Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-05-26
NAVY MEN TALK
OF The MAINE
Congressional Action to Raise
BattIeship Creates Interest.
FLIGHT OF THE SURVIVORS.

Experiences of Two Officers at Brook
Ign Navy Yard Who Were Aboard
the Vessel When She Blew Up and
Sank In Havana Harbor-New Yer
sion of Bill Anthony's Report"
In the wardrooms of the big gray
battleships of the Atlantic fleet. lying
at the Brooklyn navy yard in Brook
lyn while undergoing repairs prelim-
mary to summer cruises and target
practice the principal topic Of CONVEX
sation is the passage of the congress
sional bill providing for the raising of
the battleship Maine. resting deep in
the mud of Havana harbor AS it
happens, there are several officers at
the yard who were attached TO Sigs-
bees ship at the time of the eXplo-
sion. more than ten years ago. They
were "middies" then. Now they are
lieutenant commanders and executive
officers, with all tLs dignity attached
to such exalted positions
1t is not easy TO get survivors of that
night of terror to tell of their expe-
riences. The subject is taboo in the
navy, so far as the outside world Is
concerned and it requires something
like the recent action of congress TO
bring it forward at mess To tell the
truth. the whole affair was thrashed
out so continually and in such detail
years ago that those who went
through the first ordeal Of story tell
ing are loath to break the peace they
have enjoyed for the last few years.
One of the officers who served on
the old Maine was not aboard of her
at the time the explosion occurred. He
had shore leave that night and was
some distance away from the water
front when the explosion took place.
Earring the country for miles around.
Like everybody else who was still up.
he started for the quay at q run, but
he arrived too late 10 witness anything
except the last act Of the awful TRACE
dy. By the time be arrived the ship
had settled and most of the survivors
had been brought ashore in small
boats.
L Two Who Were In Wardroom.
Another officer. who now holds re-
sponsible position in the Atlantic feet,
was in the wardroom with Lieutenant
Commander Dick Wainwright. execu-
tive officer of the doomed battleship.
now a rear admiral. when the deck
beneath their feet trembled and the
81 L.,
The two officers had been going
through some of the ships papers.
but they dropped everything and leap
ed up the compaRionway to the deck.
They had no idea what had happened;
their first instinct was to find out.
Bill Anthony, the marine orderly,
had already given Captain Sigsbee
the famous report" he didn't
make. What really happened was that
Anthony bumped into the captain In
the darkness as the latter was making
his way out of his cabin. Anthony
apologiZed and asked il he could do
anything He never said, "Sir. | have
to report the ship is sinking" or any
thing like that. He was cool and
clear headed all the time, keeping near
the captain and obeying his orders
promptly. but he said nothing STACY"
Gray headed sergeants of the marine
corps hold him up 10 recruits to this
day as the idea orderly.
Story of an Eyewitness.
1.-THE explosion was local. as explo
sions Of great force usually are" said
the officer last mentioned. THE part
Of the. ship J was in was not affected
materially. The decks and bulkhead
shivered. but there was no rending Of
plates. and was quite able to keep
my feet. or course the lights had
gone out, and we could see little. We
knew that the ship was settling. and
our one object was to save those still
alive. In fact. the most horrible part
Immediately following the explosion.
during which we we're getting out
mangled wretches from the shattered
decks forward.
81 was never In any danger myself.
for | was standing on higher deck
above the water that came rolling In
over the fo'c's'le. Two of the officers
in the wardroom were caught in their
cabins by the thrush and drowned like
rats 1t was all a case Of getting on
deck quick with US. The explosion
fid not menace us. All we did was
to save those who were left. 1t was
all we could do"