a
sharp explosion, some say numerous
detonations. I remember only one.
1T seemed to me that the sound came
from the port side forward. Then came
a perfect rain of missiles of all descrip-
tons, from huge pieces of cement to
blocks of wood, steel ratings, frag-
ments of gratings, and all the debris
that would be detachable in an ex-
plosion.
Il wish to heaven L could forget it. I
have been in two wrecks now and have
had my share. But the reverberations
of that sullen, yet resonant roar, as if
the bottom of the sea were groaning in
torture will haunt me for many day;
and the reflection of that pillar of
flame comes to me whenever / close
my eyes.
SHIP SANK INSTANTLY
Il was struck on the head by piece
of cement and knocked down, but I
was not hurt, and got to my feet in a
moment, Lieut.. Hood had run to the
poop, and I supposed, as I followed,
that he was dazed by the shock, and
about to jump overheard. I hailed him
and he answered that he had run to the
poop to help lower the boats. When 1
got there, though scarce minute could
have elapsed, had to wade in water to
my knees, and almost instantly the
quarter deck was awash.
CAPT. SIGSBEE COOL.
"on the poop found Capt. sigsbee as
cool as if at ball, and soon all the
officers except Jenkins and Merritt
Joined us. The poop was above water
after the Maine settled to the bottom.
Capt Sigsbee ordered the launch and
gig lowered, and the officers and men,
who by this time had assembled, got
the boats out and rescued a Aumber in
the water.
Capt. Slgsbee ordered Lieut. Com
mander Wainwright forward to see the
extent of the damage, and if anything
could be done to rescue those forward,
or to extinguish the flames which fol-
lowed close upon the explosion, and
burned fiercely as long as there were
any combushbles above water to feed
them.
ABANDON SHIP"
Lieut.. Commander Wainwright, on
his return, reported the total and awful
character of the calamity, and Capt.
sigsbee gave the last sad order, 'Aband-
on ship" to men overwhelmed with
grief indeed, but calm and apparently
unexcited.
"In the meantime four boats from the
Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII arrived, to
be followed soon by two from the Ward
line steamer City of Washington The
two boats first lowered from the City
of Washington We're found to be riddled
with flying debris from the Maine, and
unfit for use, Capt. Sigsbee was the
last man te leave his vessel, and left in
his own gig.
NO THEORY ADVANCED.
81 have no theories as to the cause Of
the explosion. l cannot form any. An
examination by divers may tell some
thing to court of inquiry I, with
others, had heard that the Havana har-
Dor was full of torpedoes; but the Off
GERS whose duty it was to examine into
that. reported that they found no signs
of any. Personally, 1 do not believe the
Spanish had anything to do with the
disaster. Time may tell. hope So
I'VE were in g delicate position on
the Maine, Sc far as taking any pre-
cautions were concerned We were
friends in a friendly. or alleged friendly,
port. and could not fire upon or chal-
lenge the Apr zach of any boat board
ing us, unless convinced that her inten-
ton was hostile"
THE COVE RNMENT WAITING