The times. [volume], February 17, 1898, Image 1

About The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901

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NO. 1,401.
IE LOSS OF THE III
A Detailed Account of the Bat
tleship's Destruclion.
BRAVE AMERICAN SEAMEN
In the Face of Death Those "Who
Escape Behnvo Like Heroes and
Hescue Many From Certain Death
Gnptniu Sigsbee the Last 31 au
to Leave the Ship Havana u
Senile orlnt:n.-c Excitement Ini
mediately After the Catastrophe.
IHnvnna. - i. m.. Feb. 1C Witnesses of
the' explosion that destroyed the Maine
ray .That at the moment of concussion a
vast 'mass -was seen to rite to a great
height, iln the sudden and Winding light
no one seems to have been able to dis
cern 'the. nature of this mass, or whether
it roCe from beside the battleship or in
side it.
Up to-thls time there are reported MO
Wiled, and S3 wounded. Immediately after
the report small boats, hurrying to the
spot from all sides, picked up 2S wound
ed men struggling in the water. Of these
six were on the point of succumbing
when pulled in. They were taken on
board the City of Washington and cared
for.
Gustavo G. Dressier, of the crew, was
completely and permanently blinded. An
drew C. Krickson, Anderson, and Thomp
son ate wounded badly. Not one of the
wounded in the military hospital has died
up to this hour, but the condition of sev-t-ral
Is precarious. The ilascotte will
take today tin Key West some of the in
jured who, are in condition to be moved.
American vessels are expected at any
moment to arrive for the purpose of ren
dering any assistance possible.
From the nature of the 'disaster and
the testimony of the survivors it ap
pears that the line of greatest force of
tlie explosion was a little forward of
amidships. It is there that the worst
damage was done. The chief officers
were either veil aft or ashore. Thus
they escaped unhurt The seamen and
marines by their position were forced
to boar the brunt of the disastor, ami the
frightful mortality was almost wholly
confined to tliem One of the junior
oftieeis, should haw been on duty on the
forward deck, and it may have been thus
that Lieut. Jenkins, who is missing, lost
his life. It is also probable that Engineer
ilerriu was below on duty, and went
down with the ship. Lieut. Commander
AVaimvrighl, who was at first reported
lost, Jb safe.
Five Nameless. Heroes.
Fiw of the crew. Immediately after the
explosion, ran to the main ammunition
storage room with the idea that they
might have that from explosion. None of
them has since been heard of. It is
'Tlic Great Providers.
Ruinous
Competition
is an expression you
often hear used. We
welcome competition. It
only serves to show liow
far loAver our prices are
than anyone else can
ottote. Take this Chif-
I fouier as an instance:
This Beautiful Oak CliitTn.
ler, with French plate mlrr
fic large drawers; wort"
tll.03. for
And we "five credit I
whenever you wish. You
can make the terms to
suit your circumstances.
Weekly, monthly, any
way you wish to pay, is
satisfactory to us.
MftYER & PETTIT,
415417 Seventh St.
.. ., rank LJhhsy .fc company,
Ilxth street and New York avenue.
almost certain that they went to the bot
tom ready tit their .posts for duty.
Capt. Sigsbee Is now on board the Ward
Liner City of .Washington, and refuses
to speak with anybody.
"When the rour of the explosion an
nounced to the people of Havana that the
Maine was blown up the city firemen
were at once ordered to the ship, but it
was found that it was impossible for
them to render any assistance there.
Twenty-six of the wounded were trans
ferred to the steamship City of Washing
ton, where they were properly attended
to. Jlany of the Havana physicians vol
unteered their services.
Thirty-live other wounded sailor re
ceived nudical attendance at the 'military
hospital.
The Spanish theory of the cause of the
accident is ,that a boiler exploded, 'the
Maine sank in a little over an hour. Tow
Uoats and other vessels were busy all
night trying to render all possible assist
ance. The wounded were taken to the
hospital by the firemen.
A large number of boats are now
searching for the bodies of the lissing
men.
ACCIDENT THEORY ABSURD.
Htnr Admiral HelknupSnys the Blow
Was Ft out Without.
Boston, Feb. 1C Rear Admiral Belk
nap, retired, say that he believes the
Maine must have been blown up by a
torpedo. He says that lln.ro could have
been no explosion in the forward maga
zine.as the ammunition Is carefully cased,
and that the keys are in the custody of
the captain. He says that it could not
have been caused by the boilers or any
thing in the paint room.
He added that no ship in a friendly port
has torpedo nets out, and that therefore
It could have been easy for a man to
swim alongside and plant a torpedo.
He said that if the act of blowing up
the ship could be proved against Spain
war must be declared at once.
