Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-17
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
Were Asleep and They Had No
Chance to Escape,


Havana, Feb. 16.-Vice Consul Springer
says all the officers were saved except Jen-
kins and Merritt. who are missing. Mr..
Springer says at least 26O lives were lost
Captain Sigsbee was on deck when the
explosion came. 1t was in the bow of the
vessel. A sentry stationed at the bow was
unhurt. He had seen nothing suspicious
Il have talked with some Of the rescued
officers and seamen. One officer whose name
1 could not learn, said of the explosion:
II was in my bunk. When got on deck
fire had started forward. There was a
good strong breeze. The call for all hands
on deck was promptly obeyed, and the men
and officers were perfectly cool. All pos
sibie efforts were made to check the fire,
but without avail.
'.The flames spread rapidly and several
explosions occurred. Magazines were burst
open and explosives were thrown over
board. In half an hour it was apparent
nothing could save the ship"
Some of the officers of the Maine state
the explosion was in the central magazine.
and that the Maine was raised out of the
water and then went partially to pieces.
All but the surgeon were in the ward room
at the moment Of the explosion. Then
came the stupendous shock.
The explosion, which shook the city OF
Havana from one end to another, created
the widest excitement. All the electric
lights were put out by the shock. Fire en-
gines rushed madly from one direction to
another. and no one knew for certain from
which direction the explosion came.
Consul General Lee, who was at the Ho-
tel Inglaterra, received a telephone mes
sage from General Blanco, telling him that
the Maine had been blown up.
Lieutenant Commander Wainwright. OF
the Maine, was half undressed at 9:45 p.
M, and was smoking in his cabin, next
to that of Captain Sgsbee. it is said.
when the explosion occurred and put out
the electric lights. Wainwright then lit
a match and went to Captain Sigsbee's
cabin. The captain, it appears, had been
thrown from his bed but was uninjured.
They both went on deck and gave orders
to flood $500 pounds of guncotton, which
was on board. The order was carried out,
but the men who fulfilled it never re-
turned.
Havana, however, was saved from still
more terrible explosion.
Four boats were lowered, all manned by
officers, and one of them was lost.
Captain Sigsbee went in his own launch
on board the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII.
to thank her captain and officers. He aft
erwards went on board the City of Wash
ington, where Consul General Lee, DR..
W. T. Brunner, acting sanitary inspector
of Havana, and the correspondents of the
American newspapers had already gath
cred.
A rescued officer said: II was sitting with
two more officers in the messroom when a
heavy explosion 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 an explos-
ion, that she was on fire and sinking. All
efforts were directed toward lowering the
boats and saving lives. The Maine settled
quickly on the bottom of the harbor only
her upper works remaining above the wa
ter. number of boats from the Spanish
warship Alfonso NIL. and boats from the
Ward line steamer City Of Washington,
came alongside and rendered assistance.
Twenty-four men who were slightly wound
ed were carried on board the City of Wa sh-
inSton. and the rest of the wounded were
carried on board the Alfonso XII, from
which place they were taken to other quar-
ters and. after receiving valuable assist
ance from the naval doctors, sent to the
military hospitals
This officer said the explosion occurred
somewhere in the forward part of the amid
ship 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 in reaching the upper decks
saved their lives with great difficulty with
the assistance of the officers and men on
watch.
At o'clock in the morning. while the
correspondent of the Associated Press was
going ashore, there was another terrible
explosion. At the same time boats from the
Spanish steamers Colon and Mexico were
taking eight wounded men ashore, after
having saved them from the water
A Spanish naval officer said Captain Sigs-
bee was the last man to abandon the sink
ing ship. and that he remained alongside
the wreck as long as it was possible to do
anything in the work of rescue.
Soon after the explosion Chief of Police
PlaGliery went on board the Maine with
an American correspondent. to act as in
terpreter. Captain Sigsbee expressed total
ignorance of the cause of the explosion.
Shortly afterward Captain Sigsbee left the
Maine. after doing everything possible un-
der the circumstances, and went on board
the City of Washington. He refused to
grant any interviews on the subject Of the
disaster.
Consul General Lees cable dispatch to
the United States state department. which
was filed at 1880 p. M, was carried to the
palace by Vice Consul Springer, as an act
of courtesy.
The first Of the American sailors TO reach
the Machina wharf swan there.
All the navy fire brigade and the navy
positions were Immediately ordered on duty
Stretchers for the use of the wounded
were sent to the scene by the fire brigade