* - - _ /
THE MAINE DISASTER.
•I * # ___
The Most Horrible in The History of Onr Nayy—Oyer 260 Men Killed or Drowned Before the Arrival of Assistance—Many Opinions.
Sectional View of the Maine Traced From a Drawing at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Showing the Position of
the Powder Magazine When the Explosion Occurred.
Tha biowhig up of the United States
battleship Maine In Havana barlx* oo
Feb. 15 was the most frightful diaaatar
that has ever befallen our nary.
About tSB men and two officer*, Lieu
tenant Jenkins and Engineer Merritt,
were either instantly killod or ilruuni.nl
ccuiv asKisiamu could reach them.
1 ..nr Alubamians, Lieoteoau'* Hood
au.1 Blandin, and Naval Cadets Boyd
and Crenshaw were on Isnrd the Maine
when tho explosion occurred, bat all
•mitwded in ervuptng.
The exploslcm occurred at t o’clock at
night, striking tho ship forward render
the quarters of tbe men, uxat uf whom
bad turned In, wbiok account* for tho
large loss of Ufa.
An inrvwtigutinn of tho terrible disso.
ter is now under way,
THE EXPLOSION"DESCRIBED.
A special from Haruuu ooocemh.g
the diaaatar says: Jamas Rowe, the
Ship's oook, era* (he least Injured of any
that wean brought in while 1 waa there
I asked him bow it happened.
‘‘X don't know,” ho replied, speakiag
with dlfltnolur. “1 lamed in my ham
mock at 6 o'clock and heard three hells
strike. 1 don't remember Myfbing
more till I felt mwmlf turning oVW anil
over, and falling heavily re pm the deck
through a maaa of smoke. I gut un my
rent and worked my vray on deck. When
1 gut them the superstructure dock was
dipping render water, and I jumped over
board to kasp from being drawn into tha
•petmn- I waa picked up by a boat from
lha Spanish warship. Four nun were
nicicad up by tha mm* boat. They ware
Ifeniel Cronin, a lindimsn; dnarlan
Berryman .hoatewsiu; Albert John, ■»
man. and Bloomer, a landsman.”
One pour fallow, whose taor waa ia
Jomd past all reoagnitkni, waa lying ia
a cot m tha boaplIaL 1 asked lum his
uamo and ha mumbled back through |
htmnUy swollen Ena:
“My folks would foe) uneaav if I told
yun.
So fisras I cau learn now the explrv
>Kai took plane ftn the Mnaffamtne naod for
the norm of Run oulton for the torpo
Tile vowel lire with her buws
whtJjy en hwwjp. d and only a part of
Tha expioaksi, which shook the city
man cue end to the other, ervatetl the
wildest excitement. All the electric
lights were pat out by the shock. Jiro
mehed madly from rue dirrtv
t*On to another, and no one knew fer
certain fboau which direction the exnlo*
•hai came.
HOLE IN THE »HIF»8 HULL?
The ecwiaapnodent at Key Went of tha
Associated Press has returned on board
the Olivette from tha seeue uf the wre k
of the United State* bnttlaahlp Maine In
Havana barber. The divers who have
been working about her bottom have dis
covered an t-ioch pernawlini hole in
Bi pkU.
Admiral Mentarnla has smniaoocd
Chptain Mgatwa to appear before M1U
*"T Jndga Pural to aukr the-rnrT
dopowttooa. AH proof of the torprd.-,
werk will he removed.
Om of the regular staff oormspcaid
snta cf tha Associated Press hem soya
the report of the finding of the hole In
the hail of tha Maine, evidently censed
by a torpedo, wassmt from Havana just
before the OHvette tailed and from e
•ernree regarded sa reliable, bat carmen
be verified, awing to the strict cenear
■hipat TUiant
verified by the<41
rora of the Maine, who have arrived at
Krt West from Havana.
The navy department ehaolettly die
rredlm thefory eosotag from Key West
that divan have found an Atocfa perena
rien hole In the bottom of the Mahw.
COURT Of INQUIRY NAMED.
The nary department has received a
dispatch tm Admiral (Heard. to <«■
ntand of tha Worth Atlantic sipsedran.
giving the detail of the most of inquiry
to laveatlgsts the Maine itiaaatsr as
MOowa:
Osptehe Bam peon. president of Um
coerti Qeptoin Chadwick. Idea tenant
Ojmwaedwfctovi'dsr. Lise tenant One
Oeptnin •seepane, the ptdim sf the
oemrt, In ntsewenfw of the baulmhlp
Iowa, now Aft the TortugA*. Guptain
Chadwick ftp onmrmuicler trf the Vow
York at Key Wert. Ll*tireturn Oum
«Ancter tichrowlcr Ls oxcxntivc oiftoer of
the htllnihtp UMwchowtri miw Aft the
Tortspi.