"In 1S73 the British sloop-of-war. Dot
terel, was blown uj at Sandy Point, In
the Straits of Magellan. The explosion
in that case took place In the bow and
-was quite a sinysterlous as this until it
was found upon investigation that the
affair appeared to have been started from
the paint room. The British navy was at
that time using a peculiar kind of paint,
which was found to give off a gas that
was highly inflammable. A man had
gone into that room with a light, and in
stantly there was an explosion, followed
by the blowing up of the ship.
"Our paint rooms are usually in the
bow, but in all ships that I have had
experience upon we always carried the
turpentine on deck. Then there arc the
electric wires. Your modern cruiser i
full of them. Still, 3 hardly suppose that
there would be any electric wire allowed
to pass through the magazine. If there
were two explosions, then the first was
undoubtedly a small parcel, which set oft
the rest. It would look as if the first
explosion was in the shell room, and that
it started the forward magazine, were it
not for the tearing away of the bow. ir
this explosion had been around the boiler
or in the engine room, then you might as
sume thin omehody had Introduced some
explosive In the coal, but it did not. It
was the magazine. The tearing away or
the entire bow would be caused by the
explosion or a torpedo immediately be
neath that portion of the vessel.
"1 saw hv one account that they were
handling high .explosives on board the
Maine, hut they would not be doing that
at that time of night."
THEORIES OF TDK E.VPLOSION.
A Snhtnnrtne Electric Mine Anions:
the Tossibilities.
Baltimore, Fob. 18. "A lire to cause an
accident or explo-ion such as occurred on
the Maine must have- boon of awful force,
because it would have to cat its way not
only through the steel plates with which
the magazine is protected, but also
through the the steel boxes," said George
31. Kock. United States naval constructor
at the Columbian Iron Works, today.
"This is only a conjecture on my part,
but T cannot understand how the acci
dent occurred. The Maine is equipped
with magazines forward and aft. There
are a great many people who really do
not understand what a magazine on a
war vessel Is like. They imagine it is a
large place protected with steel plates, in
which the powder and projectiles are
thrown about carelessly. As a matter of
fact, the magazines on a war vessel are
almost the most Important part or its
construction. The powder and projectiles
are packed in small steel boXs, water
light. These aie packed .securely in the
magazine.
"The regulations of Government ships
are very strict as regards ammunition
One of them is that a general inspection
is made of the ship at 9 o'clock. The
magazines themselves tire examined by
the chief gunner at S. He reports to
the officer in charge. If this man did
his duty there could have been no lire
or he would have noticed it. Then, even
had there been no lire noticed at the gun
ner's inspection the regular ship inspec
tion at 0 o'clock would have undoubtedly
discovered it If there had been one.
"There is another reason that might
be placed as the cause of the explosion,
or accident. That is the use of the sub
marine mine. Of course, if there was
one used electricity would be the chief
power used. An electric mine may liavo
been built right there in the harbor of
Havana with such secrecy that it would
be impossible to detect it. Then It could,
be sunk possibly at a great distance from
the object it would destroy. Wires ebulq
be connected with boats, one to the foro
and one aft of it. These boats would not
only be used as a means of propelling
the mine to position, but also as a cir
cuit with which io work the mine. These
boats could be used fully a half mile from
the mine itself. The mine could be so
aranged that the moment it struck the
object intended to be destioed it would
explode."
THE CHIME OF A CENTURY
Unless the Explosion Was nn Ac
cident. War In Certniu.
New York, Feb. 16. The tone of the
metropolitan press in discussing the dis
aster to the Maine Is distinguished gen
erally for the absence of haste to place
the responsibility upon Spain or her
agents, and the lack of bellicose feeling.
With some exceptions, the papers declare
that Capt. Sigsbee's appeal for a sus-
Warm Underwear "cut" for clearance.
Joseph Auerbach, C23 Pa. ave.
Chesapeake Nails, f?l."50 a'Kcc: 100
lbs. Chesapeake nailsarehc best made.
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 17, 1896.
pension of judgment until a thorough in
vestigation has been made Is sound.
The Brooklyn Eagle says, however:
"Only those who will not ccc, and they
are among the most hopelessly blind, can
fail to perceive the ugly probabilities na
val history tells of explosions, but It
records none like this. Such an explosion
in such a place looks sinister enough.
The longer there Is mystery about it the
worse it will be for Spain, unless the
mystery obscures what may almost be
called the crime of the century. Nothing
but the most conclusive testimony will
set American minds at rest. There Is not
one chance In ft thousand, however, that
anything calculated to implicate Spanish
officials will be developed, whatever dis
closures may be forthcoming."
The Eagle gives great weight to the
opinion of Constructor Bowles, who had
much to do with the building of the
Maine, that he can conceive of no condi
tions under which the destruction or the
Maine could have been other than the re
sult of design. It continues:
"The nation has sustained a loss. The
gravity of that loss will not be unappre
ciated at Washington. 3t Is something
to say of the President and his advisers
that they will break out into no cheap
display, that they will do nothing to ag
gravate passions already sufficiently in
ilamed, but that they will loe sight of
no right which Americans have formed
the habit of maintaining."
