The Maine' : the Personal .Narrative of Captain Sigsbee.
Fisher Unwin. 69.)—The Captain of the 'Maine' gives us in this book the most minute account of the mysterious disaster which befell his vessel in the harbour of Havana. In the 'Maine' explosion two • hundred and fifty-two men were killed outright, and eight subse- quently died of their injuries,—nearly fifteen times as many men as were killed in the United States Navy during the whole Spanish- American War. (Putting aside the 'Maine' victims, the American naval loss was only seventeen killed and fifty-eight wounded.) Captain Sigsbee tells how, on the arrival of his ship in the - harbour, a remarkably able Spanish pilot conducted her to a buoy of his (the pilot's) own choice. He complimented the man on his skill, and commended him later to the Captain of the port. He describes the formal, but outwardly friendly, relations between the officers of the 'Maine' and the Spanish authorities,—receptions, invitations to bull-fights, &c. At last he comes to the explosion. Besides his own account of the disaster he quotes narratives by several of the crew and most graphic descriptions of the scene by spectators on other vessels. After the explosion the conduct of the Spaniards as here described is not easily understood. Every courtesy was shown by the authorities to the survivors and every honour was paid to the dead. At the same time, the Spanish patrol boats which guarded the wreck at Captain Sigsbee's request, fulfilled their duties with such zest that on the second day after the explosion they refused to allow the Captain to approach his own ship, and even after he had obtained the necessary passes he was prevented on another occasion from boarding the wreck. American divers sent by Captain Sigsbee were stopped, being told that no American diver would be allowed to descend without a Spanish diver. After an interview with General Blanco these restrictions were broken through, but it is significant that they should have been contemplated. Captain Sig-bee gives in his appendix full accounts of the findings both of the American and Spanish inquiries regarding the 'Maine' disaster. After a careful perusal we think the reader will come to this con- clus:on,—that though there is no proof that the explosion occurred without the vessel, there is much proof that it did not occur within.
Previous page
