The record-union., 1898-03-29

visit the ship to show good will accord
ing to the spirit of the Names visit IN
Havana, but with the exceptions stated no
military officers of Spain visited the ship
socially
Captain sigsbee then went into details
regarding the precautions in force and
especially in relation to quarter watches
which. he said. had never been rescinded
One of the. cutters was in the water at
the time OF the accident, and one steam
launch, the first. was at the starboard
boom.
NIGHT CT THE HORROR.
The Captain said that the night was
quiet and warm. and that he remembered
hearing distinctly. the echoes of the bugle
which was very pleasant. Stars were out
the sky, however, being overcast. The
Maine at the time of the explosion was
Ing toward the Shears. He was writing
at his port cabinet about the time of the
explosion. and was dressed.
THE DISASTER DESCRIBED.
He then went into a description of the
explosion when he felt the crash. He
characterized it as bursting rending and
was succeeded by a metallic sound, prob
ably OF falling debris. a trembling and
crashing sound or roar of Immense VOL
ume, largely metallic in its character. It
lurching molten of the vessel, then an
impression Of subsistence attended by an
eclipse OF electric lights and intense dark
ness within his cabin. He thought it was
that the Maine had been blown up, and
believed she was sinking He hurried to
course to the passage leading to the su-
perstructUre.
Then he detailed the manner of meet
ing Private Anthony. which is much the
same as has been published.
Lieutenant-Commande Wainwright was
on deck when Captain Sigsbee emerged
orderly, he asked for the tim which
was given as $40 p. m. Sentries were or
dered placed about the ship. and the for
ward magazine flooded. He called for
Enftect silence. officers
were about him at the time on the poop.
He was Informed that both forward and
after magazines were under water.
Then came faint cries, and white float
ing bodies in the water. Boats We're at
once ordered lowered, but only two were
found available the gig and white boat.
They We're lowered and manned by Off
GERS and men. and by the Captains direc-
tionS they left the ship and helped to
save the Wounded jointly with other boats
that had arrived on he scene.
Fire amidships by this time was burn
ing hercely, and the spare ammunition in
the pilot-house was exploding. At this
time LieUtenant-Comma Wainwright
said. he thought the 10-inch magazine for
ward had been thrown up into the burning
mass and might explode. Everybody was
then directed to get into the boats over
the stern. which was done, the Captain
getting into the gig. and then proceeding
to the City of Washington, where he saw
the wounded in the dining saloon being
carefully attended by the officers and
crew of the vessel. He then went on deck
and observed the wreck for q few min
uteS and gave directions to have a mus
ter taken on board the City of Washing
ton and other vessels and sat down I'm the
Captains cabin and dictated telegram to
the Navy Department.
Various Spanish officials came on board
and expressed sympathy and sorrow for
the accident. The representative of Gen
eral Banco and of the Admiral of the
who rendered their sympathies. About
four or five men were found that night
who survived
CENTER OF THE EXPLOSION.
BY the time Captain Sigsbee reached the
quarter deck it was his impression that
an overwhelming explosion had occurred.
When he came from the cabin he was
practically blinded for a few seconds. His
only thought was for the vessel and he
took no note OF the phenomenon OF the
explosion.
In reply to the direct question of wheth-
er any of the magazines or shellrooms
were blown up, the Captain said it was
extremely difficult to come to any conclu-
sion. The center of the explosion was
beneath and little forward of the con-
ming tower Sn the port side. In the re-
gtOn of the center or axis OF the eXpio-
sion was the six-inch reserve magazine,
which contained very little powder. About
800 pounds. The 10-inch magazine was in
the same general region, but on the star
board side. Over the 10-inch magazine
in the loading-roOm of the turret and in
the adjoining parts a number of 10-inch
shells We're permanently located.
According to Captain Sigsbee it would
be difficult to conceive the explosion in
VOWED in the 1G-inch magazine. because
of the location of the explosion and that
no reports show that any 1O-inch shells
explosion
LOCATION OF THE SMALL AMMUNI-
TON
The Captain went into details as to the
location of the small ammunition. He
said that he did not believe that the for
ward six magazine blew up. The loca-
ton of the guncotton was aft under the
cabin. The guncotton primers and the
decorators were always kept in the
cabin.
EXAMINATION OF WRECK.
He stated that he had examined the
wreck himself. cOnverSed with other Off
GERS and men, but as the Spanish authori-
ties were very much aVerse to an inves-
tigdtion except officially on the grounds.
as stated by the Spanish Admiralty. that
the honor of Spain would be involved he
forbore to examine the submarine por-
tion of the wreck for the cause of the
explosion until the day the court con-
vened.
DISCIPLINE EXCELLENT.
He said the discipline of the ship was
excellent The marine guard was in eX-
cellent condition. The report of the med
ical department shows that about an av-
erage of one man and a quarter per dav
was on the sick list during the past year
In the engineers department the vessel
was always ready, and always responsive
that quieter better natured lot of men
he had never known on board any YES
sci In which he had served. He had no
fault to find with the behavior OF any
s.dered their conduct admirable.
TEMPERATURES OF MAGAZINES
On his examination by the court Cap
tain Sigsbee said that the highest tenn
perature he could discover was 112, but
that was In the after magazine the tenn
perature in the forward Magazines be-
ing considerably lower. There was no
loose powder kept in the magazine. Al!
the coal bunkers We're ventilated through
air tubes examined weekly by the Chief
Engineer, and were connected electrically
to the annunciator near his cabin door
The forward coal bunker on the port side
was full The forward coal bunker on
the stdrboard side was half full. and it
was being used at the time OF the explo-
sion.
Captain Sigsbee. being recalled. states
that he had detailed Isieutenant-Conl-
and Chief Engineer Holman. all OF the
Maine to obtain information in regard 10
any outsiders who might have seen the
Captain Slgsbee also gave as his opin-
ion that if coal bunkers A16 had been so
hot as 10 be dangerous to the 6-inch re-
serve magazine that this condition would
have been shown on three sides whore the
bunker was exposed. and that men con-
stantly passing to and fro by it would
have necessarily noticed any undue heat
Captain Sigsbee was recalled and ex-
anined o s TO the ammunition on board the
Maine. He stated that there were no high
explosives guncotton. detonatorS or other
material in magazines or shellrooms
which the regulations prohibited He tes-
titled that no war heads had been placed
on torpedoes since he had had command
Of the ship
ENSIGN P0WELLS0N.