The Mail and 13x.pre.sp, citing the
prompt action of the commander of the
Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII in sending
boats to aid in the rescue of the officers
and men of the sinking battleship, agrees
with Capt. Slgsbeo that it Is the part of
wisdom to reserve judgment until fur
ther facts develop.
The Post Is silent as to the responsibil
ity, accepting for the present that the
disaster was the result of accident, and
places the victims in the same category
with our heroes who Tell in the defense
of the Union.
The Evening Journal says:
"Spies could easily be found brave
enough to set an infernal machine In one
end of the ship and trust to escaping
among the first from the sinking' vessel,"
but adds that "until further facts arc
known we are bound to accept the acci
dent theory.
"If it shall prove to be no accident, this
explosion means war at once and the an
nihilation of Spain."
PREPARATIONS FOH WAR.
The Qiinrtcrnnwux Department In
New Yoik Receives Instruction!!.
New York. Feb. 1C Acting a under In
structions from the War Department the
officers of the Quartermaster's Depart
ment at New York are prepared to trans
port 100,00") men to Cut in seven days
from the time of issuing the order to col
lee t transports.
The details of this woik have been as
signed to Deput Quartermaster General
A. S. Kimball, who is the chief quarter
master officer at this port.
The statement is made on the mot re- I
liable authority that the work of the
quartermaster officers at this point has
been done so thoroughly that 100 trans
ports can be collected in New York har
bor in forty-eight hours.
In looking up transports, the ports along
the Atlantic coast from Newport News to
Poztland, Me., have been" visited, and the
owners of vessels set-n and tulked with.
The transports which it Is proposed to ute
should occasion arise are for the most
part coastwise steamers. Tx the majority
of cases the vessel selected Is able to
carry a full regiment of infantry, or two
squadrons of cavalry, or a battalion of in
fantry and a battery of lijxht artillery.
Care is exercised In this respect not io
break up tactical units.
The (jURrtermaster officers indicate that
the railroad facilities leading to Gulf
ports do not permit Of as rapid a con
centration of troops in Cuba as do trans
ports. To transport 10Q.009 soldiers to
Tampa. Mobile and Pc-nsaeoln, along with
field equipage, will inquire, it Is calculat
ed, at least seven days" time. The men
will then have to be embarked at the end
of the journey. It is undrrstood to be
the intention of the War Department to
use New York as a port of departure
should a movement ag.tlnst Cuba be con
templated. 3n selecting transport steamers the
quartermasters have allowed one and
one-fourth tons of ship per man. and in
allowing for a horse they have assigned
the tonnage equivalent of six men. El
Bio. of the Southern 1'acific lino, is able
to carry, It is said, a full regiment of in
fantry, together with Its bagguge train.
Among army officers it Is said that the
quartermaster's corps and the commis
sary coips are both in first-class shape.
The Commissary Department is pieparcd
today to fill a ration order for 500,000 men
in ten days" time.
In the Quartermaster's Department ar
rangements have been made to manufac
ture "00,000 uniforms in fourteen days.
Tho-.preliminary Instructions have 1;een
sent out to the leading clothing bonnes in
the country. The establishments report
that they either have (he goods or know
where to obtain them, and that the !
workmen will have the clothes In their
hands inside of thirty hours from the
receipt of telegraphic orders to proceed.
In the matter of blankets the quarter
master officers say it may be necessary
at the outset or hostilities to supply a
grade of blankets not of the regulation
type, but that not more than two months
will elapse before the mill people will bo
able to turn out regulation blankets in
the quantities demanded.
MAXIM ON THE D1SASL13H.
The Great Inventor Discusses the
Maine Explosion.
In an interview today as to the probable
cause of the disaster which befell the
Maine. Hiram Maxim, the well-known
inventor and authority on explosives, said
!hat if a torpedo exploded close under the
vessel It would have been liable to ignite
the Inflamable material inside of the ship
or discharge the explosives in the maga
zine. Some high explosives used on war
Miips. he added, may be exploded by the
detonation of similar substances at a
considerable distance.
Sometimes nilro-glycerlne exudes from
smokeless powders and forms pools In
side the cartridge cases and magazines.
Buch a thing might have happened on
the Maine.
Mr. Maxim declared that he did not be
lieve the disaster could be ascribed to
cleaning torpedoes. At nny rate the
character of the hole in the hull of the
ship would show whether the explosion
had occurred inside or outside.
ADMIHAL fiHERAKDl'S VIEWS.
Loath to Believe n Torpedo Sunk
the Battli'sliip.
Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 3C Rear Ad
miral Gherardl, retired, of Stratford,
speaking of the Maine disaster, to-day,
said he was loath to believe the catastro
phe could have been caused by a Spanish
torpedo.
Admiral Gherardl said:
"The keys of the magazines are kept in
Way's Mufllels for the cold "snap."
At Auerbach's, 62.1 Pa. ave.
Maple Flooring, 4-4. and. 5-4.' of the
finest quality and workmanship. -
the captain's cabin. Each key is num
bered and kept in lis order in a cabinet.
If any key should be absent from its
place for ten minutes after sundown
there would be an Immediate investiga
tion by the offi0'r8 in charge. Any in
fraction of this rule Is a court-martial
offense. ,
"It would be Impossible for any per
son to get at the- keys after they are
once in the possession of the captain. The
cabinet in which tbQ keys are kept has a
complicated lock ?!ilch could not be tam
pered with. In addition to this, sentries
guard the captain's apartments so close
ly that it wuuld-'bo' impossible for any
body to get Into Jic rooms without being
noticed." ,
Admiral GheranH said that an investi
gation would soon tell whether the ex
plosion came from the Inside or the out
side. He wondered whether the ship was to
tally destroyed. 'If she had her nose out,
as some dispatches stated, she might not
be so badly off as expected. The fact
that the Spanish" officials were joining
with the Americans hi the wo'ik of succor
made It look as though the affair was nn
accident.
THE CAUSE WAS EXTKHXAL.
CoriKtruclor Bowles Thinks the
Act Was u Delihcrntc One.
New York. Feb. lo There Is no man in
active service In theNavy who has more
Intimate knowledge of the battleship
Maine than Naval Constructor Frank
Bowles, in charge of the construction de
partment Of the Brooklyn navy yard.
Constructor Bowies did not actually build
the vessel, but it was under his direction
that the Maine was finished and finally
put Into commission.
Mr. Bowles Is satisfied that the destruc
tion of the vessel was due to some exter
nal and not to any internal force. He
said:
"The explosion was, I am convinced,
due to nothing in the ship, hut to some
external force, the: nature of which can
only be guessed, htjt probably was a tor
pedo or submarine mine. ,Tho rapidity
with which the vessel sank shows that
this force must have been a most power
ful one and could have come only from
an explosion of either a magazine or
torpedo, inside or outside the ship. As to
Its being inside the ship. It is impossible
to believe this to be so, nb the Maine
Is one of the best protected thips in the
Navy, and unless gross negligence was
observed on the, part of the crew, it
would be impossible for the magazines
to explode.
"In spite of reports to the contrary, the
Maine Is not supplied with torpedo tubes,
never hnd any, and never carried any tor
pedoes. There is ibsolutely nothing of
an explosive nature within fifty-nine or
sixty feet of her bow, and it Is there that
the explosion Is tald to have occurred.
This Is of great Importance, and it Is
seemingly proves the fact that the ex
plosion was not caused in the ship, as it
is snld that It was here that the fatal ex
plosion was fired. X do not believe that
any of the magazines exploded. I never
heard of such a case. The magazines are
closely guarded nnd locked up and the
keys are always in the captain's posses
sion. "A fire aboard the Maine is also nn im
possibility unless the fire started directly
in one of the magazines, which,- In vicvv
of the fact that thy are kept locked up
and nobody is allowed in them, is out of
tbo question. No fire could -explode the
powder, and unlesrf this happened the
ship would never fo e sunk". EVcryTn'agF
azlne is equipped wlj.li anappnruttis that
permits of Its "being flooded at short
notice, and this would bo done as soon as
there was aniv powjlhlc danger of the
fire reaching the magazine.
"Until the official report Is recelvei,
however, we can only guess at the cause,
but I am convinced that the explosion
was not inside the vessel, a torpedo ex
ploded at her bow -would send the Maine
under water in short order, and It would
certainly appear as" If this was what oc
curred." SYMPATHY FHOM SONS OF E1N.
American Sorrow "Will Appeal Al
vuys to IrihU Henrts.
London. Feb. 16. X crowded mass
meeting of Irishmen was held here to
night to celebrate the events of 179$.
Mr. James O'Kelley, M. P. for North
Roscommon, presided. Among those
present were Messrs. John Dillon, T. P.
O'Connor and Michael Daltt. all mem
bers of the House of Commons, and Mr.
William O'Brien, an ex-member of the
House.
At the opening of the proceedings the
following resolution was adopted:
"A large, representative meeting of
Irish Nationalists assembled in St. James
Hall, London, has heard with deepest
sjrlef of the disaster that has befallen the
United States warship Maine, and begs
the President to convey to the American
nation its deep and sincere sympathy.
The sorrow of the Americans will appeal
always to Irish hearts."
