The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-18
WILMINGTON, N. C, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 49, 1893.

wounded Of the survivors. It was
found necessary to dc this, owing to
the great number of pitiful appeals for
information as to the safety of some
unfortunate on the Maine. that came
from all parts of the country.
QUESTION OF RAISING THE
MAINE.
The naval constructors, in the light
of the dispatches thus far received, say
that it is by no means certain that the
Maine cannot be raised and again car
ry the flag. They say that while she
is a big snip. others as large have been
raised, and at Havana the new floating
drydock would receive her if she could
once be gotten above the water. Cap
tain Sigsbee is evidently taking an in
terest in the future of the ship for he
sent a telegram to Commander For
sythe at Key West that was promptly
transmitted to Secretary Long, sug-
costing that a lighthouse vessel or
some such small craft be stationed in
Havana harbor to watch over the
wreck. The latter, even if beyond
resurrection, contains valuable ord
nance and other property that doubt
less can be secured by divers.
1t is said at the navy department that
this disaster is the greatest OF the kind
in naval history since the sinking of
the big British warship Victoria by
collision with the Camperdown in the
Mediterranean, off Malta, in June, 1893.
By that accident the British admiral
commanding, twenty-five officers and
1856 men lost their lives.
COINCIDENCE OF FOREIGN MIN
listers.
The Spanish legation was early ad-
vica1 Of tho hnrror thxy 10 nj lin ConnroI
Blanco, who expressed his profound
regret and added that the occurrence
was a chance accident, the ~undoubted
cause being an explosion of the boiler
Of the dynomos. This was the only
specific cause assigned from an official
source during the day. Senior duBosc,
the Spanish charge, called at the state
department to express his profound re-
gret, and the entire Spanish staff left
their cards at the navy department as
a mark of personal coincidence. At all
Of the foreign establishments>there was
the deepest interest and solicitude over
the affair, and during the day Ambas-
sador CambOn, of France, Sir Julian
Pauncefote, of the British Embassy,
and other foreign representatives, call
ed on the president or the state de-
partment to express their regrets.
TWO OFFICERS KILLED.
The disaster is remarkable in that
only two officers lost their lives and
these were of junior grades. They
were Lieutenant Friend w. Jenkins
and Assistant Engineer Darwin r..
Merritt. The former was unmarried,
but caves a mother and sister. The
latter, it is though, also was unmar-
ried, but the department was unadvis-
ed concerning his family.
MIR nkin was horn in
City, Pa, June 26, 1865, and was ap-
pointed naval cadet September %,
1882. After a short cruise on the At
lanta; he was graduated June, 1888, af-
ter which he served successfully on h
Galena, Kearsage and Swarata. He was
next attached to the coast survey and
served with it until February, 1890,
when he was again ordered to sea, on
the gunboat Bennington. From June,
1898, to September, 1895, he was on
ordnance duty at the naval proving
grounds, indian Head, Md, and on
September IS, 1895, he was ordered to
the battleship Maine and has since
been attached to that vessel, with the
exception of a short interval in the
spring of 1897. He reached his present
grade of junior Lieutenant in January,
1897. He had many friends in this city
and was regarded as a most capable
and efficient officer.
Assistant Engineer Merritt was born
at Red Oak, Montgomery county, "a,
April II, 1872. He was appointed to
the naval academy September 10, 1891,
graduating at the head Of his class foul
years later. He went to sea on the
Amphitrite and was subsequently
transferred to the Indiana, receiving
his final graduation July 1, 1897. After
a short service at the New York navy
yard he was ordered to the battleship
Maine, September 10, 1897, and has
since been attached to that Inflated
Although his naval service has
short, it is said at he department
to have been extremely credible.
Captain Dickens, chief Of the naviga-
tion bureau, expressed the opinion to-
day that the explosion too place in
the magazine of the Maine. He said
that this was evident for the reason
that the ship was afloat for an hour
after the explosion. Had a torpedo
been fired under the battleShip, she
would have sunk almost Immediately.
Secretary Long, for the president,
has sent this telegram to Captain Sigs-
bee:
''Sig5bee, II. S. S. Maine, Havana:
re president directs me to express
for himself n the people of the Unit
&C states his profound sympathy with
the officers and crew of the Maine and
desires that no expense be spared in
providing for the survivors and the
care of the cad
ISigned1 JOHN D. LONG,,
Secretary"
The president a recalled his invi-
tations for receptions this evening n
tomorrow night owing to the disaster
which has befalien the American navy.
The president and several Of his cab
met associates held an extended con-
ference about o 1t was not a cab
met meeting, as no notice had been
sem out, and only Secretary of the
Navy Long, Secretary Gage and ex-
Attorney General Nc Kenna We're pres
emf. The disaster to the Maine was
the only topic considered.
THE LOSS OF LIFE 253.
About Il o'clock the cabinet officers
came from the presidents office. One
Of them stated hat the president had
given directions that all official infor-