Evening star., 1898-09-22
Relics of the Wrecked Ship Maine on
Exhibition.
ADDITION TO NATIONAL MUSEUM
Reminders of Various Scenes of the
Recent Conflict.
AN INTERESTING DISPLAY

Relics of the battle ship Maine, taken
from tho wrecked hulk In Havana harbor,
and interesting curiosities and eouvenirs OF
the fierce but brief war with Spain nave
been collected and are now on exhibition In
the National Museum.
They are exhibited temporarily IN the big
glass case In the center of the rotuuda
north OF the great plaster cas-: of the God
dess OF Liberty, and approached directly
from the main door on the north side of the
building. AS fast as the collection increases
other cases will be employed. and it will not
be long before this exhibit will form by far
the largest and most entertaining group in
the museum. Already the articles in the
temporary case attract the greatest atten-
ton from the visitors to the mecca in the
mall.
Mr.. Clark. who has charge of the histori-
cal collection, of which the present exhibit
forms a part, is enthusiastically at work
perfecting the list OF war mementos and
he mas correspondents and agents every
where who are securing and sending him
adcitio1s frequently. The museum has for
years exhibited relics OF the UaTs of the
United States, beginning with the var of
the revolution and passing down TO The
present time. but the collection is recess
sarily more or less imDeFfcct-cyen in rhe
case of the civil war. The museum author
lties are determined now that the conflict
with Spain shall be represented in every
phase, as FAR as possible, by articles do
mated or loaned by persons wha personally
collected them during the campaign or who
nave since come into possession of them.
Congress has not provided funds for this
especial purpose, and. therefore, eTcrts are
somewhat hampeTed and entirely deuenCsnt
upon the patriotic spirit and generosity of
the owners
a:fne from Guantanamo ray
The biggest In, la l..
marine mine picked up by the Marb!ehoad
in Guantanamo bay in July last, donated
by the Navy Department 1t is a huge,
triangular, metal affair, rustcd, battered
eni barnacled. Its destructive power is
Ett!e indicated by its appearance, and in
fact, to the un.n!t.ated il locks Ike small
hollow buoy One Of them, however, if
properly touched off could make short work
OF battle ship. 1t is generally believed
that some such mine fired from shore sent
the Maine and her heroic crew to the
oceans bottom.
Next in size and interest is tall ten
inch powder tank. removed from the wreck
Of the Maine and donated by the Navy De-
partment. 1t is at least three Feet in
height, ten inches in diameter, bent, bat
tered and with greenisn spots on its outer
surface silently. but elolueutly. telling of the
horrors beneath the waves of Havana har-
Dor last spring. Beside it is a six-inch pow
der tank in fair state of preservation, also
taken from the Maine.
On a block OF wood at the side CT the
tank are a number of small black humps
very much like Jumps of sugar, but in
reality cubical pow der for the six-pounder
guns of the Maine, recovered from the
wreck Near by is a heap Of fine-graln
black powder, the size. however. of large
Glains of sand used for the Names one
pcLnders. The oEly other reminders Of the
Maine are d six-inch armor-piercing shell,
a plug-like piece of metal, with a brass
N md a
foot and half high. and also siX-inch
Common steel shell. The universal expires
sion of the visitors after the first eXclama-
tonS of sympathy and interest is OF re
gret that the Maine had no chance TO use
them in battle with the treacherous Dons.
Last Shot Of the War.
The last shot of the war, fired from MORO
Castle, in Havana harbor, struck the cap
tain's cabin on the L. S. S. San Francisco,
and a piece of white wood in the case,
Clipped by a shell from a settee in the
cabin, is rnemento of the dangerous char
acter of the enenay's shot in this instance
at least. From one Size OF The wood two
wooden pins extend. 1t is the gift of Capt.
Leary, L. S. n. The same shell knocked a
piece OF iron arLGOr off the stern of The San
Francisco, and an ingenious sailor shaped
a rude knife out of the metal Ii is not too
primitive for use, and had its sailor-maker
ever come into close quarters with the
Maine" almost as effectively as an up-to-
date blade.
A reminder of the terrible fate of Ger
vera's fleet is found in the form of a six
inch cartridge case fired from the L. S. S.
Brooklyn, with Admiral Schley on board
while in pursuit of the fugitive waTships.
il is three feet long, at least, and perhaps
was the last shot that sent one of the enc
MY 5 vessels flying ShoreWard to be beach
ed and burned.
Reminder of Cardenas.
Another relic of one of the most tragic
events of the war is a six-pouncer cart
ridge shell shot from the U.S.S Hudson at
Cardenas May IL last while rescu,ng The
valiant little Winslow from The numerous
ambushed fire of Spanish gdnbcats. Il is
the gift of Capt. F. il. Newcomb.
The retaliation inflicted by the C.S.S.
Suwanee is evidenced by one cf her four
irch cartridge case shots sent flying coast
ward on an errand of death while Off the
southern borders OF the island.
Contributed Relics.
r. c, Goodman of Company D. District
of Columbia Volunteers, has contributed q
number of interesting mennentos of SOL
diers' life in Cuba One is the hat he wore.
1t is the regulation fatigue affair so ia
miliar to everybody. but curiously inscrib-
ed. On the rim of the hat are the legends:
"On board the U. S. transport Catania
bound for Cuba" ard Home again on U.
S. transport Hudson" The round top is
dented in, and the four surfaces so
formed are various inscriptions. such as:
"on the heights of San Juan Santiago.
July II, 1889 and Camp AIger" Chick
arnauga,'' Tampa Port Tampa and
Key West" fill Up another SIDE. He do
mated also Springfield rife picked UP in
the inrer trench after the charge by ;he
list New York Volunteers w San Juan
hill. On the stock Of the gun are carved
the words, San Juan" Santiago de
Cuba" ''ll Canay' and "Sibony."
Miss Sadie Tyoltz is the donor of piece
OF hardtack with the name Corporal Lewis
Barnes, ID Tennessee Volunteers. written
in ink clearly and evenly across It's surface
1t was issued at Santiago, but evidently the
corporal was willing to sacrifice his sppe-
tite in order to preserve r7Cte evidence Of
the fact that soldiers life is not all the