Mr. Davitt paid an eloquent tribute to
Wolf Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish
rebellion, and Mr. Dillon proposed a res
olution appealing for a fre and inde
pendent lilsh nation.
TE.YAS AND NASHVILLE SAIL.
They Hceelve Sealed Orders to Leave
Galvehton.
Dallas, Tex.. Feb. ltJ. A. private tele
graph from Galveston says the battle
ship Texas and the cruhcr Nashville re
ceived orders from the Navy Department
this evening to sail from Galveston at
once. Their exact destination is not
learned, but it is accepted by the public
that they either go to Admiral Sicard's
fleet, off the Dry Tortugas, or direct to
Havana.
The departure of the two warships
aside from adding new excitement to the
public mind because of the terrible naval
tragedy in the harbor of Havana, will
have the additional effect of injuring the
prospect of the Mardl Grae carnival nt
Galveston, as the naval flotillla was to
be the most interesting feature of tho
occasion. ,
CAPT. SIGSHEK'S BHOLTIER.
He Feels Confident That Gen. Lee
Cannot He Blinded.
St. Louis. Feb. 1G.-L. P. Sigsbee,
brother of the Maine's commander, left
here tonight after receiving a telegram
from Secretary of the Navy Long, sent In
response to a query wired this afternoon.
The Secretary's message said simply:
"Capt. Slgsbeo is uninjured."
L. P. Slgsbeo i(j en. route to his home at
Oak Park, Ills.- Before leaving St. Louis
he said: "There is'ia man down In Ha
vana, however, looking after the interests
of this country wlio cannot be blinded.
"" CoaB.. peal! Coal!
55.25 per 2.240, delivered, Gayton stove,
egg and nut. Powhatan Coal Co., 13CS
O st. nw.; 'phone 62fl;or dealers generally.
' 1 fcl3-tC
- u - The? Weather.
Fair; not -so ' 'cold . Thursday
He has more sand than anybody I know
of, and If there is anything treacherous
In this explosion, we will know of it with
out delay. The man I mean is Gen. Fitz
hugh Lee."
CUBANS' IN TEXAS INCENSED.
Bendy to Avone Spanish Trcuchery
Tuwnid America, -
Dallas, Tex., Feb. 1C The blowing up
of the battleship Maine created Intense
excitement here. The Cuban Indepen
dence League, with more than 400 enroll
ed members. Is particularly wrought up.
President Paget about three weeks ago
received information that something
desperate was plotted to happen to Am
ericans In Havana in a few days. His
Informant In Havana stated then that
dynamite would be used. Mr. Paget eb
lleves that the Spaniards destroyed tho
Maine. Tho eexcutlve committee of the
Cuban Independence LeagJe of Dallas are
today in communication with officers of
other leagues in the State' looking to a
concerted plan of action if anything
serious dovelopes.
AT CHAMP'S SHIPYARDS.
Nuvul Experts Cannot Believe the
Explosion Accidental.
Philadelphia, Feb. 1C, The Maine's ac
cident was the absorbing topic of conver
sation at Cramp's shipyard today. Ed
ward S. Cramp said:
"It Is an unheard of calamity, and we
are utterly at a loss to account for It."
N. P. Townc, chief engineer of the
yards, said:
"It Is impossible to account for It. If
It Is true, as stated In the dispatches, that
the disaster was caused by the explosion
of gun cotton, then It Is something unlquu
In naval annals."
Capt. Elmer, of tho United States Gov
ernment Ordnance Department was af
fected by the news. Ho said he could
not believe the dispatches that tfie catas
trophe was caused by the explosion of
gun cotton.
"Gun cotton," he said, " is safer than
gunpowder, and greater precautions as to
Its safe keeping can be and are taken.
To begin with, although gun cotton Is a
high explosive, it is only so when dry.
It Is always stored on board wet and kept
in that condition, except a small quan
tity. This dry gun cotton is the only
thing that will explode the wet mass,
and is so used. Gun cotton is only used
In torpedoes, and from all these facts it
is incredible that the dreadful accident
should be attributed to It."
There are other things on board that
might have caused it. For instance, the
ordlnnry gunpowder and then there Is
the smokeless powder. Both of these aie
considered by the Ordnance Department
as being far more dangerous than gun
cotton.
In the yards and offices of the ship
building firm opinions were freely ex
pressed to the effect that It was no time
nor place for such an accident to occur.
TOHPEDO UNDER THE BOW.
Opinion or a Former Officer of the
Lost Battleship.
Duluth. -Minn.. Feb. 1C Lieut. G. J-
Day, Unitea Stales navy, formerly of the
battleship Maine, and now in the Gov
ernment service here,- sajs that the
theory of accidental fire causing the
Maine.' disarisabsurd. He bases his
statement on his knowledge of the ship's'
construction, sajing that it was abso
lutely impossible for fire to have reached
the magazine.
