The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-09
"THE MAINE" WRECK.
It Is still In The Way In Havana
 HnrbOr. n CurtIo ChicaCn Racord-

w. E. Curtis In Chicago Record
 Herald.
 The wreck of the battleship Maine still protrudes above the water in the busiest part of the harbor of Havana, and is not only an eyesore but an ob- struction to navigation and grievous reminder of one of the most lamenta- ble tragedies in history. It has re- mained in that way for nine years up to the 18th of February, and al- though two contracts for its removal have been made, neither has been car ried out, and 1t must remain until the government of the United States re- moves 1t, because the Cubans have neither the skill nor the enterprise nor the facilities for doing so. The wreck lies in six fathoms of water and has gradually settled into the mud and filth which has accumulated on the bottom of the bay from the sewage of nearly four centuries. No accident has yet happened, but the wreck Is a continual Peril to naviga- tion. The passenger ships from New York, New Orleans, Mexico and Flor ida anchor immediately around 1t.
 Theer are several other sunken wrecks in the harbor. The United States military government in 1900 re- moved the hull of the Spanish war ship Atocha, which was burned and sunk in 1916 and was an obstruction to ndNlSdIlOn TUT GlShLy JCoAS' II was believed that a large amount of treasure was concealed in the cabin. but the only articles of value found were thirty-fou antique brass can non and several carloads of cannon balls of corresponding saliber.
 Both contractors claim that they could have removed the wreck if the Navy Department at Washington had not forbidden them to use dynamite. and they insist that it cannot be re- moved any other way. But sentiment Is against it. The bodies of about 100 sailors are still in the hull, and, while they cannot be recovered after an im- cials will not allow them to be blown to fragments.
 They Maine was a second class bat tleship, 324 feet long and 6,650 tons displacement The personnel was twenty-six officers and BPS men, of whom 267 were killed and only nine teen escaped injury. About 150 of the dead were originally buried in the old cemetery here in Havana, but during the American occupation the bodies were removed to Annapolis.
 There Is a dispute as to the owner ship of the wreck and the Jurisdiction of the United States government over 1t. It is held by some sea lawyers that 1t belongs to Cuba, having been entirely abandoned by the original owners, and by others that 1t Is still the property of the United States and cannot be disposed of except by vote of Congress: but If Colonel Black. who is now acting as minister of public works, remains here long enough to carry out his plans for the improve ment of the harbor he will remove all obstruction to navigation in the Bay of Havana. including the hull of the Maine. without asking 4nybody's permission.
 There have been many theories in regard to the cause of the explosion, and the subject has been probably dis cussed more in Havana than anywhere else. Every atom of light that could be thrown upon the mystery and every clew to it's cause has been investiga- ted and discussed over and over until public opinion here has now practical ly determined that the tragedy was due not to a torpedo or any other ex- ternal cause, but to the explosion of