Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-19
WHAT 1T WOULD COST,
General Desire for the Recovery of
the Maine.

the Maine.
There is a general patriotic desire for the
recovery of the Maine regardless of her
condition and bring her back to the United
States. Engineer-in-chief Melville, Chief
Constructor Hfchborn and other naval Off
GERS believe that the battle ship be
raised ard rebuilt. Constructor Hichborn
estimates that it would cost s1,OO0,OoO to
do this, and says that the vessel could be
PUT in perfect condition within six months
Chief Engineer Melville has decided views
in favor of the proposition to rebuild the
Maine. Even suppose this costs $780,
Co., said he, "a new ship equal TO the
Maine would cost nearly S5,OUOoOa The re-
pairs could be made and the ship put in
service again in year at the farthest To
build new ship like her would take at
least three years. With regard to the prac-
ticability Of raising the vessel it is to be
remarked that larger vessels have been
raised which were at sea- where they were
exposed ID waves while the Maine is in a
perfectly quiet harbor, one end resting in
the mud and part of the other end above
water.
Inc Maine is in shallow spot, as pro-
tected as a mill pond, and she is only n
eoco-ton snip. The British armor-clad
Howe, OF over 10000 tons, was raised off
Ferrol, Spain, In the open ocean, and II.
NJ .. sultan. OF over 1900 tons, was raised
and saved after she sank in the Comma
channel. In these cases the damage was
different from that to the Maine, consisting
OF numerous jagged holes of large dimen-
sions In the bottom So far as the nature
OF the accident is concerned, however thai
to the Alaska when she rammed an iceberg
shows that with a 70 hull
erly shored. the Maine could be raised.
| If even she could not be fioated by pump-
ing out her compartments. The explosion
came SO suddenly that there was no chance
to shut the bulkhead doors, which accounts
perhaps, for the water filling the after
spaces. The Alaska's injuries were. how
ever, less serious than those of the Maine
mo other nation on earth calmly loses a
snip, ana We should, least of all, consent
to do so. Great Britain has not abandoned
the idea of raising the Inflated battle ship
Victoria, which was accidentally rammed
By the Camperdown during evolutions ia
the Mediterranean. She row lies in water
about $50 feet deep, where divers probably
cannot work and where operations will be
conducted with great difficulty, but the
admiralty expresses the determination of
lifting her and towing her to Malta The
Maine lies in thirty to thirty-six feel of
water, and is probably no worse damaged
than the Victoria"
Engineer Melville adds six terse reasons
for raising the Maine:
'First-Public policy. Regardless of cost.
any ship should be raised and repaired If
practicable.
"Second-For the ascertainment of the ex-
act condition Of the ship under water
'Third-As an object lesson to the world
The United States claims its own, dead or
alive, from any entangled in the DEBRIS
"Fourth-As measure Of economy IL
the ship is fit for raising it will cost less
to refit her than to build second ship of
that type.
"Fifth-To recover the dead or their bod
les. If any. entengled in the debris.
''Sixfh-As the quickest and most salts
factory way of clearing the harbor of the
detriment to navigation she must be moved
by the United States.'