Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-16
FIRST ANNIVERSARY
Of Loss Of Battleship Maine
Observed at Havana.
Old Glory With LaureIs and Flowers
Adorn the Famous Wreck.
4 Battalion Of ist Maine Artillery Assist in
The Exercises.

Havana. Feb. 15.-11.3O A. M.-The
sun shone brightly. this morning, for
the first time in several days, when
The wreck Of the United States battle
ship Maine, destroyed in Havana har-
bor on the evening Of Feb. Is, 1898, was
decorated with large American flag.
AT O'Clock, the Stars and Stripes
was hoisted at halfmast by Capt.
Eaton Of the United States auxiliary
cruiser Resolute. who. with Mrs. Estes
Rathbone and Mrs. Dudley and 10
sailors of the ResOlufe. r0wed TO the
sunken battleship. The only Others
taking part were a battalion with off,
GERS of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery.
An immense rope of greens were fes-
toned about the fighting top. each loop
hung with laurel wrearhes, 4 feet in
diameter and tied with red, white and
blue ribbon. The Cuban Club of Ha-
vana had placed an artificial wreath
on the boat crane. and this Capt
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 Merced church, at which very
impressive. was attended by Brig. Geo
X. Erst. representing Maj. Gen.
Brooke. Commodore r. j. Cromwell
captatin of the port. and other naval
officers, the city council. the executive
committee of the Cuban military AS
sembly and other members of the As
sembly. the secretaries of the civil de-
partment and many officials. together
with representatives of Havana fire
brigade and other local organizations.
Many women of the better classes
were 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 thickly covered
with flowers. Father Sherman had
been invited by Mrs. Rathbone, who is
president of the Womens Association.
to read prayers at the graveside and ne
appeared at the American Club from
which the procession started in full
vestment and with the assurance that
Monsignor Santander. the bishop of
Havana, had to give his consent.
Commodore Crowell said that as the
bishop was not willing that a Protes-
tant chaplain should officiate he. Com
modore 'CrowelD would not consent to
the reading of prayers by Father Sher-
man. The latter thereupon went to his
hotel. He had deferred his sailing on
receipt of Mrs. Rathbone's invitation.
Commodore Crowell informed the
newspaper correspondents that the
sailors felt deeply on the subject, re-
garding the ceremony of decoration as
naval affair. Therefore he
could not permit any except naval
chaplain to ofifciate. although he was
quite willing that both a Protestant
and Catholic clergyman should act.
II either was to be excluded then the
other must also be.
The procession from the city consist
ed of marines and sailors from the
Brooklyn and the Resolute, the band of
the Brooklyn. Gen. Ludlow's staff rep
him. American women in
carriages containing
American visitors. troop of the eth
Regular Cavalry and one Cuban So
ciety.
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