Litratenant Cuniuuuider Man* k ex*
ecntive uAcer of the Vermont. Be wmi
formerly with the Maine an cxocntirp
tf&cor liefore Die detail of Iieotenaul
Oontmander "Wain wright, who relieved
him.
WILL RAISE BIO WARSHIP.
▲ resolution offered by Mr. Hale, ap
racprialin*} 9300,000 for railing Ibe bat
tleship Maine and sawing what property
enud oe tewed, waa passed by tbs senate
without objection, being amended so at
to authorise the anraotary to direct that
the remains of officer* and.-sailors U
bmugfat to the United States for In
terment.
The home lias also ]meted e rosohitioo
similar to that pasaed by the nenata rela
*lwe to the Maine.
Mr. Boutelle, In the comm of Me re
Starks on the Maine resolution, arid hs
had no dime* information official ot
otbenrlaa aa to to the caaat of the Maftu
disaster, bat that all informs tints at
I
BATTTJMHXP m*i«
Maina toia loohsd upon u a war
^'P^kat woaM give a good aocoont of
haraolf ta aiwaitnation. She wo* built
How York navy yard and atm*
ratoriag Into active wrvtiw, on 8®pt. 17,
iJ®®' ki* baan coatintxrady at work.
waa also a stool armored battleship
and waa equipped with two 10-inrh bar
»» waa m toot long
Si <£?°* » dieplaoemsn t
of M8» tone. Hor draft waa *1 tact A
ischee, which allowed bar bo enter Ha
Tana harbor without trouble. She wal
equipped with twin ecrow vertical tri
P“ engtaae, which drove her
at the rate of 17.4a knots mi hour, atul
fro waa thne able to make the dietahee
frtwean Key Woe* anti Havana in four
***“»• *Jfr had a maximum coal capac
ity of 8M tone. Hor tides were ten.
tatfrd by Ik-Inch, her toast* by k-feTch
end her barbette by It and 10-inch ar
mor. She waa armed with four Id-inch
pne to turret*, six t-tooh breach load
ing rifles, seven 0-pounder* and four
M*lno onM It.ooo.doiMu
Ifrid tended to etseoigthea tha belief
that it wee dee to an aoeident. The
teefrrtfcm was adopted without a dir
•eating voice.
PREMIER 8 AG AST A PAINED.
The lifrU correspondent of Tho Kew
Twh Woeld aetuhi the foUowiiig ee
froriaed statement by Prime Minister
•^W.wrr. grieved end palntoUy *ur
Wieed by the mtastrophe to the deino.
We felt 11 doubly hereuae tha end oermr
■mine look place in onr waters
"We cannot forget the gym pat by that
was shown to ae by America when we
teat our craiew Rvina Regents sad the
mtoitorrof marina• conveyed to General
Woodford the condoincoe eg the Bpanirii
nnvy. Oar rspraenutatlvs at Washing
ton win ounvay to the American govern
enunomt the tympathy of our save lain*
nation aud government.
"You may have noticed how general
and sincere baa been the frVodfjr aid
•win of oar preee la commenting apuu
this anfnrtonate catastrophe I feel
oouddeut that this and the eqmaitv
fehodly nnudurt of the eatfcoritiee and
fropie of Havana will go * great way M
tSSSSE z&s£z
aad ofBcere of theefedne.
"We haVe heartily approved th* mm
H8fefiS§g|
of the Marne, it la tin; towu cnunen of
Havana that baa uffesuri to ootwt all «x.
pmaea at tba funeral and banal at tb*
1M men and two ofllinn.
• "Indnad, I do not »ppr> Send any
toon tile m oar relation! with Amorim,
lam dimly persuaded that tbli purely
aecidciital oatmetoopbe will tw them
doaer, If pnadhlo and earnest them
with sympathy.
, ••Ieaono* give yon any freab details
of the theory or origin of the accident,
hot 1 am able to stale that all the
toaurea of Information. Spanish and for
Mgn, are anaaimona In attributing
it to an explosion in the interior vessel
hmilar to thoaa that have occonad in
the American waimhip Cincinnati and
aaeetal raatola of the European powers
la the lost four yean.’-’
ATLANTA PRESS ON AFFAIR.
Coni,mooting on the loss of the Maine.