Lieut. Day said: "There are no electric
wires, coal bunkers or heating apparatus
near the magazine. The walls of the
magazine were built of three-quarter inch
steel plates and three or four inches of
oak. The door leading to the magazine
is always locked and the commander of
the hip keeps the key. The ammunition
for the ten-Inch guns, which is kept in
the forward magazine, requires almost
700 degrees Fahrenheit to explode it.
Each charge is encased in a copper tube,
hermetically fe.de.1. The idea of acci
dental fire, cau&lng the explosion, is pre
posterous." "What would be the effect of a torpedo
exploded under the forward turret?"
"The result in that case would explain
the disapster. That seems to bo the most
plausible."
LEE ASKS AN INQUIRY.
Requests That u Navnl Court Bo
Organized at Onte.
A message was received late last night
from Consul General Lee by the State De
partment which indicates that Gen. Lee
Is not thoroughly satisfied that tho explo
sion was the result of an accident. The
cablegram read as follows:
"Profound sorrow expressed by Gov
ernment and municipal authorities, con
suls of foreign nations, organized bodies
off all sorts and citizens generally. Flags
are at half mabt on governor general's
palace, on shipping in harbor and in city:
business suspended, theaters closed. Dead
number about 2t!0.
"Officers' quarters being in rar and
seamen's forward where explosion took
place accounts for gi eater proportional
loss of sailors.
"Funeral tomorrow at 3 p. m. Officers
Merritt and Jenkins still missing. Sup
pose you ask that naval court of inquiry
be held to ascertain cause of explosion.
"Hope our people will repress excite
ment and calmly await decision."
The message was sent to the President.
JENKINS AND MERRITT KILLED.
Capt. Slgshee Gives Botli Officers
Up for Lost.
The Navy Department late last night
gave out a dispatch from Capt. Sigsbee
which read as follows:
"All men whose names have not been
telegraphed as saved arc thought to be
lost. Have given up Jenkins and Mer
ritt as lost. Bodies floating ashore still,
tills afternoon. I keep nine officers, one
private, and Gunner's Mate Bullock with
me. , SIGSBEE."
Another message received at the Navy
Department was from Capt. Phillips, of
the Texas, and read as follows:
"The draft" of twenty-one apprentice.-?
to be brought from New York for the
Maine are still on board the Texas.'"
NO WAR VESSEL SENT.
Onlv Lighthouse Tenders
Dis-
patched to Ilnvnnu.
It was officially given out by the Navy
Department last night that no orders liad
been issued for any vessels other than
the Mangrove and Fern, lighthouse ten
ders, to go to Havana. It was further
said that no orders would be issued for
Flyan's Business College, 8th nntl K.
None belter, ?25 a year; day or night.
Cypress Boards. 12 In., 18 in., 20
Ins. wide. Any thickness dressed.
the present detailing any or all of the
white squadron to that port.
AVhen asked how soon the department
would be placed In possession of the facts
that will show tho cause of the disaster
to the Maine, Lieut. Whittlesey, acting
for the Secretary, replied that he did not
know that it would take time for a
proper inquiry to be made Into the facts.
He said that Admiral SIcard would lose
no time in his efforts to reach a positive
conclusion.
LONDON PHESS COMMENTS.
Sympathetic Editorials Dwelling on
the Disaster.
London, Feb. 1(5. The morning newspa
pers all publish sympathetic editorials
dwelling upon the appalling condition un
der which tho disaster occurred, and the
horror of the circumstances which, it is
declared, 'perhaps exceeded those of the
Victoria disaster in the Mediterranean.
The consensus of opinion expressed Is
that It is desirable to adopt Capt. Sigs
bec's advice and suspend judgment as
to the cause of the explosion.
The Standard thinks that It was per
haps natural that the first impression in
the United States was that the explosion
was not the result of an accident due to
carelessness. It says that, though an ex
amination of the facts does not appear to
warrant the deduction, It earnestly hopes
that the afralr will be proved to have
been accidental beyond tho possibility of
doubt. It adds:
"Even if Investigation should show that
It was not due to an accident from within
It need not necessarily strain the Ameri
can relation with Spain to the breaking
point. With the recent intrigues of the
Cuban junta fresh In the public mind
it would at least be a feasible explanation
to attribute the outrage to the desire of
the insurgents to Involve Spain in a for
eign war."
The Daily News says: "Supicions nat
urally haunt the minds of many Ameri
cans, but they should be entertained only
on absolute compulsion. The attitude of
Spain at this agonizing moment will
either wipe out the memory of the De
Lome Incident forever or revive It with
added circumstances of bitterness and ex
asperation that cannot be contemplated
without a shudder."
The Morning J'ost also thinks It not un
natural that the people of the United
States In their first excitement believed
that the explo.-ion was due to malicious
ness. It doubts whether the cause will
ever be known.
