Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-17
ALL MAGAZINES CLOSED.
Keys HAD Been Turned Over To
Captain Sigsbee.

HABANA. February l6.-On board the
Ward-Line steamer City of Washington.
one of the officers of the Maine said that
at the time Of the explosion last night all
the magazines on board the battlesbip
Maine were closed, and that the keys had
been turned over TO Captain Sigsbee. her
commander. The explosion occurred at
9:45 p. NJ. Another officer said:
II was sitting with two more officers
in the mess-room, when heavy explo
sion occurred 1t was so heavy that we
understood the ship would be lost. and
we went on the upper deck and found
she had been badly wrecked by ar ex-
plosion. and that she was on fire and
sinking. All efforts were then directed to-
ward lowering the boats and saving
lives. The Maine settled quickly on the
bottom Of the harbor. only her upper
works remaining above the water"
This officer said the explosion occurred
somewhere i'm the forward part of the
'midship section OF the battleship. Many
of the crew who were below at the time
Of the explosion were unable TO escape.
and those who succeeded I'm reaching the
upper decks saved their lives with great
difficulty with the assistance Of the offi-
GERS and men on watch.
SECOND TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
At 2 o'clock in the morning while the
correspondent OF the Associated Press
was going ashore. there was another ter
rible explosion. At the same time. boats
from the Spanish steamers Colon and
Mexico We're taking eight wounded men
ashore, after having saved them from the
water.
A Spanish naval officer said that Cap
tain Sigsbee was the last man to aban-
don the sinking ship. and that he re-
manned alongside the wreck as long as II
was possible to do anything in the work
of rescue.
The large number of deaths reported
among the crew of the Maine is said to
be due to the fact that most Of them
were asleep below at the time OF the ex-
plosion Most of the officers saved were
dining on board the City of Washington.
1t is reported that the disaster was due
to the explosion OF the boiler OF the
DYNAMO machine on board the Maine.
The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII. was
for some time after the explosion in
great peril. and her mooring tackles were
Stacked away, and she. was anchored at
a greater distance from the burning war
shin. being assisted by other Spanish yes
sells She then lowered her boats and took
part in the work Of rescue.
One of the Names officers. who Is be-
ing cared for at the Sanitary headquar-
ters. is seriously wounded. He Is very
young. .sand is believed to have been the
officer on guard ~ the time of the dsas-
ter. He Is said to have asked Tor priest,
TO make his confession.
CARE OF WOUNDED.
Half an hour after midnight thirty-sN
OF the crew of the Maine had been car
fal al y n
brosio. They were all most seriously
wounded. Five others OF the crew were
taken to the Alfonso XIII. Hospital
ON hoard the Spanish cruiser Alfonso
XII. twenty-six of the wounded were
treated and thrty-six were succored on
board the City of Washington
George CowIer. an accountant on the
Maine. is among the men seriously
wounded.
The Maine, at the time OF the explosion,
was at anchor about 500 yards from the
arsenal and some 200 yards from the
floating dock.
Vurnel Barckurt (BurkardD, William
McGuinness. j. III. Bronner, Alfred John-
son. George Bolsemet, and Charles Began
were succored at the San AmorosiO Mill
tary Hospital and James Roure, Francis
Kehet Daniel Cronin, and George Robert
received attention AT the sanitary Heau-
quarters.
The first explosion is said to have been
caused by over six hundred pounds OF
gun cotton, and the subsequent explosion
is alleged to have been caused by shells
and cartridges.
LOSS OF BOTH EYES.
Among the saved on board the city OF
Washington is a Mr.. Dressler (Gustav Il.
Dressler, Of the Maine), who has lost
both his eyes.
The passengers Of the City of Washing
ton gave up their state-rooms TO the IN
iured men OF the American warship.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright, OF
the Maine, was half undressed at 9:4o L.
NJ. and was smoking in his cabin, next
to that of Captain Sigsbees, it Is said,
when the explosion occurred. and put out
the electric lights. Lieutenant-Commander
Wainwright then liz match and went 10
Captain Sigsbee's cabin. The Captain, 1t
appears. had been thrown from his bed,
but was uninjured. The two men went
on deck and ordered some men 10 flood
/. 200 pounds of gun cotton which was on
board. The order was carried out, out
the men never returned Habana, how
ever was saved from a still more terrible
explosion.
Four boats were lowered, all manned by
officers and one of them was lost