™° A*'l*htss Journal mys editorially
. "If the facta show treachery, an In*
daennity ooreriog the loaf of tba tattle
■blp and the terrible kW of Ufa, which
la hardly capabla of iv imputation, shoo Id
ta rtetoanded, andatonoc. -Thnrr should
ba-tto haggling o>e«r tbo matter, no beri
tantr up Spain's part or once. Tbo de
nmnd ehoald be made inatastcr, and if
DO* promptly mat tba Vmitartlmant of
Havana should aasaa and war declared. "
-laalangthradltorial on (b subject
the Atlanta Ccoacjuaetea*. hna this totay:
••Tharp to every raaaon to MUem that
tbo snnfliflatton of the battleship Maine
and the deplorable loss of life resulting
therefrom, are the direct oat-come cif
opuilelt tmadhery. But the Republican
admlnieararlrm, with its tetnperiaing,
halfh«Mrtodnnd wholly tnunprened tatlre
Spanish policy, la Indirectly inapenatblo.
"If the tarns of the American people
luul been carried oat—If even the pledges
of Mr. McKinley's party had been nil
fillrd, the Malue would not have been
daetroyad by accident or treachery and
tbo cavUiaod world woe Id ham been
■pared tba boms-of hearing of the re
mite of Spanish brutality in Cuba. Par
the Mniggle would ham been ended
months ago, and there would have boon
no nocoaalty of exposing the M i loo sod
the men who manned her to the results
of Spanish treachery
••Why wit the Maine sent to Ha-run a?
No* to aid the Cabana, no* to menace
tbs Spaniards, hot to aid the 8paivi*li
anthurltlea lu their work of patting
down Spanish revolt against Sagarin's
bogus autonomy."
VIEWS OF ADJUTANT KELL.
Adjutant General J. McIntosh Kail of
Georgia, has very decided vWws abon*
th* din (ter and dues not ho*tat* to li.
preee than. General Kell's opinion
amounts to n Mat deal, for In ia thor
onghlr familiar with mania Hawns
Monad in oowmnmd ou the Ala barn and
wan tine of tbs hut to Jump from tha
•hip u It wna linking. When ulttd
what ho thought reused the aocident to
tha Maioo, if aoddant It wna, he aid;
•1 think than waa trcsobsrr and Unit
mm» Saanianl waa at tho bottom of It.
There & ao Hnrflar oaaa on raoord. I
never heard of a battleship blowing up
tad do not baliara It pnaalhie for tha
uiagahps in one to sxuloda. Tha aUpa
•re so couatrnotad that It weald ha next
to an hnpoatoWMty. Tha Idas of patting
dynamite in the coal is also itond end
1 do not behave any mk thing. 1 kata
theBjnnlardsimthat my optoion any not
be an impartial eas, bat they era ti aauli
emus people and ay belief la that that*
WM trvsobery in the oaaa In some way
I hope that Mara will be a thorough in'
rrotlgutinn and that the mal caoM will
be dl MOTS red When that la doue wo
can tell bataar what to do.”
INVENTOR ZALIN8KI TALKS.
B. L. Zalina lit. inventor uf the drn*.
nitv gua and an expert m exptoatroa,
doohura thak the Mains was sot bkrwa
apfn*n within. "Arcidr-ata, rare Wet
U* eombustlon/' *•
mjksjftj 5Sic.ts
• hn whan the awitoutal dropping of
a ihetl might hare blown a nil Into
atmn* and has daws so Bat ilal h-qs
h past.
"We m left. dam. with only one
agency .afalh of the — gDtrf
I*.«?» NtbI-N. mA was tbs
Wort bo Wl 1 en toafert mm <4
(
i
* *• a i. a
ihrm man-TRsei? ;jtt. LK inquiry
mart nusvre:'.
"A tcrpodo fr>.si below the water
Hoc might eerily hare turned In the
cleias awl ret Are to a insgudne, or—
tar I am not thenrbdng oa that. The
•irerlnr and the interior of th» bull wUl
•nil Ilia »tury. But 1 tapaet, and I am
firm LB my ecmvicllnu, tha Meins did trot
blow op Horn within. The blow ease
frotxi lire outride of lror maculae.”
THAT TREACHERY THEORY.
A« the Achilla of tha hue of Urn Heine
are pnliliched, there arc renamed mark*
or •ympithy in Londoo. They are not
only iu the nrwspnuesa, tat ere to be
beard m nil abler. Many of tho diplo
mats, intituling the Spanish ambaaaa
dor, here allied ut lLim United State*
cm burry.
