A GREAT MYSTERY SOLVED.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13435, 24 July 1911, Page 2

A GREAT MYSTERY SOLVED.

EYE-WITNESS TELLS THE STORY OF 1 HE BLOWING UP OF THE MAINE. Thrilling Night in Havana. Ship That Caused a War. A cable message received last week informed us that the American battleship Maine, which sank in Havana Harbour 13 years ago, had boon raised. Her destruction on February 15, 1898, when she took with her to the bottom two officers and 27U men, did as much as anything to bring about the open rupture between tho United States and Spain, because it was generally believed nr the States that the Spaniards in Cuba bad destroyed her with a mine.

“Remember tho Maine” was a popular cry during the progress, of the war, and now, years after tho happening, it has been proved beyond doubt that tho Spaniards had nothing to do with it, but that the explosion which sank tho vessel occurred in the magazine. Strange to say, only a few weeks ago, in Harper’s Weekly," Mr. Walter Scott Merewcthor, who was in Havana tho night of the explosion, tells a graphic story of tho catastrophe. Mr. Merewother, who was special correspondent of tho New York Herald, says;—l was making my way to the Ingleterra Hotel, when I spied a group of newspaper correspondents entering a cafe. Joining them, 1 had barely time to exchange greetings before there came a gleam as of sheet lightning, and ou its heels

THE BOOM OF SOME GREAT EXPLOSION. There was an immediate rush for tho street, and there a baffled pause; for, owing to some peculiar acoustic quality of that neighbourhood, none could say from what directic m that muffled, jarring boom had como. One report had it that the Regia Arsenal bad been blown up by Cuban patriots, and as these had been blowing up Havanese theatres with great regularity, it was conceivable that the report was true.

Mv quarters being on tho top floor of the 'lngleterra—an eyrie from which the site of tho arsenal was visible—l took occasion to hurry to my rooms, but only to discover that darkness lay in the region of the arsenal, and nowhere was visible any such glare as might have followed that terrific blast. Making my way downstairs again, through the foyer —then in the wildest disorder—l regainmi the street to encounter a squadron of cavalry rushing by' at a gallop. Tho street was then a melee of frantically excited people,. some asserting that the Morro Castle had been destroyed by an explosion, some - others telling tales equally as wild. While endeavouring to gain some duo as to the location of the explosion, I was suddenly caught by tho shoulder and inconsistently whirled from nut of a group where 1 had boon a listener.

“It's tho Maine,” a voice panted in my ear. “1 was out to tho dry dock, just coming back, when flash!—bang!—up she went,”

I bad recognised my informant, and was gazing into bis face. He was a Mr. Rolfe, one of the managers of the big English dry dock which had 'recently boon towed into Havana, But as I listened

i COULD HARDLY BELIEVE MY EARS. • 1 lie Maine destroyed, ‘ and in Havana Harbour! There was no time for thanks. The cable office had boon closed. The first thing to do was to sec if it could be reopened. Ur. Congosta was then Secre-tary-General of Cuba, and, as such, exercised a supervision over the cable and the censorship. Hurrying to the palace, I reached his apartment and encountered his secretary, Senor Gaceros. The secretary was much, distressed. “My God!” he exclaimed. “I would have given my right arm if this had not happened.” Curious to discover what he knew, I asked him what had occurred. “Tho Maine,” ho said, “she has blown up, her boilers, or maybe her magazines, wo don't know which ; come here to the window, and you can sco.” I followed him to tho window, and got a glimpse of a dark object rimmed round with tiro. Cace.res kept mechanically repeating, “her boilers or the magazines.” As f looked at tho flames, 'which gave an almost perfect outline of tho wreck as it lay in the dark waters of tho bay, I knew that no boiler explosion could have brought about that dire disaster, and I knew, moreover, that our ships of war are not given to magazine explosions. Shortly after midnight I learned that ome of the survivors had been taken on board the Ward Lino steamship City of Washington. We immediately secured a boat and set out for tho vessel, our course carrying us do,so to tho torn and riven Maine, with whom 270 brave American seamen had perished. Tho wreck was still on fire. LANGUID TONGUES OF FLAME FORKING UPWARD, and looking like tho arms of drowning men. In that wavering light little could be distinguished, but that little, was . enough to show how complete was •,!«• imin that the blow had wrought. The j-onfcrd part of the ship was merely a romlaed, high-flung heap of twisted framWj and girders, and tangled, shapeb'f f! qjjpss of scrap-iron and stool. I knew full Well how strong all of these plates and stanchions . had been, for I had watdhed tho Maine built.