The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-22
4 SURVIVORS, ACCOUNT.
Tells in Vivid Language of the Mo
ment of Horror.

Lieutenant Blandin who was or Board
ment of Horror.
Key West, Fla, Feb. 17.-Lieutenant
John j. Blandin, of Baltimore, one of
the Names survivors,, who is at the
Key West Hotel, gave the c%orrespon-
dent Of the Associated Press this even
ing a succinct account Of the disaster,
saying not until now has he been able
to recollect the sequence of events in the
awful ten minutes following the explo-
sion Tuesday evening" Lieutenant
Blandin was ON the Trenton at the time
of the terrible disaster off Samoa N
March 1889, when American and Ger
man vessels lost pa men all told.
Lieutenant Blandin says:
Il was on watch, and when the men
had been piped below, | looked down
the main matches and over the side Of
the ship. Everything was absolutely
normal. | walked aft to the quarter
deck behind the rear turret as is allow
ed after eight O'Clock in the evening,
md sat down on the port side, where
remained for Il few minutes Then for
some reason l cannot explain to myself
now, l moved to the starboard side and
sat down there. | was feeling Il bit
Sitlll Cllt III IUCt d 81 IuItt lHll IINu
tenant j. Hood came up and asked
laushingly if l was asleep. | said No,
l IN on watch
Scarcely had l spoken when there
+. came a dull, sullen roar. Would to God
that | could blot out the sound and
the scenes that followed. Then came
a sharp explosion, some say, numerous
DECORATIONS. l remember only one. 1t
seemed to me that the sound came from
the port side forward. Then came 4
perfect rain Of missiles of all descrip-
tons, from huge pieces of cement to
blocks of wood, steel ratings, fragments
ct gratlngS, and all the debris that
would be detachable in an explosion.
Il was struck on the head by a piece
of cement and knocked down but l was
not hurt, and got to my feet in a mo-
ment. Lieutenant Hood had ran to the
poop and | supposed, as | followed, he
was dazed by the shock and about to
lump overheard. | hailed him and he
answered that he had run to the poop
to help lower the boats. When | got
there, though scarce a minute could
have elapsed, | had to wade in water
to my knees and almost instantly the
quarter deck was awash. On the poop
| found Captain Sigsbee, as cool as if
at al ball, and soon all the officers eX-
, cbpI JcIlkluS ana NItI1llt JCllItt uS. Il IN
poop was above water after the Maine
settled to the bottom. Captain Sigs-
bee ordered the launch and gig lower
ed. and the officers and men, who by
this time had assembled got the boats
out and rescued Il number III the water.
Captain Sigsbee ordered Lieutenant
Commander Wainwright forward to sec
the extent of the damage and If any
thing could be lone to rescue those for
ward or to eXtingulsh the flames, which
ollOWed close upon the explosion and
burned fiercely as long as there We're
any combustibles above the water 10
feed them.
'.Lieutenant Commander Wainwright
{ on his return reported the total and aW-
!, ful character of the calamity, and Cap
tain Sigsbee gave the last sad order
abandon ship" to men overwhelmed
! with grief indeed, but calm and appar-
entity uneXcited.
Meantime four boats from the Span
. ish cruiser Alfonso MI arrived. to be
| followed soon by two from the Ward
! Line steamer City of Washington. The
; two boats lowered from the City OF
$ Washington We're found to be rlddled
; with flying debris from the Maine and
, unfit for use. Captain Sigsbee was the
| last man to leave his vessel and left in
his own gig.
, & have no theories as to the cause of
the explosion. l cannot form my. An
5 examination by divers may tell some
I thing to a court of inquiry. | with 9th
ers, had heard that the Havana Har-
+ Dor was full of torpedoes, but the Off
| GERS whose duty it WAS to examine into
that reported that they found no signs
of any. Personally | do not believe the
[ Spanish had anything to do with the
disaster. Time may tell. | hope so.
We were in a delicate position OH
the Maine so far as taking any precau-
tions were concerned. We were friends
4 in a friendly, or alleged friendly port
| and could not fire upon or challenge the
approach of any boat boarding us unless
convinced that her intention was hos
I tile.
|, Il wish to heaven l could forget ii.
have been i'm two wrecks now and have
S had my share. But the reverberations