The Pall Mall Usaett*. allodia* to the
bravery of the Amerusui officers, Miya:
'<Vptain Sig.be*, f.s- otio, behaved
with a sulcudid oouteroiv of danger
Worthy of tha heat rnrdirvmr of tha
An i erf con or any navy.”
Bared chiefly cm two *i*d*l tolegram*
appearing thin morning in Tha Daily
Cnronido and Tha Morning Post, thers
U much dhuMwwltei of the treachery tlrr- I
cry today. A dispatch to The Chronicle
troau Washington mid that Mr. Some- !
veil and other Ijureu chief a, u wall a* i
ccngrosanm. are absolutely certain that
treachery mi tha cuaee of flis itlbarln
wfiile a oiauttcU to The Mbiuing Part
from Now York aaya Pcrwktanl MoKin
k>7 hat long been snxpidoa* of aume
atrocious foul idoy, anil is repeated to
tavo craifldaiifbil reports in hir rnrr-r
tiou which, if publUhvrt, wueid cause
hnmedists war. ,
Thu hi. James Oneetto says the mu.
doot of Prrwideut McKinley In the de
Lome Incident shows he la not seeking a
panel and is "unwining to allow hit
Send bo bs feroed by tha firs brands uf
tho senate. Yet a president of tha
United Bunas, though very powerful,
may be driven sgainsl his will.”
Other newspaper* comment on tho
disaster on the mms lino*.
8IG8BEE LAYS IT ON 8PAIN.
A dUjntcb to The New York Journal
from Washington wyti Captain Stgsbce
he* tolegmntad the navy dcpuimcut,
aaiug the Lnnllrh cipher, that in hla
opinion tho destruction of the Maine was
to* aot of na enemy
This dispatch be* taco suppreaaed by 1
the department, but it i* known to have ,
been received. He requested an inline 1
diate iaVeadmition sod intimated '
the raeaoa m sent *H th» survivurs to
Key Went was that ha feared more '
trouble, |
The Washington comrpondout of Tha
Herald any* that ha itowf un tha bridge
of the Maine with Captain Higatee. a
week ago yaoterday, 'and the captain i
■aid Vi him:
“I don’t want to bo ahtlged to taka
any noal aboard from Fla Tina It would
ho « riaky oaparimoat. Mot that I ras
pact any one In aathoriW, bat them la
<neh mb Irrcaprwathle imfatla hat* in Ka
▼noaaadU wonMboanaaay matter to
■•t a ooapto of sticks of dynamite la the
coal Man wtthoot knowing it.”
. The Joarual Md Adywrtkar qmotaa
Aadatant Bsuretary af tha Kayy Theo
dore Roaaawlt as njriag;
"I am oonvteead that tha destrwottoa
af the Maine was not an aeoidant.”
WANTS INDEMNITY OR WAR.
plan klmaatf atron
to the Maine He la
fntowa:
•If thla catastrophe I
any Hiaatah odkSak or ___
anernuma ludstaaltr and aaa any aeeea
' buy rasastrut to ooMert H wtthon* da
lay Ko dilatory taettoa tfemld ha am
pbrved with Hptto to a mattar of thla
"Mo amount at money eaa pay Mr the
Maas lost bat tbs Amerlnui paopls wUl
daaaaud scans hoary eoanpaamOen (tv
the dl motor sad will ao* (eat nntfl they
C5 Tt-ah- oom. NpdwdWram.
EXPfRT ON TM«_EXI*LOSION.
trginmiia, Put mar AJgm •* «ba sad
nano* tanw. at to Dm«mm of tbs os
plosion, is aa fototwe:
.to* queeticei of tha oaaae of
tboMainoe explosion, wo know that no
torpedo each as u known to modern war
Sg»«"* ***^1 r“** “* toploeloo of
to* ohametor of tWi onboard tklUw.
we know of no tnatnnoa where lb* ex
plosion cd a torpedo or dynamite under
n ablp'e bottom W uxpuded the mage
tZlPSu ^TSUTMto
-.—. —-nrmiitoni
of which the (Up sank. '
“MagaalDe osntookn*. on tfae eta
tmry, prod no* effects exactly dmtw to
tto ctooeeof toe explosion am board tb* :
Mains'* wage tone We ehoald natar
■lly look, not for improbable or nnasual
■»“*. bat those Mtunxt which we hare
bad to guard in the part. The moat
oaauncnof there U through Dr* In the
bntker*.
“Many of oar tripe btTC been tn dan •
gw at niiamt times frum tbie tnaaa and
not long ago a fir* in tha Otncinnati'a
ban km actually an* fire to fitting!,
wooden home, eta, within the an
tone, end had U not boon diecoeeeodat
to* time U waa. it weald doubt 1» a* bar*
cimm iiwntxi.
