The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-16

NATIONS TRAGEDY
Nearly Three Hundred Blue
jackets Lost on the
Battleship Maine.
WAS IT SPANISH VILLAINY.
The 4se of the Disaster Still
in Doubt-Conflicting
Stories,
WAS IT SPANISH YILLAINY /.

WASHINGTON Feb. 1e, 1s93.-The
Navy Department was the scene of in
tense excitement before nine O'Clock this
morning, but at the usual hour of open
ing the department the officials had no
news to add to that given in the last
Associated Press dispatches last night.
The first news received this morning
came from Key West and added LITTLE
to the sum of information. Commandant
Forsyth, at Key West, wired the Navy
Department that he had been notified by
Captain Sigsbee of the Maine to inform
Admiral Sicard, in command of the North
Atlantic squadron that the Maine had
blown up and was destroyed. He re-.
quested that a lighthouse tender
be sent over ito Havana and added
that many were killed and wound
ed. Command Forsyth's message fur
ther said that the light house tender
Mangrove left Key West at three o'clock
this morning for Havana, and that the
tug Fern would promptly follow her. A
second despatch from Commandant For
Syth SAID that he had sent the torpedo
boat Ericsson, which was al Key West, to.
Admiral Sicard, who is at the Dry Tor
tugas, with message concerning the
disaster to the Maine
Captain Dickens, chief of the Navigation
Bureau, expressed the opinion today that
the explosion took place in the magazine
or the Maine. He said that this was ev;-
dent Tor the reason that the ship was
af1oat for an hour after the explosion.
Had torpedo been fired under tbs battle
snip she would have sunk almost immedi-
ately, and the fact that she had -los done
so was conclusive evidence the firing of a
torpedo was not the cause of the disaster.
The news was learned at the Spanish
Legation with horror and was the occa-
sion for. many expressions of the most
nj soft ln1e 1rlx
in the day Senior Du Bose, the Spanish
Charge d 'Affaires received a message
from Captain General Blaneo, which had
been filed at Havana at 2 O'Clock this
morning. 1t read as follows:-
with profound regret I have to In
form you that the American ship Maine,
in this harbor, blew up by an undou5t-
edly CHANGED accident, believed to result
from an explosion of the boiler of the
dynamo. Immediately following the.
accident all the disposable ele-
spot to extend every aid possible. These
included the force of the marine fire bri-
gade and all the Generals in Havana,
among them my chief of staff. There
sent an aide de camp to offer every assist
ance to the North American Consul that
he may wish for. I will forward further
'sBLANco."
The President and several of his Cab.
met associates held an extended confer
ence about noon. 1t was not Cabinet
meeting, as no notices had been sent out.
and only Secretary of the Navy Long,
Secretary Gage, tAitorney General Griggs,
Postmaster General Gary and former At-
torney General McKenna were present.
The disaster to the Maine was the only
topic considered. 1t was determined to
abandon the reception of the White House
tonight, and also the reception to the gem,
eral public tomorrow night
About twelve o'clock the Cabinet off,
GERS came from the Presidents office.
One of them stated that the President
had given. directions that all official in
formation relating to the disaster should
be made public.
The President has decided against serid-
ing another warship to Havana for the
present