The Chronicle regards the affair as
without parallel, being extraordinary
beyond calculation, owing to the ele
ment of mystery suroundlng it. It was
only too natural. It says, that outrage
was first feared, but now it seems clear
that such a shocking explanation may b
ignored. The paper submits a thcory
that some high explosive, manufactured
without a sufficient trial, was shipped on
the Maine with, the view to trying it
should occasion arise, and that it under,
went mechanical decomposition, and ex
ploded spontaneously. It adds that the
Idea of overhauling torpedoes at sucif
an hour is preposterous, and the sugges
tion that oxperlRtsnts were being made
with :. lh'uld explosive Is merely foolish.
Tho Dally Telegraph says that the mys
tery may iwssibly never be eleare-d, imd
that the balance of plausible surmise
hitherto has been in favor of a pure ac
cident. The Times .-ays:
"No better proof of judgment and sIf-pos.-c-s.-ion
can be ' imagined than the
character of the first hurried telegram In
which Capt. Sigsbee informed Secretary
Long of the disaster."
Alluding to the expressions of opinion
ascribed to Senator Cuilom and others,
the paper says:
"Fortunately for America and the
world, the United States is not governed
by persons of this type."
The Times adds that so far not only
the governments, but the people of the
United States and Spain seem to have
acted with good sense and good feeling.
There Is every reason to trust that In
vestigation will prove that the calamity
was due to one of those curious accidents
to which modern warships are liable, al
though the circumstances which could
have led to such an accident under such
conditions are not a little obscure.
AMERICA HID OF DE I.OM15.
Spaniards Only Tender to Him the
Parting Adieus.
New York, Feb. 10. Senor De Lome,
the former Spanish minister, remained in
his apartments atjlie Hotel St. Marc this
morniiiK and poMtiVtly refused t tiW
about the Maine disaster. De Lome did
not coinmuulvau sn expressions of re
gret. IT' sailed for Southani ton at noon
n the steamship B'-I-annlc.
De Lome hutried out of the country us
fast as he could, because diplnmntic
usage would aot tolerate his presence.
here after being diht-rtdiled by his insult
ing lettf-r oiicerii.-ur me'President. writ
ten to Senor Canalfja.s.
In addition to Senora De Loaic, the ex
minister was accompanied by his two
boys and a ulet.
Central Office Defectives Barrett ar.-s
Campbell were on duty at the hotel to
guard the person of the ex-minister.
De Lome left 'h hotel at 30:0-7 with his
family, and was driven to tlu- steamship
pier, arriving fifteen minutes later. Tro
detectives who had guarded him all night
were relieved by Defective Sergts. Val
idly and O'Conr.el!.
Detective "al"oPy followed De Lome in
a cab to the- stoar.liln, keeping a few
yards behind, the departing Spinia:d.
There was no Jcmoiistratlon on the wjy
and few po-soni? nvognized De Lome.
On ieaf.hsr"- the kVIiite Star pir the
party huz ie l to thr-iv staterooms.
From II o'clock till the Britannic sailed
at 12, the ex-minister and his family held
a reception in a forward saloon on tho
upper deck. About fifteen well-known
members of the Spanish colony in this
city oiled. Among them were Consul
General Arturo Ualdasano, Arturo and
Antonio Cuyas, C. Vladero, .rose Garcia
and Kmello M, Castillo. The last four
were members of a committee represent
ing the Spanish colony, which conveyed
to Senor De Lome the resolutions of sym
pathy which were drawn up at the meet
ing held on Saturday.
These friends and visitors brought or
sent flowers, which filled the little saloon
uncomfortably. Something of an Inter
national color was given to the proceed-
("Continued on Third Page.)
No MatteivWhnt r rices Arc Given,
Toll come right here. Our pricei; lowest.
ONE CENT.
HAVE 10 WARSHIP THERE
The Administration Takes No
Steps to Replace the Maine.
AN INVESTIGATION BEGUN
Secretary Long Leisurely Under
takes the Tn.k of Fixing the
Blame for the Greatest Crlnni
or Itliiudcr of This Generation
A Cabinet Meeting Held, But I'rac
tlenlly Nothing Done Telegram or
Condolence Instead of a Cruiser.
There has been no such excitement at
the Navy Department since the trouble
with Spain over the Vlrglnius affair, dur
ing the Administration of President
Grant, as was exhibited yesterday re
specting the intelligence received ot the
disaster to the battleship Maine. But in
all the excitement there was noticeable x
sorrow, subdued but profound, that indi
cated more eloquently than worda that
the officials felt keenly the great fatality
that, like a thunderbolt, has stricken thefr
friends and comrades.
