Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
REMEMBER THE MAINE
Story RetoId of the Disaster in
Havana Harb0r.
TRIBUTE TO DEAD SAILORS
Meeting Held Last Night in Metro
politan M. E. Church.
ADMIRAL SIGSBEE A SPEAKER
Bravery of Private Anthony Depict
ed-Unwritten History Given.
Those Who Participated.
ADMIRAL s1GsBEE A SPEAKER

| speakers and one of the largest audiences
| that was ever assembled in the historic
| Metropolitan NJ. e. Church at the memo
rial service held in that edifice last night.
| The ceremonies were held under the au-
! spices of several Washington garrisons
| OF the Army and Navy Union, lisa,
and Gen. Andrew S. Burt. L. S. A., pre-
| sided. with Capt. j. Walter Mitchell as
| secretary. Representatives of the G. A.
R., the United Confederate Veterans.
the Spanish War Veterans. the Woman's
Relief Corps. and the auxiiaries to the
| L. S. w. V. were present.
Rear Admiral Charles B. Sigsbee, who
as captain commanded the Maine wnen
she was destroyed in Havana harbor. was
one of the principal speakers. At the
exact minute last night that the explosion
occurred ten years ago Admiral Sigsbee
| called the attention of Gen. Burt to the
| fact and an impressive scene took place
in the church. Trumpeter Daniel Nolan
| of the Marine Corps stepped upon the
platform and sounded the sad and plain
tive notes of taps lights out. while the
great audience arose and stood in silence
| a few moments.
THAT was the prettiest and grandest
| taps i have ever heard" Gen. Burt ex-
claimed. the L. S. Engineer Band
struck up THE Star Spangled Banner"
After preliminary concert by the
Engineer Band. LED by Prof julius Kam-
per- the audience was called to order by
Gen. Burt, who welcomed the overflow
ing audience in the name of the Army
and Navy Union. the G. A. R.. United
Spanish War Veterans. Woman's Relief
Corps and the Edith X. Roosevelt and
Mary A. Babcock auxilarles, and the Dis
trict Auxiliary to the Spanish War Vet
Grams. He said the services were the
first ever held in the District in honor
of the brave men of the Maine. And. -
ha n A.
tional affair in the future
Opening Exercises.
The audience sang America" and Rev.
Father Eugene A. Hannah of ST. Martins
Church delivered the invocation. Then
while the band played a lively military
march. the WOman's Relief Corps of the
G. \. R., each of the ladies carrying an
American flag, marched to the front of
the church. headed by the district presi-
dent Mrs Isabel Worrell Ball. and gave
the flag. drill and salute. presenting
pretty picture with the waving colors.
The Engineer Band played The Stars
and Stripes Forever and Senior Vice
Department Commander John G. Walk
er of the G. A. r. addressed the au~l-
ence. bringing the greetings of the VEN
cradle veterans of 1861 to 1865 Speaking
of the soldiers who volunteered for serv-
ice at the front after the Maine was de-
stroyed, Col Walker said:
God help the nation that discounts
| the patriotism of the people of theI
United States. The soldiers of the war
| with Spain did their duty and did it
| WELL
| Miss Mae Rogers sang Her Lover Who
| Sailed With the Maine by Mrs. Helen
G. Sparhawk of Brookland. d. c.. and
Gen. Burt presented Rear Admiral Sigs-
bee.
Rear Admiral's Address.
The story of the Maine on that memo
rable night in February 1898, was told
graphically and dramatically by the ad-
mlral, who, as captain. comma nded the
battleship at the time of the disaster
He told of some of the cipher messages
that passed between himself and Con-
sui General Fitzhugh Lee while the
Maine was lying at Key West When
| ever the words two dollars were used
coming from Havana they meant that
Capt. Sigsbee should get ready to sail
for Cuba within two hours notice
Finally the fateful message came, and
the Maine put out to meet her doom by
| treachery.
| He spoke of the courtesy of the Span
! iards and Cubans when the vessel had
reached Havana, and said the night of
the disaster was dull, overcast, Sultry and
| oppressive. and the men had been 'piped
down at o'clock. The water of the har-
| Dor was foul and the passing ferry boats
| stirred it up and caused terrible odors to
| fill the atmosphere. He described the ex-
| plosion and its stunning effect and said
when the bugler sounded taps" a few
moments before the disaster the notes Of
the trumpet sounded weirdly strange and
the echoes rolled back as if they de-
sired the bugler to repeat them. A few
minutes 'a'er tho bugler was dead.
Admiral Sgsbee described the bravery
OF Private Anthony of the marine guard
in reporting that THE ship was sinking
sir" He pictured some of the narrowing
scenes that followed. and told of the as
sistance rendered the following day by
Miss Clara Barton of the Red Cross.
Receives an Ovation.
Miss Barton who was a guest of honor
on the, stage last night. was given a rous-
ing ovation. Admiral Sigsbee gave num-
Der of unwritten incidents of the destruc-
ton of the battleship. and was given a
rousing ovation several times during his
remarks. He expressed the hope that
the survivors of the Maine will yet be re-
warded with medals of honor by the gov
| eminent. He paid Chaplain Chadwick a
| splendid tribute, and said he was one of
! the heroes of the Maine disaster At the
conclusion of his address Admiral Sigs-
bee was given a rising vote of thanks by
tbs audience.
/ Col. John McElrop, editor of the Ma
| tional Tribune, said that never in the
/ history of the American navy was an
officer placed in such position as was
Capt. SigSbee that night in 1898 But
! The captain showed the manner of stuff
! he was made of and received the admira-
/ ton OF the world
! Judge William II. DeLacy of the Juve-
nile Court delivered an eloquent address,
and declared the comrades of Admiral
Sigsbee died in the discharge of their duty
! just as we'll as the men who fell on
Bunker Hill. at Concord. at Gettysburg
or Shiloh
I The American people will remember
! the Maine he added and from wonder
silent shore the men of the Maine beckon
us TO civic duty and to righteousness"
! Judge DeLacy said public opinion was
the greatest force in the world. 1t was
/ in advance of the law and leads the law
lie encouraged the proper treatment of
the working classes.
Address by Maj. Darlington.
Maj. J. Mcdowell Darlington, COM
mander of the local Confederate Veter-
| ans. also made an eloquent address. He
said the destruction of the Maine was
one of the most tragic occurrences of
modern times. He referred to his feel
| inGs as Confederate officer the night
Stonewall Jackson was killed. I'VE
pushed our enemy back at Chancellors-
ville, he said They were our enemy
| then. but are our countrymen now" He
spoke of the sons of Confederate veter-
ans who rushed to the front under "Old
Glory" when war was declared against
Spain.