Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-18
NARINE DISASTERS.
90 MAINE EXPLOSION RECALLS
THAT or THE FuLMINANrI.
VI. WILLISS INTERESTING ACCOUNT.
81. rather Was I'm Command Of the
vessel az the Time Of Its Dcstruc-
uon-EIectricat Connection With
,.c Magazine Made by Prisoner.

Tho disaster 20 the battleship Maine
...,us the explosion by which the old
.--sntie Republic torpedo-boat Fulmin-
,,H was destroyed in a similar manner
cam, years ago In South American
waters.
The Fulminanti, when II exploded, vas
,smmanded by Captain J. Pembroke
ZONES. Of the United states navy. now
sc,cased. and most interesting &C.
conn, OF the disaster was given a Dis
,.tch reporter yesterday by Mr.. Edwcrd
Z willis. Captain Jones's son. who is
now superintendent OF the Richmond
traction Company.
NV father" Mr.. Willis said. grad
,stcd from the class OF 1876 at Annapolis.
and was in tho United states navy until
,h, war broke out. when he enlisted in
fhs Confederate service, and became a
sian officer on the Merrimac. He also
had charge Of the torpedo defence at Fort
FISHER at the mouth Of the Cape Fear
river and FOR a time commanded the
.ronclad Savannah. After the war ne
went. in company with Lieutenant Hunter
Davidson. who was known as the father
n torpedoes. TO Argentine Republic.
where together they laid out and planned
che torpedo defence OF la Plata. which
controlled the entrance TO Buenos Ayrcs.
THE BOAT HIS PRISON.
"Thoir fag-boat the Fulminanu in
which they commanded the torpedo feet,
was built on the Clyde, and was quite a
large boat The torpedo division ~ the
navy was separate and distinct from the
other branches Of the service, and when
40 Buenos Ayres Scotch sailor of the
aest was stabbed while ashore by a
SpanIard. the prisoner was turned over
,0 the commander Of the torpedo feet
to Doe dealt with as he saw At. IL was
decided to keep the murderer abroad the
aac-ship in irons, and to administer a
aogging 10 him at stated intervals and
this was done The man had been aboard
about two years. when he exploded the
ships magazine. and blew her into atoms.
MADE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS.
The Fulminanti was running lines In
The upper part of the Platte. and was
doing general typographical work, and
everybody being busy aboard ship. little
.
manner he succeeded in making electrical
connectiOn with the magazine. holding
the large supply Of gun cotton, and the
moment the connection was made this
explosive was ignited and the ship was
sunk. and totally destroyed. Every soul
0n board was killed. The only survivors
~ her crew were those who were OF at
some distance in small boats.
When an examination was made at
low tide the criminal was found with the
upper half OF his body wedged in port
hole. his hands 10 the front, and the
Greater portion Of his body had been torn
away by the explosion. Re had counted
upon making his escape into the water
before making the electrical connection
which was to- do the fatal damage, but in
crawling through the iron port hole with
the wires in his hand, the connection had
been made through his body, and the ex-
plosion occurred before he could escape"
THINKS 1T WAS AN ACCIDENT.
Mr.. Willis. who is an expert electrician,
lncnnes to the belief that the explosion
On the Maine was due 10 some untoward
accident. probably TO the spontaneous
combustion OF imperfect nitro cellulose
He does not. Of course. pretend, in the
absence OF any tangible information con-
cerning the explosion, to say that this
was the cause. but he says he never
heard Of a torpedo on the outside of a
boat exploding it's magazine. To do this
he thinks the torpedo would have TO strike
iust at the magazine. and then perhaps
the explosion would not occur.