Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-02-23
MAINE MARTYRS.
Americans in Havana Decorate
Their Graves.
The First Anniversary of the Great
Disaster fs Appropriately observed
I'm the United States-keeI of
the New BattIeship Maine Is
Laid I'm Philadelphia.

brightly yesterday when the wreck of
the battleship Maine was decorated
with large American flag. AT
o'clock the stars and stripes were
hoisted at half-mast by Capt. Eaton,
of the auxiliary cruiser Resolute, who
with Mrs. Estes Rathbone and Mrs.
Dudley and ten sailors of the Resolute,
rowed to the sunken battleship The
only others taking part were a battal-
ion of the First Maine heavy artillery.
An immense rope of green was fes-
tooned about the fighting top, each
loop hung with laurel wreaths four feet
in diameter, and tied with red, white
and blue ribbon. The Cuban club OF
Havana had placed an artificial wreath
on the boat crane and this Capt Eaton
transferred to the peak of the gatf.
At 10 o'clock high mass was cele-
brated in memory of the Maine victims
in the Merced church. at which Gen.
Ludlow and several of his staff officers
were present. The ceremony, which
was very impressive, was attended by
Gen. Ernst. representing Gen. Brooke;
Commodore j. j. Cromwell, captain of
the port, and other naval officers, the
CITY council, the executive committee
bers of the assembly. the secretaries of
the civil departments and many Off
cials. together with representatives OF
the Havana fire brigade and other local
organizations.
In the 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 in
vited by Mrs. Rathbone, who is presi-
dent of the women's association. to
read prayers at the grave, 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. Com
modore Cromwell said that as the
bishop was not willing that a Protest
ant chaplain should otficiate, he (Crom-
wel) would not consent to the reading
of prayers by Father Sherman. THE
latter thereupon went to his hotel.
Commodore Cromwell said that the
sailors felt deeply on the subject,
gardng the ceremony of decoration as
could not permit any except a naval
chaplain to otficiate.
New York, Feb. 16.-A year ago last
night the battleship Maine was blown
up in the harbor of Havana and POI
American seamen lost their lives. The
event was remembered in this city
yesterday. Flags few at half-mast on
the city hall, the public schools and
all other public buildings.
jefferson City, Mo-. Feb 16.~-The
house yesterday adopted unanimously
the following resolution commemorate
ing the destruction of the battleship
Maine:
This house looks with pride upon
the bravery and patriotism Of the
American Soldiery and seamen in an
initiating the power of Spain in the
East and West Indies, and most heart
lily commends the promptness and en-
ergy with which the national admiNs-
tration and national congress prose-
cuted the war against Spain and ter
minated her power in the West Indies"
Pittsburg. Feb. 16.-Yester&lay the
naval reserves and the Duquesne Grays
commemorated the blowing up of the
of Lieut.. Friend w. Jenkins, Of Ale
gheny, who was a victim of the Maine
horror.
At the grave the services were sim
pie. Prayer was offered by Right Rev.
Cortland Whitehouse, bishop of the
diocese of Pittsburg, flowers and
wreaths were placed on the graves and
"$aps" sounded.
Philadelphia. Feb. 16.-The anniver-
sary of the blowing up of the battle
ship 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 precfpitate the war
with Spain.
The new Maine will be built by the
Cramp Shipbuilding Co., and at the
cOmpany's yards yesterday the first
piece of the keel of the vessel was laid
There was no formality in the proceed
ings. 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 Immediately uoisted
and placed by the side of the first and
thus was started what will be one of
the most powerful fighters of the new
navy.
The Maine will be a sister ship TO the
Ohio and Missouri, the contract price
of each being S2,SS5,OOO. She is to have
speed of Is knots, with a length on
load water line of 3SS feet and Il beam
of II feet 2H inches. She will have a
normal displacement of Il, 300 tons and
draught of % feet 6 inches. Her
fbunkers viii be large enough to carry
1000 tons Of coal and her complement
Of officers, seamen and marines will be
about coo men.
sharp Skirmish with FiIIpInos.
Manila, Feb 16.-Several rebels hav-
inc fired from hn1srs hearinm white