Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-16

MACHINE-OBSERVED IN NEW
YORK AND PITTSBURG.
Philadelphia, February 15.-The an
niyersary of the blowing up of the bat
tleShip Maine in Havana harbor was
marked here with the beginning of
work on the powerful man-of-war
which will bear the name of the his
toric battleship, the destruction of
which did much to precipitate the war
with Spain.
The new Maine will be built by the
Cramp S~hipbuilding Company, and at
the company's yards at II o'clock to-
day the first piece of the keel Of the
vessel was laid. There was no formal
ity in the proceedings, but the ship
yard was thrown open to the public
and a great cheer was given by the
crowd as the group of workmen set in
place the first steel piece of the keel.
Other pieces of the steel keel were i'm
mediately hoisted and placed by the
side of the first, and thus was started
what will be n of the most powerful
fighters of the new navy.
The Maine will be a sister ship to
the Ohio and Missouri, the contract
price for each of which is $2,885, 900.
She is to have a speed Of eighteen
knots with a length on load water line
Of 38S feet and a beam of Y feet 2h
inches, she will have a normal dis
placement of ~, 800 tons and a draught
Of % feet 6 inches. Her bunkers will
be large enough to carry 1000 tons of
coal and her complement of officers,
ame and marines will be about 600
men.
The Names armament will consist
Of four 12-inch breech-loading rifles,
sixteen 6-inch rapid-fre rifle, twenty
%6-pounder and four 3-pounder guns and
a few smaller pieces. The Pinch guns
will be of 40 calibre and of the new
high powered type, designed to use
smokeless powder. With a muzzle We
lOcity of 5000 feet per second and firing
an $40 pound shell, each gun will have
an energy of As, foot-tons, equal to
the penetration. of four feet Of solid
iron at the muzzle.
The builders will endeavor to have
the new battleship ready for launching
on February Is of next year., and to
have her ready for service on the third
anniversary of the sinking of the Maine
in Havana harbor.
New York, February ia year ago
to-day the u. S. battleship Maine was
blown up in the harbor OF Havana and
216 American seamen lost their lives.
The event is being remembered in this
city to-day. Flags are flying at half
mast on the City Hall, the public
schools and all other public buildings,
national, state and municipal.
Nearly all the vessels coming in the
harbor. those going out and those at
the pier have flags at half mast. This
is not confined to any class or order of
shipping.
Besides the public buildings, many
of the private residences have flags sus-
pended at half mast, and in many of
the stores are pictures of the Inflated
battleship with the phrase, Remember
the Maine"
In all the schools of the city the story
of the blowing up Of the Maine was
told to-day and each teacher impressed
on the youthful mind the importance of
the event and the important happen
inpS that followed.
PITTSBURG, Pa, February f5-To-day
the Naval Reserves and the Duquesne
Grays commemorated the blowing up of
the Maine by special services at the grave
of Lieut.. Friend w. jenkins, of Allegheny.
who vSas a victim of the Maine horror.
AT the grave the services were simple.
Prayer was offered by the Rt. Rev, Cort-
land Whitehouse, bishop Of the diocese of
Pittsburg: flowers and wreaths were
placed on the grave and taps sounded.
The memorial services at the grave were
preceded by a parade of the two military
organizations from the court house in
this city to Uniondale, a distance of
about three miles. One of the principal
participants was Sergeant of Marines
VIM. b. Anthony, whose famous report TO
Captain Sigsbee of Captain, l have the
honor to report, sir, that the ship is
blown up and sinking will make him live
in history. Sergeant Anthony, who was
a great admirer of Lieut.. jenkins, secured
a furlough from the Brooklyn navy yard
in order to be present at the ceremony.
urnx ANN EIuIE