Brutal Spanish: How They Regard the Tragedy of the Battleship Maine
February 26, 1898
Summary
While the Cubans sympathize with the tragedy of the sinking of the Battleship Maine, the Spaniards in the area are either indifferent or pleased at the American tragedy.
Transcription
Their regrets insincere.
Statements of Americans just arrived from Havana.
Cuban’s Attitude Contrasted.
The latter showed evidence of genuine grief over the terrible disaster—the naval court martial at work investigating—proceedings will be kept secret—sending divers to aid in the work of investigation. The Spanish battleship Vizcaya sails for Havana—national senate passes a bill to add two artillery regiments to the army.
New York, Feb. 22.—The Ward line steamer Seguranca arrived at Quarantine yesterday from Tampico and Havana. The Seguranca arrived at Havana at 10 o’clock on the morning after the disaster to the Maine and passed close by the wreck. The Seguranca’s passengers said that great excitement prevailed at Havana, and at the time of sailing the foreign population were generally of the opinion that the Maine was destroyed by design. They cited among other things in support of this theory the fact that the Spanish man-of-war, Alfonso XII, which was anchored near the Maine, changed her moorings just previous to the disaster.
C. P. Holcomb, of New Castle, Del., general manager of a street railroad in Philadelphia, one of the passengers on board the Seguranca, was outspoken in his belief that the investigation at Havana would reveal some startling circumstances. “I went to Havana,” said Mr. Holcomb, “not at all in sympathy with the insurgents, but on Wednesday, when we got to Havana, I believe any of the Americans on board was in a mood to commit murder. The flags of the Spanish warship were not at half-mast. The vessels of all other nationalities had paid this slight tribute to the dead.
“The contrast between the bearing of the Spaniards and Cubans is strong. At the funeral of the Maine’s seamen, the Cuban women in the streets were almost all dressed in mourning, while the Spanish women wore colors. The only Americans flags I saw in the whole procession were two small ones about three by six inches. I went aboard the Alfonso XII and was received politely. The only expression of regret I heard there was from an officer, who complained that the force of the Maine explosion had broken his toilet bottles. There can be no mistaking the indifference of the Spaniards in Havana over the loss of the warship and those on board. ON Thursday, while driving to the cemetery with two American friends, I was assailed with jeers, and someone threw a large stone at our carriage.”
F. W. Bobbett, of this city, who was with Mr. Holcomb in the carriage, added:
“That’s perfectly true. In fact, one or two children yelled after us that they had blown up the ‘Americano,’ and that they were glad of it. I did not hear a single expression of regret for the terrible loss of life from any Spaniard during the time I was in Havana.”
Frank Weinheimer, of this city, an eye witness of the explosion and a fellow passenger of Mr. Holcomb, told the following story:
“ON Tuesday evening, I strolled down to the water front for a breath of fresh air. A number of persons were walking about the pier near the custom house. The first intimation I had of an explosion was a crunching sound. There came a terrible roar. Immense pieces of debris flew skyward form the Maine. Some of them must have been thrown at least 300 feet. It looked as though the whole inside of the ship had been blown out. Many persons on the pier were nearly thrown from their feet by the force of the explosion. The air became stifling with smoke, and the crow on the pier rushed back toward the city.”
Mr. Weinheimer said he heard an excited Spaniard declare shortly after the explosion that if the “Americanos” sent another warship it would also be blown up.
M. J. Naughton, an insurance man of Chicago, who was staying with his wife at the Grand Hotel Pasaje, described the panic which existed in Havana shortly after the explosion, and said further: “The Spanish officials were quick to express sympathy and acted very well as a whole, but I think their expressions of regret lacked the spontaneity and warmth which would have been characteristic of an American city had such a disaster occurred under similar circumstances.”
Statements of Americans just arrived from Havana.
Cuban’s Attitude Contrasted.
The latter showed evidence of genuine grief over the terrible disaster—the naval court martial at work investigating—proceedings will be kept secret—sending divers to aid in the work of investigation. The Spanish battleship Vizcaya sails for Havana—national senate passes a bill to add two artillery regiments to the army.
New York, Feb. 22.—The Ward line steamer Seguranca arrived at Quarantine yesterday from Tampico and Havana. The Seguranca arrived at Havana at 10 o’clock on the morning after the disaster to the Maine and passed close by the wreck. The Seguranca’s passengers said that great excitement prevailed at Havana, and at the time of sailing the foreign population were generally of the opinion that the Maine was destroyed by design. They cited among other things in support of this theory the fact that the Spanish man-of-war, Alfonso XII, which was anchored near the Maine, changed her moorings just previous to the disaster.
C. P. Holcomb, of New Castle, Del., general manager of a street railroad in Philadelphia, one of the passengers on board the Seguranca, was outspoken in his belief that the investigation at Havana would reveal some startling circumstances. “I went to Havana,” said Mr. Holcomb, “not at all in sympathy with the insurgents, but on Wednesday, when we got to Havana, I believe any of the Americans on board was in a mood to commit murder. The flags of the Spanish warship were not at half-mast. The vessels of all other nationalities had paid this slight tribute to the dead.
“The contrast between the bearing of the Spaniards and Cubans is strong. At the funeral of the Maine’s seamen, the Cuban women in the streets were almost all dressed in mourning, while the Spanish women wore colors. The only Americans flags I saw in the whole procession were two small ones about three by six inches. I went aboard the Alfonso XII and was received politely. The only expression of regret I heard there was from an officer, who complained that the force of the Maine explosion had broken his toilet bottles. There can be no mistaking the indifference of the Spaniards in Havana over the loss of the warship and those on board. ON Thursday, while driving to the cemetery with two American friends, I was assailed with jeers, and someone threw a large stone at our carriage.”
F. W. Bobbett, of this city, who was with Mr. Holcomb in the carriage, added:
“That’s perfectly true. In fact, one or two children yelled after us that they had blown up the ‘Americano,’ and that they were glad of it. I did not hear a single expression of regret for the terrible loss of life from any Spaniard during the time I was in Havana.”
Frank Weinheimer, of this city, an eye witness of the explosion and a fellow passenger of Mr. Holcomb, told the following story:
“ON Tuesday evening, I strolled down to the water front for a breath of fresh air. A number of persons were walking about the pier near the custom house. The first intimation I had of an explosion was a crunching sound. There came a terrible roar. Immense pieces of debris flew skyward form the Maine. Some of them must have been thrown at least 300 feet. It looked as though the whole inside of the ship had been blown out. Many persons on the pier were nearly thrown from their feet by the force of the explosion. The air became stifling with smoke, and the crow on the pier rushed back toward the city.”
Mr. Weinheimer said he heard an excited Spaniard declare shortly after the explosion that if the “Americanos” sent another warship it would also be blown up.
M. J. Naughton, an insurance man of Chicago, who was staying with his wife at the Grand Hotel Pasaje, described the panic which existed in Havana shortly after the explosion, and said further: “The Spanish officials were quick to express sympathy and acted very well as a whole, but I think their expressions of regret lacked the spontaneity and warmth which would have been characteristic of an American city had such a disaster occurred under similar circumstances.”
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Cali Hughes
Citation
“Brutal Spanish: How They Regard the Tragedy of the Battleship Maine,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed December 11, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/235.