Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-10
THE WRECK OF THE MAINE.
And the Remarkable Story Of Maine
Woman's Dream.

Woman's Dream.
TIE wreck of tie ba:tleship Maine stu
nrutrudes above the water in the busiest
pat of the harbor of Ha"ana, ana Is not
only an "yeSorc but an obstruction 10
navigation and 4 srievous remmucr 81
one of the ,St lament2hle tragedleS IN
history. writes William f.. Curtis IN inc
Chicago Record-Iieral1. II has remained
in that way for nine years mp TO tht nun
OF February, and although Two CONTRACT
for its removal have been made neltlltf
has been carried rut, ana ii must remain
until the government OF the tinted states
neither the skill nor The enterprise nor
the facilities tor doing 50. The wreck hes
il. SIX fathoms of water ANA fas Rrauaai-
~ settled into the mud and hlin winch
has accumulated on the bOttom OIL the
bay from the sewage OF nearly -FOUR cen
turtles. Nc accident has Vet happened,
bot the wreck is IA continual peril To nar-
isar!ou. The passenger ships from New
York New Orleans, Mexico and Florida
anchor INN adiately around il.
There have been many theories IT re,
the subject ha; been probably discussed
more i'll Havana than anywh here else
Every atom OF Eight that could or thrown
upon the mystery and every clew u It's
cause las been investigated and discus
ed over ana over Until public opinion mere
hts now practically determined mat inc
other external cause, but 10 the eNploSioh
oil the powder in the forward magazin"
OF the ship, caused by heat from Spon-
famous combustion III the coal bunlers.
This conclusion is sal to have been
strongly supported by the survey OF the
contractors VINO undertook u raise tne
wreck. Their divers made very different
reports from those given TO the couri OF
Inquiry shortly after the tragedy. ana
maintain that almost all the damage Is
found II the forward part OF the snip IN
he neighhorhood of the magazine; tina,
there, are unElistakable evidences OF Il
hot fire in the coal bunkers imm"diatfly
Il sheet OF iron one fourth OF an men
thick between the fire and the powder.
This, OF course. is not conclusive. II Is
only a theory. hut the contractors deciare
that they can demonstrate its truth II
they are allowed TO use dynamite TO sep
ar;ite The machinery and "thcc mcavy
material 81 AS t" hoist ii TO the surface
OF thr water and pldc" IL on n%ht' rs
They insist. too, that fh" reason why
she navy department opposes The removal
Of tn" wreck is its fear of disa grreahl,
Will. ,h. peace commission WIS SitllnG
in Ia"i5 III Spanish government d".
mand'.d an intcrnatipnal investigation "l |
tn" Cl:ISr oil the EXPULSION, which IN"
itnit.I Stl.eS Woul nnI permit. on the |
protest that it was inrXpriirnt ana I'M
necessary 10 reviv" the discussions IN"
1dvpcatcS Of the accidental theory re- |
mimi ypu of III. several cases 81 Sp"n
laneons confusion i'll ihr innk"r% 81 |
United states naval vessels. and r"i'r !" |
ne suicide Of he Officer who Lad charge |
Of the forw ri magaZin az III" Name
They declare that The reasons given III |
the nrwsl apcrs for dis snirid" are not |
There is a curious story connected with
th,. explosion Of the Maine which has hal |
ronsidcrabl" weight with snporstlti"uS |
people. and also with hard-headed practi |
cal! sensible men like Senator FRYE. Ad
mral Bradford and others from 'he state |
Of Maine. who know The character ana
THE city of Lewiston, who saw the traG-
"dy rchearsed III a dream the night thai
it occurred. She is not praft sSinnal |
,.lairvoyant; she does not pretend to POS |
told local events in that community IN |
pnonl" credit her with the SIT Of divina- |
ton and the power u prophecy.
This woman never saw Il battleShip; She |
never saw Il fortress; she WAS Ievcr in |
Havana, nor had she ever read de- |
Of that city. Sh" WAS, entirely ignorant |
of tho existence of The batIl"shir Maine:
-he was not aware that any vessel of |
tie United States navy was at Havana. |
bu, uEOn aWak ming one morning she
tnll h.: husband what. she had seen in 4 |
dleam;; lie was so much Impressed that
of ono of the most reputable lawyers of |
the city. who returned with him to his |
house end heard the Eomo nrh repe "a her
vana. the Cabanas fortress and the an
choragn of the Maine, with great detail |
h6 nG 's2s i5s sfw Two Urh
described. although she had never seen
il in her life. hold q heated controversy i'll |
a small room in the fortress. where an |
electric switchboard. like that in the tele |
phone cxchang" in Lewiston, was con- |
nected with wires that ran down into the |
water 10 floating torpelOes, which sha |
also infinitely described. After tine.r con- !
cversy the younger Of the two officers !
rrotc. sting earnestly against being, com |
ncllcd 10 obey such on ordet' and threat
ening 70 throw. the entire responsibility |
upor his superior, went to the switch |
ct ard put i. ir another: Thcreupon q |
terrible explosion occurred instantly and |
the ship in TIE harbor which she had |
described and called the Maine was
blown to fragments and sank to the bot
tom.
About five hours later came the ncws |
of rhc destruction of the battleship by |
some mysterious agency in the hal Dor of |
Havana. ard. naturally, III" story OF the |
druggists wife. h"Ving been told bofOr" |
she could have known anything concern |
ing that cvert, created a profound sen
S1tiOn.