The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-02-07
WHOLE NO. SOL.
CAPTAIN SIGSBEE'c story
HIS OWN ACCOUNT OF THE BLOW.
ING UP OF THE MAINE.


When the Explosion Came-He Thor
ouEhly Believes the Vessel Was Blown
UP From tho Outside.
Captain Charles d. Sigsbee is con.
tributing to the Century Magazine his
Personal Narrative of the Maine"
In his second paper he describes the
blowing up of the Maine and the scenes
that followed it. Captain Sigsbee saws:
About an hour before the explosion
had completed report called for by
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, on the advis-
ability of continuing to place torpedo.
tubes on board cruisers and battle
ships. i then wrote q letter home in
which L struggled to apologize for hay
ing carried in my pocket for ten months
a letter to my wife from one of her
friends of long standing The cabin
mess-attendant, James Pinckney, had
brought me, about an hour before. a
civilians thin coat, because of the
prevailing heat; had taken off my
blouse, and was wearing this coat for
the only time during the cruise. In
the pocket had found the unopened
and undelivered letter. Piuckney. n
hght-hearted colored man, who spent
much Of his spare time in singing,
playing the banjo and dancing jigs.
was for some reason in au especially
happy frame of mind that night. Poor
fellow he was killed, as was also good
old John r. Bell, the colored cabin
steward, who had been in the navy
twenty-seven years.
At taps (''turn in and keep auiet"),
ten minutes after nine o'clock, | laid
down my pen to listen to the notes of
the bugle, which were singularly beau
tlful In the oppressive stiffness of the
night. The marine bugler, Newton,
who was rather given to fanciful eff
Iects, was evidently doing his best.
During his pauses the echoes hoated
back to the ship with singular distinct
ness, repeating the strains of the bugle
fully and exactly. A half hour later
Newton was dead.
l was enclosing my letter in its en-
yelope when the explosion came. The
impression made on different people
on board the Maine varied somewhat.
10 me, IN my position, we'll aft, and
within the superstructure. it was o
bursting, rending and crashing sound
or ronr of immense volume, largely
metallic in character. 1t was followed
by a succession of heavy, ominous.
metallic sounds, probably caused by
the overturning of the central SUPER
structure and by falling debris. There
was trembling and lurching motion
OF the vessel. list to port and a move
ment of subsiderce. The electric
lights, of which there were eight in
the cabin where 1 was sitting, went
out. Then there was intense black
ness and smoke.
The situation could not be mistak en- :;
the Maine was blown up and sinking.
For n moment the instinct of self
preservation took charge of me, but
this was Immediately dominated by
the habit of command. went up the
inclined deck into the starboard cabin.
toward the starboard air-ports, which
were relieved somewhat against the
background of the sky. The sashes
were out, and the openings were large.
My first intention was an escape
through an airport, but this was aban-
doned in favor OF the more dignified
way OF making an exit through the
passa2eway leading forward through
the suPerstructure. Igroped my way
through the cabin into the passage,
and along the passage to the outer
door. The passage turned to the
right, or starboard, near the forward
part of the superstructure.
When fbo $780,
one ran into me violently. 1t was
Private William Anthony, the orderly
at the cabin door. He said something
apoiogetic, and reported that the ship
had been blown up and was sinking.
He was directed to go out on the quar-
terdeck, and / followed him. Anthony
has been pictured as making an ex-
ceedingly formal salute on that occa-
sion. The dramatic effect of salute
cannot add TO his heroism. If he had
made a salute it could not have been
seen in the blackness of that complrt-
ment. Anthony did his whole duty.
at great personal risk, at time when
he might have evaded the danger with
out question, and deserved all the
commentator that he received for his
act. He hung near me with unhag-
ging zeal and watchfulness that night
until the ship was abandoned.
/ stood for q moment on the star
board side of the main deck, forward
OF the superstructure, looking toward
the immense dark mass that doomed
up amidships, but could see nothing
distinctly. There I remained for few
seconds in an effort TO grasp the situa
ton, and then asked Anthony for the
exact time He replied: "The expo
sion took place at nine-forty, sir" It
was soon necessary 20 retire from the
main deck, for that part of the ship
was sinking rapidly. I then went up
on the poop-deck BY this time Lieu
tenant-Commander Wainwright ana
others were near me. Everybody was
impressed by the solemuity Of the dis
aster, but there was no excitement ap-
parent; perfect discipline prevailed.
The question has been asked many
times II ] believed then that the Maine
was blown up from the outside. My
answer TO this has been that my first
order on reaching the deck was 10 post
sentries about Che ship. ! knew that
the Maine had been blown up, and be
lieved that she had been blown No
from the outside. Therefore, ordered
n measure which was intended to guard