Tha commander of the Maine. CUp
tola Higmbee, la a favorite hi the u»vy
department. Par four year* be «n
ohfcrf of the hydrorruphir office, end by
hie ooergy Uronala the office np ton
high rtandard. He rrn» tacky to get ao
hn portent» ahlp aa the Mali*-, coorttey
ing his actual rank, which in that of
commander, bet hr Immediately Jortl
M the departtamt'* lodgment in their
tolocttoa fair rouuing bU chip straight
into a dock in Xnw Turk harbor lo
ovokl matting down a packed rxcurahm
boot. Thin wm a 4l*pUv nf qnk'k iodgk
meat, uurvn and pluck that plrn-ad to*
dcpartiarul aa highly that the capCto
wan ant a mmp'iinutnry httw.
manlted fat a catmvtrophe rai board thnt
•hip dmilnr tu the iaie on the Maine.
"I dull again (-mphaalae the fact chat
no torpedo exploded without a ahlp hat
rr«r prodotwl, ur acnnUagtntmr knowl
edge, can Jit groitrioo aa explndan of a
•TANI8H PRESS COMMENT.
B libetul, urauiacnthig ou the tom nf
the Matne. aaya:
“bach a iwfa-tropbo to humanity
claim* Iitdofcuaikle right* and tha ran*
ocre of pnlitlo* are alien red. Every
great calamitr bring* homo to tb* two
people*, divided Hamuli they b* by aaJ
modty and rivalry, that they belong to
raw and the *aau- family. Oar nable
hnaiied nation. we n ; the vtoatmsaf the
Maine. Mnui tn think of It* differ
ence* with the U a Wert fan tea Tamer
row It will return t-> tha defenan of ha
right* again** >1 Hut fur today it
(tala only aim rxu and Inyal -vaapvetna
far the hmmn*- mi*.'-nonHappy
Indeed went the t»;««kml< wrlai, bv **v
tog the live* -4 ibe crew id ih.- Mata*at
toe rink of their own. warn rha* wutikiil
hi nrvwe Ih*- -•nt.mcut* nf nil drwelamfa
and >b > trelitkm* >4 Mpain
"Wrdenie tmnw wkat uuy toppan
tomorrow We are prepired fer un
exeat- But today lev aapam the iwnrd,
which wt- bain Ixeu timed to keep
draws. h> tha led head, and Wt aa
•rmoh nut dm right band, not hi then
who In-ah a*, hat tn Ihum who weep."
The IaagarahU an:
"In <he prwete e n fai. frightful 4to
amtr we may associate with our mrnm
Mcue of ehiccce and rvaelao empgg
wnmgtofj far to* —w id ton Ah
SiGSBEE WIRES HIS WIFE.
_S* wMe of Chpmla Steeltm, who
ssv: sf-s? TLss
jg-scarus&iixs
h« ¥t kl« ntm at thu dm of dm «
pjpdcn; that ha woe wall and eery hoar.
HU aat-te-law, Ena%ii KittrlK whoi*
on duty at the navy department, ant
that the twiw(t v a. ktjI to rfawnri
hie faadly, and ea Cbpialtt H^oUm aato
tnlly ie enreedtagly Uuey no lotthw pri
«atr advioea axe expected ineu him an.
muVwtuT °w°ctouitT ,u
CLAY ON THE CATASTROPHE.
«'ari£2rasLSrsa,,“
“The praeaaaatka U that (ha aanry
department wifi /firm caret*] u>d
thcaon^i attain Hon te the matter and
that It will make eoob report ao it
neay deem neeoemry. tt.Uwa, * ft
doalhur with*tha^mutter Thu*1* no
l^^Aat tfce ayenleh ax* * “7 way
mponsObte lor Ibis serious caljunltT and
we aboaid be Am to nuSToSxpee
without proof toenhetandaro them."
SELPRIDQE WAS SHOCKED.
STRANGERS ON THE SHIP.
Th« Vnr York ftnakf WaM
ku raeatxd from Board.
» ww^ilrt at Hiwi, tka fd
g&ssrsjs.fisarc
ssK.tuss.tiirffs^ja
aftVA^ol tksijMyi. TV book
Wijjlil thmx bsvs bus dipovitediMjrtV
aszaSlBgBPtt
*atok kaan data %i tofey.
WALES GIVES CONDOLENCE.
. Tka Priaoa aad Tlkaa «f WalM
^aaiasar"-^^
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konw at tka taHhk MdteivkUkka
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