To add to the sorrows caused by thete
knowledge of the awful loss of life by
the destruction of the Maine, came pour
ing in on the department hundreds of
pathetic and anxious telegrams entreating
the officials to inform each sender wheth
or a father, son. brother, or sweetheart
was numbered with the dead in the Ha
vana harbor. To each of these telegraphle
entreaties a prompt answer was returned
giving all possible Information concern
ing the person Inquired aer, and of thj
hundreds of such anxious messages an
swered, many contained the sad intelli
gence that a.gallant American sailor had
met his death with the destruction of the
ship.
Late in the afternoon ifter he had ze
celved a score or more telegrams nn t$ie
subject from Capt. Sigsbey and tHara.
Secretary Long orderr-d Admiral Heard to
proceed to Havana at once, taking with
him whatever he requires In the way of
wrecking vessels, divers and other neces
sities for the pui-i' of Instituting- .t
most thorough and complete invufttaft
tion Into the or the explosion
which destroyed the Muno. Such an in
quiry would under the regulations be
made In respect to anv accident Jo a ves
sel of sufficient Importance to be leportbd,
but the admiral is in this particular ctse
ordered to make the most careful hiK,e
tlon possible and to xercL;e the great
est c.ire in obtaining all facts.
The President Informed.
Before leaving the Navy Department
last evening Secretary Long said to
a Times reporter that from all tbu
information the department' had. It
appeared that the forward magazine of
the Maine had exploded, but what lyd t
this explosion was still a question. .llu
said that Capt. Sigsbee desired that all
opinion should be suspended until an,ox.
amlnation of the vessel had Tjtfen mliieV
He added that diers, etc.. would b pat
to work as soon as possible by Admiral
Sicard to examine the vessel.
It Is understood that the divers wHl
also be instructed to examine the bottom
of the Havana harbor in the nelft ibor
hood of the sunken battleship to ascer
tain if they can find any evidences of tor
pedoes having been laid there. It Js
claimed- by the Spanish authorities that
I he Maine was anchored In a place re
served by the Spanish government tor
that purpose, and that it has always been
entirely free from torpedoes. Admiral
Sicard will no doubt ascertain the truth
of these professions before he concludes
his examination.
The prevailing Impression at the Nary
Department yesterday was that the cause
of tho explosion did not come from the
inside of the ship, and that a torpedo or
submarine mine had been explodrd bo
ncath the Maine. Commodore Hichtorn,
chief of the experts, said that in his opin
ion the plates of the ifaine would be
found to be bent inward, which would in
dicate beyond doubt that the force that
caused the explosion came from the out
side of the vessel. Others in his office
freely said that in th-ir judgment the dis
aster to the Maine had been caused by
tho explosion of a torpedo.
They say the magazine was so carefully
constructed that it would have been im
possible for It to have exploded from
causes In the ship. In the Bureau of
Ordnance it was said that the explosion
might have been caused by gas.?-, rwl
also that a torpedo might have caused
the disaster, and long scientific reasons
were given to advance each of these theo
ries. The members of the bureau dedlnesl
to commit themselves to any theory to
account for the explosion.
It is known that the Maine had about
t",000 pounds of jHiwder in the three mag
azines she carried, and it is believed that
about 33,000 pounds of this was in th
forward magazine, where the explosion
took place, a quantity sufficient to do all
the damage that was done.
The people at the navy yard had wait
ed very impatiently for some definite
news from Capt. Sigsbee, and when the
cablegrom was posted which announced,
that 233 persons had perished, many crle-
of horror were heard, and also many
muttered curses against the Spanish, for
to a man the crowd believed the vessel
had been destroyed through treachery
Other telegrams arrived during the day
which announced that under Instructions
from this Government all the Injured
that could be removed would be taken
to the marine barracks hospital at Key
West, and that clothing would be provid
ed them at the expense of the Govern
ment. The steamer Olivette, which sail
ed from Havana yesterday, conveyed the
injured to Key West and also many of
the bodies of the dead. The latter will
be shipped to relatives for burial.
President McKlnley was one of the first
in the city outside of The Times ofllcn
to learn of the disaster to the Maine. H
was awakened by a telephone message
from The Times office at 3:13 yesterday
morning and the whole story given to
him as it appeared a little later in tho
first edition of the paper.
Capt. DiekiiiM Calls.
The President was from that time all
the morning and all day almost continu
ously in consultation with the officials of
the Navy Department and his Cabinet
advisers. Capt. Dickins. of the Bureau of
Navigation, was with him at 4 oTcloelr.
after a long talk with Secretary; Long.
He carried from Secretary Long all1 thu
news that the Navy Department had re
ceived from Havana, and, in addition, all
the matters of fact that he had' pofson
allv about tho Maine and her situation
in "the harbor of Havana and everything
else that might throw light on the dis
aster. , .
These matters the President thought.
-
The Ontlooic for Bui Wings. Every
where is bad. We're tho first to cut price.
"