I was enclosing my letter in its envelope when the explosion came. It was a bursting, rending, and crashing sound or roar of immense volume, largely metallic in character. . . . The electric lights, of which there were eight in the cabin where I was sitting, went out. Then there was intense blackness and smoke.
Answer
A
it is dated 1899, which was only a year after the ship’s sinking.
B
it is based on secondhand information about the Maine sinking.
C
it appeared in a fictional story about the sinking of the Maine.
D
it was written by a person who was on board during the sinking.
Explanation
The speaker describes sitting in a cabin aboard the ship when the explosion happened, including the lights going out and smoke filling the space. Those firsthand details indicate the account was written by someone who was on board during the sinking, not someone relying on secondhand information or writing fiction.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.