The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-13
MAINE CHAPLAIN.
Father Chadwick Told Last
Night About the Ex-
plosion.
GREETED WITH HEARTY CHEERS.
Newark Diocese Welcomed
the Hero Priest at st.
Bridget's Hall

The Rev. DR.. John D. Chadwick, chap
wick, chaplain of the illAfated battleship
Maine, spoke on the extinction of the ship
to a large audience last night at st. Bird
gets Hall. Mercer street. Thu lecture
was given under the auspices of the Cath
Ollie Young Mems Societies of the Diocese
of Newark. About eight hundred people
ovid into the hall and gave the hero a
rousing welcome.
President Rev. Father Began of New
ark presided, and called the meeting 20
order. He delivered a short address, Al
ter an overture had been played by the
Letter Carriers Band, he introduced the
speaker of the evening.
At the sound of the hero's name the au-
dience went wild. The cheering could be
heard at some distance. The chsplain
arose and walked to the footlights. He
thanked the hearers for their reception.
He spoke of the decorations of the hall,
which, he said, were the most elaborate
he had seen in some time. The hall was
one mass of American flags and bunting.
Chaplain Chadwick began his address by
speaking of the departure of the Maine
for Havana. All aboard eager to protect
the interest of the American people at
the cost of their lives.
1.-THE good ship" continued the speaker,
'sarrived in the harbor safe. Fol the nrst
time, the night before the explosion 1t was
noticed the ship had drifted with the tide
so that her bow pointed directly to the
shore. The morning before the explosion
800 men answered the roll call. Nearly
all were in their hammoeks or in their
rooms-I was in my room-when the ex-
plosion came. The shock was dreadful
and all the lights on the ship were ex-
tinguished.
.As soon as the shock was felt I rush
ed upon deck, and there witnessed the
awful results. Our brave boys were ~
ing around the decks suffering untold
agony. l went among them and admin
istered the last rites of the Church. Cap
tain Sigsbee, the brave fellow, was on
the poop deck, giving orders, which were
carried out to the letter, by those fortu-
nate enough to survive. Thu boys ex-
pressed the greatest sympathy for their
comrades, who were blown to the sea,
and were drowning. They could not be
saved.
THE morning after the explosion, when
the roll call was ordered, only eighty men
out of the crew answered to their names.
A silent prayer was then offered for those
who were not present
81 felt exceedingly grateful at seeing
the American flag still floating above the
wreck. The victims were removed to the
hospitals in Havana. The Sisters of
Charity gave up their convent as an
emergency institutions
Mr.. Chadwick then spoke of the funeral
services over the remains of the bodies
recovered. He said it was a grand, but
solemn demonstration, during which
Yankee Doodle was played for the first
time on Cuban soil.
1.-The United States" the speaker con-
tinued, sshas been denounced as being a
coward in not pointing the guns on
Havana the day following the explosion.
/ think the country deserves great credit
for the patience she exhibited in not do
ing so. The fact that the country is not
cowardly was made evident when 200, 500
men answered the call for volunteers,
when only 100,0 900 were asked for by Presi-
dent Mckinley" After paying a great tri-
butte to the member of the Red Cross So
ciety and the Sisters of Charity for the
work done in the interest of the wounded
and dying the speaker closed his address
by reciting "The Red, White and Blue
Among those who occupied seats on the
platform were Father Boylan, of st.
Lucy's Church; Fathers Brady and
Smith, of st. Mary's Church; Fathers
Carroll and Monahan, of st. Patricks
Church; Mons. Seton, of st. Joseph's
Father Began, of Newark; Rob-
ert Davis, Assemblyman Murphy, Justice
Nevin, DR.. Nevin and Director Mulvaney.