Question

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. read captain charles d. sigsbees account of the sinking of the uss maine, given in 1899. this is a reliable source mainly because it is dated 1899, which was only a year after the ships sinking it is based on secondhand information about the maine sinking. it appeared in a fictional story about the sinking of the maine it was written by a person who was on board during the sinking.

Explanation:

A primary - source account (like Captain Sigsbee's) is more reliable. Since he was on the ship (as indicated by his description of being in the cabin when the explosion happened), his account is a first - hand, reliable source. Just being dated close to the event (option A) doesn't guarantee reliability if the author wasn't present. Secondhand information (option B) is less reliable. And if it were from a fictional story (option C), it would be even less reliable.

Answer:

D. it was written by a person who was on board during the sinking.