The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-16
The Wreck of the Warship Deco
rated With the American Flag
and Laurel Wreaths, and High
Mass In Memory Of the Victims
Celebrated in the MERGED
Church at Havana.

more or less observed throughout the
country Mayor Van Wyck gave or
ders to have the flag on the City Hall
displayed at half-mast in commemora-
ton Of the destruction of the warship,
and. the same token of respect was OBJ
served in Brooklyn.
The American flag was also at half
mast on all school buildings throughout
the city to-day, and custom will thus
be instituted which, it is hoped, will
come in time to make the date of Feb
ruary 10Th symbolical of a great era
in Americas history, just as are the
Fourth of July and Memorial day.
There was a general half-masting of
flags on private buildings throughout
the city and the country generally. At
the request of the Maritime Association
of New York, nearly all the vessels in
the harbor had flags at half-mast. This
was not confined to any class or order
Of shipping.
BESIDES the public buildings many of
the private residences had flags sus-
pended at half mast, and in many of
the stores We're pictures of the Inflated
battleship, with the phrase, "Remem-
Der the Maine
At all the schools of the city the story
of the blowing up of the Maine was
told. and each teacher impressed on the
youthful mind the importance of the
event and the important happenings
that followed.
THE WRECK DECORATED.
HAVANA, Feb. 10, 11:30 a. m.-The
sun shone brightly this morning for the
first time i'll several days, when the
wreck of the United States battleship
Maine, destroyed in Havana harbor on
the evening of February Is, 1898, was
decorated with a large American flag.
At 8 o'clock the Stars and Stripes
were hoisted at half-mast by Captain
Eaton of the United States auxiliary
cruiser Resolute who with Mrs. Estes
Rathbone and Mrs. Dudley and ten sail
ors of the Resolute, rowed to the
sunken battleship.
An immense rope of green leaves was
festconed about the fighting top, each
loop hung with laurel leaves four feet
in diameter, tied with red white and
blue ribbon. The Cuban Club of Ea-
vana had placed an artificial wreath
on the boat crane, and this Captain
Eaton transferred to the peak of the
gaff.
At 10 o'clock high mass was cele-
brated in memory of the Maine victims
in the MERGED Church, in which Major
General Ludlow and several of his
STAFF were present The ceremony.
which was very impressive, was attend
ed by Brigadier General George D. Err
nest. representing Major General
Brooke: Commodore, B. J. Cromwell,
Captain of the Port, and other naval
officers; the City Council, the Execu-
tive Committee of the Cuban Assembly,
and other members of the Assembly,
the Secretaries of the civil departments,
and many officials, together with repre-
sentatives of the Havana Fire Brigade
and other local organizations. Many
worner 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
naval details participating.
! The graves were thick1y covered with
flowers. Father Sherman had been in
vited by Mrs. Rathbone, who is Presi-
dent of the Women's Association, to
read prayers at the grave-side, and he
appeared at the American Club, from
| which the procession started, in full
vestnents, and with the assurance that
Mgr. Santander, the Bishop of Ha-
vana, had given his consent.
| Commodore Cromwell said that as the
Bishop was not willing that a Protest
ant chaplain should officiate, he Com
modore CronwelD would not consent to
the reading of prayers by Father Sher-
man. The latter tllereupon went to his
hotel. He had deferred his sailing on
receipt of Mrs. Rathbone's invitation.
Commodore Cromwell informed the
newspaper correspondents that the sail
ors felt deeply on the subject regarding
the ceremony of decoration as distinctly
naval affair Therefore he could not
permit any except naval chaplain to
officiate.
AT CHICAGO.
CHICAGO. Feb. 15.-while no gem
eral commemoration of the death of the
26e American seamen in the explosion
OF the battleship Maine in Havana har-
| Dor a year ago took place to-day in
| Chicago, nearly all the flags in the
city were at half mast. When Presi-
dent Mckinley issued his declaration of
war after the blowing up of the Maine,
the Board of Cook County Commission
ers was the first public body to pass
resolutions indorsing his action
The question of the anniversary came
up at last nights meeting of the Com
m;ssioners, and after speeches had been
made on the subject resolutions ask
| ing that February 10th be declared
national holiday were adopted and re-
ferred to the Congressman from Illinois,
with request that they Introduce
measure to this effect in Congress.
One clause of the resolution provides
that the Superintendent of Public Ser
vice purchase and send to the Ameri-
can Governor at Havana a suitable
Tag, with the request that it be raised
over MORO Castle and afterward used
on memorial day in the services in
honor of the dead Of the Maine.