The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-16
Havana Remembered and HonOred
the Dead Americans.
IMPRESSIVE SERVICES
OLD GLORY HALF-MASTED OVER
THE WRECK.
Wreaths and Garlands Decorated the
Sunken Warship-High Mass At
tended By American Officers and
Prominent Cubans-Work Com
menced On the New Maine.

Havana, Feb. 15.-The sun shone
brightly this morning for the first time
in severay days, when the wreck of
the United States battleship Maine, de-
stroyed in Havana harbor on the even
ing of Feb. 10, 1898. was decorated with
a large American flag.
At o'clock the stars and stripes was
hoisted at half mast by Captain Eaton
of the United States auxiliary cruiser
Resolute, who, with Mrs. Estes Rath-
bone and Mrs. Dudley and ten sailors
of the Resolute rowed to the sunken
battleship. The only others taking part
were a battalion, with officers, of the
First Maine heavy artillery.
An immense rope Of greens was fes-
TONED about the fighting top, each
loop hung with laurel wreaths four feet
in diameter, and tide with red, white
and blue ribbon. The Cuban club OF
Havana had placed an artificial wreath
on the boat crane and this Captain
Eaton transferred to the peak of the
gait.
At 10 o'clock high mass was cele-
brated in memory of the Maine victims
in the MERGED church, at which Major
General Ludlow and several of his staff
were present. The ceremonies, which
were very impressive, were attended
by Brigadier General George r. Ern-
est, representing Major General
Brooke; Commodore B. ]. Cromwell,
captain of the port, and other naval
officers; the city council, the executive
committee OF the Cuban assembly and
other members of the assembly, the sec
retaries of the civil departments and
many officials together with represen-
tativeS of the Havana fire brigade and
other local organizations. Many wo-
men of the better classes We're in the
congregation which crowded the edifice.
This afternoon the graves at Colon
cemetery were decorated in the pres
ence OF American officials, military and
details participating.
The graves were quickly covered
with flowers. Father Sherman had been
invited by Mrs. Rathbone, who is pres
ident of the Woman'S association, TO
read prayers at the graves, and he ap-
peared at the American club, from
which the procession started, in full
Vestments and with the assurance that
Monsignor Santander. the bishop of
Havana. had given his consent
Commodore Cromwell said that. as
the bishop was not willing that Prot
estant chaplain should Officiate, he
Commodore CrOmwelD would not con-
sent to the reading of prayers by Faith
err Sherman. The latter thereupon went
to his hotel. He had deferred his sail
ing on receipt of Mrs. Rathbone's invi-
tation.
Commodore Cromwell informed the |
newspaper correspondents that the sail
ors felt deeply on the subject, regard !
ing the ceremony of decoration as dis
tinctly a naval affair Therefore he |
could not permit any except a naval |
chaplain to officiate. Although he was |
quite willing that both a Protestant |
and a Catholic clergyman should act. /
If either was to be excluded, then the /
other must be also.
The procession from the city con- |
sisted of marines and sailors from the /
Brooklyn and the Resolute, the band of 1
Resolute. the band of the Brooklyn, |
Major General Ludlow's staff, repre- I
senting him; American women in am
balances, carriages containing Ameri-
can visitors, a troop of the Seventh |
regular cavalry and one Cuban society. /
1t was met by Governor General Brooke !
and staff at the cemetery, where a
of floral tributes presented
by the American women and local So
cieties were heaped upon the graves.
each sailor and marine also contribut-
ing some floral token. The crowd look
ed on in silence, some kneeling. 1t was
PAS p. N. when the procession reached
the cemetery and the ceremony was
over in half an hour.
GENERAL LEE TOO LATE.
Meanwhile Major General Lee and
the detachments Of the Seventh army
corps had not arrived. The marines
and sailors marched away. Commodore
Cromwell, the naval officers and a rev
others remaining. In about a quarter
Of an hour General Lees column ar
rived-battalions OF the Second Illinois
and Third Nebraska regiments, the
irst Maine artillery. a battery of the
Second United States regular artillery
md the bands of the Second Illinois and
Third Nebraska regiments.
As General Lee, on horseback barred
his head near the graves, Commodore
Cromwell saluted, saying: II am sorry
you were not here in time for the deco
alton. General Lee replied: Il was
lotified to be here at $3.50 p. m. and l
vas at the cemetery gate at that hour
Now that 1 arrive I find everything
,ver."
Commodore Cromwell said: General,