The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-02-19
DATTLESH|P MAINE BLEN UP
N THE HARBoR or HAVANA.


Havana, Feb. I6s-At es4S last even
ing q terrible explosion took place 81
board the United States hatfleship Main.
IN Havana harlDor. II II believed 100 wer.
killed or wounded. All the b0ats Of III.
Spanish cruiser Alfonso KILL are assist
Ing. As yet the cause Of the explosion /,
not apparent.
The wounded sailors Of the Maine arr
unable to explain il Ii il believed TIN
cruiser win be totally destroyed, as sl.s
Il burning.
The explosion shook the whole city
The windows were broken In All the hous
e. The explosion took place while The
seamen we're asleep, 80 they can give nc
particulars as to the cause.
wild Consideration.
The widest CONSERVATION prevails in
Havana The wharFes are crowded with
thousands Of people. 1t is believed the
explosion occurred in small powder mag
aKine.
Captain Sigsbee and other officers have
been saved
1t is estimated that over 100 Of the
crew were killed. but II il impossible YET
TO give exact details.
Admiral Manferola has ordered that
Doass q ~ KINDS should 60 70 the as
sasLAhre of the maine ana her wounded.
The Havana fremen are giving aid.
tending carefully to the wounded as they
are brought ON shore. II il terrible
sight.
General Z0lnno and the osher seneraIs
nave oeeh ordered py Gaptain General
i'ianco 10 take steps 70 help the Maine's
crew ~ every possible way.
E1pAeaiem n ahe Bow.
captain eAgsbee says the explosion oc,
eafTed IN me Dow q the vessel. He re
eeiFed wound IN the head Orders were
gwen 70 The other officers to save them
selves ~ best they could The latter, who
were literally thrown from their hunks
~ their night clothing, gave the necessary
orders with great self possession ana bray
cry.
Inc hrst theory was that there had
oeea preliminary explosion IN the santa
haroala magazine Of powder or dynamite
below the water.
co@@aader siEbee's Report.
Washington, Feb. l7.- While Secretary
Long was with the president the follow
ing detailed dispatch from Captain Sigs
bee, commander Of the Maine, was
brought TO him:
Advise sending . wreeking vessel al
once. The Maine is submerged except the
debris, and u mostly work for the divers
now. Jenkins and Merritt are still miss
ing. Little hope for their safety. Those
known TO be saved ares
oilceTs, "a unininred; crew, is. The
sounded now on board the Ward line
steamer, n the city hospital and al the
motel are 90 20 lar - known All Others
vent down on boanN or near the Maine.
ihe total hist Of missing Is sSS. With sew
erai exceptions no officer nor man has
more than part Of suit Of clothes, and
that Is wet with harbor water Ward
steamer leaves Tor Mexico at 2 this after
noon 1he officers saved are uninlnred.
damage Is IN the compartments OF the
crew. Am preparing to telegraph list
q the wounded and saved The Olivette
leaves Tor Aey West At l p m VIII send
oy her to Key West the officers saved ex-
cept myself and Wainwright, Holman,
henneoeEger' Ray and Holden. Will turn
over three uninJured boats to the cap
tain Of the port, with a request for safe
keepang- Wah send all wounded men TO
tne hospital at havanna'
Vslgnedl SlGSBEE"
Accident Torpedo or TreaeAery On
Board the ship.
washington, Feb NAVAL officers
can not agree upon any theory to ac-
count for the destruction Of the Maine.
rerhaps the majority are inclined TO be-
ileve the explosion was purely accidental
another considerable number feel that a
torpedo Was exploded under the vessel,
and the third theory IL that some internal
machine was smnggied aboard the ship
ana set on
In the present lack of knowledge il Is
NOS tnoueht possible 10 say TO which the
ory the balance OF probability inclines.
An examination BY diver OF the hull OF
ne MAINE would demonstrate instantly
whether or not q torpedo had been used,
Anere was no smokesess powder on
BOARD the snip. and the lO-inch ammuni-
uaon was made up OF brown prismatic
powders MOI only 4 this powder most
caremliy packed IN hermetically sealed
copper cases, but its heat-resistance quail
tles are 50 great that 1t can not be ig-