The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-04-02

large class or Spanish ana CUBAN residents.
have no means OF knowing whether my
apparent interference In the political con-
| Germs of the island had any relation TO the
destruction OF the Maine"
Animosity Anoat.
When asked whether there was any dem
onstration Of animosity by people afioat.
Capt Sigsbee said that there never was
on shore, as he was Informed. but there
was afoat. He thon related that on the
first Sunday after tho Names arrival a
ferrybo crowded denseiy with people,
civil and military. returning from a bull
fight In Regla. passed the Maine and about
40 people on board INDUCED In yells.
whistles and derisve calls During the stay
In Havana Capt Sigsbee took more than
ordinary precautions for tho protection of
the Maine by placing sentries on the fore
castle and poop. quarantine and signal
buoys on the bridge and on the poop.
A corporal OF the guard was especially
instructed to look out for the port gang
way. and the officer OF the deck and quar-
tcrmaster were especially instructed 10
look out for the starboard gangway;
quarter-watch was kept on deck all night;
sentries' cartridge boxes were filled, their
arms kept loaded. a number OF charges OF
rapid-fire ammunition kept I'm the pilot
house and I'm the spare captains pantry
| under the after superstructure were kept
additional charges OF shell close at hand
| for the second battery; steam was kept up
on two boilers instead OF one, and positive
| Instructions were given to watch carefully
all the hydraulic gear and report defects.
Suspected Trenchery.
lie said he had given orders to the mas
| ter-at-arms and the order TO keep a care
full eye on everybody that came on board
and TO carefully observe any packages that
might be held on the supposltion that dyna-
mite or other high explosive might be en-
ployed. and afterwards TO inspect the routes
these people had taken, and never to lose
sight OF the importance OF the order lie
states that very few people visited the
ship, Lieut. Commander Wainwright be-
ing rather severe on desultory visitors.
There were only two visits OF Spanish mill
tary officers Once party OF five or six
Spanish officers came on board, but accord
ing TO the captain they were constrained
and not DESTROYS OF accepting much
courtesy. This visit was during the ABB
sence OF the captain. He said he made
every effort 10 have the Spanish officers
visit the ship TO show good will according
to the spirit OF the Names visit 20 Havana,
but with exceptions stated no military OIL
Ger OF Spain visited the ship socially.
Precautions In Force.
Capt SIgsbee then went into details re
garding the precautions In force, especially
I'm relation 90 the quarter watches, which he
said had never been rescinded. one OF the
cutters was I'm the water at the time OF
the accident and one OF the steam launches.
the first. was riding at the starboard boom.
The captain said that the night was quiet
ond warm and that he remembered hearing
distinctly the echoes OF the bugle at tattoo.
which were very pleasant Stars were
out, the sky, however. being overcast. The
Maine at the time OF the explosion was
heading approximately northwest. point
ina toward the Shears. lie was writing at
his port cabin table al the time OF the ex-
plosion and was dressed. He then went
into description OF the explosion when he
felt the crash. lie characterized II as a
bursting, rending and crashing sound, or
roar OF immense volume, largely metallic
in It's character IL was succeeded by a
metallic sound, probably OF falling debris.
a trembling and lurchlng motion OF the
vessel. then an impression OF subsistence,
attended by an eclipse OF electric lights
and intense darkness within the cabin. He
thought Immediately that the Maine had
blown up and she was sinking He hurried
TO the starboard cabin port. but changed
his course to the passage leading 10 the
superstructure. Then no detailed the man
ner OF meeting Private Anothon, which Is
much the same has been published.
Lieut. Commander Wainwright was on
deck when Capt. Sigsbee emerged from
the passagewny. and, turning TO tho order
~, he asked for the time. which was given
as $40 y. IN. Sentries were ordered placed
about the ship and tho forward magazine
flooded, II practicable. He called for per-
feet silence. Tho surviving officers were
about him at the time on the poop. lie
was Informed that both forward and after
magazines were under water Then came
faint cries. and he saw dimly white float
ing bodies In the water. Boats were at once
lowered, but only two were found avail
able. the gig and whaleboat. They were
lowered and manned by officers and men,
and by the captains directions they left
the ship and assisted I'm saving the wound
ed, Jointly with other boats that had ar
rived on the scene. Fire amidships by
this timo was burning fercely. and the
spare ammunition I'm the pilot house was
exploding I'm detail. At this time Lieut.
Commander Wainwright whispered to the
captain that he thought the ten-inch mag
azine forward had beent thrown up into
the burning mass and might explode IN
time. Everybody was then directed 10 get
into tho boats over the stern, which was
done, tho captain getting into the gig. and
then proceeded to the City OF Washing
ton, where he found tho wounded I'm the
dining saloon. being carefully attended by
the officers and crew OF tho vessel. lie
then went on deck and observed the wreck
70. few minutes and gave directions 10
have IA muster taken on board the City OF
Washin6ton and other vessels and sa down
I'm the captains cabin and dictated n telc-
egram TO the navy department. Various
Spanish officials came on board and ex-
dent The representatives OF Gen. Blanco
and OF tho admiral OF the station were
among the Spanish officials who rendered
their respects. About 81 or IS men were
found that night who survived. by the
time Capt Sigsbee reached the quarter
deck Il was his impression that an over
whelming explosion had occurred. When
he came from the cabin he was practically
blinded for few seconds. His only thought
was for the vessel. and he took no note
OF the phenomena OF the explosion. In re-
ply TO the direct question or whether am
OF the magazines or shellrooms were blown.
up. the captain said u was extremely diff
fcult TO come 10 any conclusion. The CEN
ter OF the explosion was beneath and a
little forward OF the coming tower on the
port side In the region or the center
or axis OF the explosion was the six-inch
reserve magazine. which contained very
little powder--about 500 pounds. The ten
inch magazine was In the same general re-
gion, but on the stnrboard side. over the
ten-inch magazine In the loading room OF
the turrct and In the adjoining passage n
number OF tcn-inch shells were permn-