The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-04

tenant on small pay for twenty-one
years-untr 1894 when he became a lieu
tenant commander. The Maine sailed
| for Havana in lS9S Capt Charles D.
! Slgsbee was in command. Richard Vain
wright went along as executive officer.
| He was known all through the navy as
a very painstaklng and accomplished
sailor.
will you tell me-" I asked him.
about Your movements on the evening
Of February Is, up TO the time OF the
destruction OF the Manner"
Il had been writing family letters in
my cabin, and had gone to Capt. Sigs-
bees office. where I was talking 10 his
clerk. when the explosion occurred. I
| Immediately went on deck, where I be-
| ionged."
What thought was in your mind?"
Z heard things falling overhead. and
for the moment believed we had been
| fred on by the SDaniards"
Sees Effect of Explosion.
What scene Of night is most vivid in
your memory?''
I saw smoke. smelled burning ceilu-
/ lose-the odor has been with me ever
since-and noticed that the forward part
OF the ship was gone Then-and the
! sight remains first in my recollections Of
the event. saw my own shipmates.
some dead and some injured floating OF
! struggling in the water. Many had been
blown overheard. Others. with broken
! bones or mangled bodies, had jumped into
the harbor In all 25S men lost their lives
that night. Only two OF our small boats
remained, and one Of them had a hole in
its side. They were lowered as soon as
possible. Meanwhile. boats from an Amer
lean ship and Spanish boats came 10 the
rescue Of the men in the water"
you remained in the harbor OF Havana
for two months. but refused 10 20
ashorc?" I said
I did not refuse. I went to the wharf
once on official business at Capt. Sigs-
bees order. The divers at work OF the
wreck were put under my management
lived on the Fern. dispatch boat, and
was busy day and night"
"Still you could have found time to go
ashore occasionally" I ventured to OBJ
serve.
! Oh, certainly.
Feared to Go Ashore.
But you declined to put foot on Span
ish soil?"
! Yes. sir; I lid. I didn't care to trust
myself" and Admiral Wainwright raised
his voice Ito walk the streets and to be
scowled at without scowIing back"
A few months later. or Santiago, see
ing the smoking junk that a few hours
before had been Spain's proudest squad
ron. Wainwright. havinE contributed his
splendid share to the result. Is reported to
have said: The Maine is avenged"
You have always believed that the
Maine was blown up by a submarine
miner" observed.
Il know II. I was the executive officer
Of the ship. and had never left It for an
hour after going aboard in that capacity.
was everywhere. Had the coal in the
bunkers become heated. I would have
known It. Besides. 1 read and studied
| the reports Of ell the divers. I knew
\ about conditions under the water. An
! explosion within the ship would have
| gone upward through the matches. Ex-
| plosions follow where there Is the least
resistance. I examined the wreck Of the
Maria Teresa at Santiago. A magazine
blew up inside the ship and its course
was toward the deck. which was broken
and turned outward. On the other hand,
the side Of the Maine was bent inward
and the turret, topping overheard INTO
the mud at the bottom Of the harbor. as
] We suppose. was never found by the