Evening star., 1909-05-17
LECTURES ON DISASTER
Tells Of Obnoxious Circular Threaten
ing american Pigs"
Is AGAINST REMOVING WRECK
Shows Difficulties in Way-World
Now Credits Verdict Of Board,
He Asserts.

attempt at floral oratory or effort for
dramatic effect, Rear Admiral Charles D.
Sigsbee, who commanded the Inflated bat
tleship Maine when she was blown to
destruction In Havana harbor the night Of
February Is. 1898, told the story Of the
disaster at the New National Theater
last night.
1t was a carefully prepared recital of
the facts connected with one Of the most
events in American history py
one who must always be q historic char
acter and perhaps the one best fitted to
speak upon the subject.
Many Of Admiral Sigsbee's statements
and conclusions were supported by stere-
opticon illustrations, views taken at the
time or shortly after the destruction OF
the battleship. Among them was q fac
simile Of the obnoxious circular which
was spread broadcast through Havana at
the time the Maine arrived in the harbor,
and which. with the reference to "Ameri-
can pigs and their rotten squadron"
was handed the admiral on his way
through the city.
bee by request of the Maine Memorial AS
ISOLATION In aid of the fund for the erec-
ton of monument to the men Of the
Maine who lost their lives at her destruc-
ton. Gen. Horace Porter. president OF
the Navy League, introduced the distin-
guished lecturer Of the evening.
Story Of Maine Disaster.
Referring to the continuance beyond
ordinary bounds Of public sentiment re-
garding the Maine, the admiral said:
'.Her destruction was q turning point
in our own history and in the history
Of Spain-a turning point for the better
In both cases, let US hope? The event
came when relations between the two
countries were severely strained by rea-
son of popular agitation.
Right or wrong, the people of the
United States were on edge for better
conditions In Cuba. according to their
own reasoning on the situation. At our
very borders war with distressing
features and with no promise of ter
mination had continued for years. The
demands of our people that the war be
ended were constant and daily growing
more emphatic"
sponse to the demand of Americans in
Cuba who feared q recurrence Of a re-
cent riot in Havana the Maine was sent
to the Cuban capital.
He narrated events that occurred from
the Names departure from Key West
January %. 1898; how on her arrival
she had signaled for and been sent a
pilot by the authorities. who had guided
her to one Of the buoys commonly re-
served for war vessels.
States" said the admiral. that the
Maine was afterward shifted by the
Spanish authorities to another buoy, but
this was an error.
Bull Fight Incident.
Continuing. Admiral Sigsbee said it
was most important on his arrival that
he should know the state of popular
feeling in Havana regarding the Maine
After consultation with Consul General
Fitzhugh Lee. 1t was decided the best
way was to attend a bull fight.
Il have been made anathema for this
by certain pious people," he said Bull
fights were given only Sunday, but my
object was not pleasure. 1t frequently
has happened that an officer must re-
connoiter and sometimes even fight on
Sunday.
1T has been declared that my ships
company was doomed because Of the at
tendance at the bull fight on Sunday
Yet none who went to the bull fight was
injured in the loss of the Maine.
Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and several of the
Names officers went with me. Gen. Lee
and l later agreed that the situation was
tense
Armed soldiers were In front Of our
box or distributed elsewhere. Afterward
when a ferryboat returning from the bull
fight passed the Maine, few passengers
jeered u.s.
fight. While returning to his ship after
ward the offensive circular was handed
to him.
The Admiral then recounted with care
full detail the events that occurred on the
night of the battleship's destruction, his
own experiences and those of some of
the surviving officers and men. At times
he quoted the statements of the latter as
given to the naval board of inquiry.
Blown Up From Without.
The admiral declared the Maine was de-
stroyed by contact with a submarine
mine, whose explosion caused the explo-
sion of her magazines. He supported this
contention with views of the wreckage
showing the plates from the bottom of
the battleship high on top in the air and
the general condition of the superstruc-
ture.
To bear out this contention, which for
a time, he said, had been combated
abroad, he recited instances In the Russo
japanese war in which a Russian battle
ship. the Petropavlovsk, and the Japa-
nese battleship Hatsuse were destroyed
in precisely the same way.
'"The finding of our board of inquiry
he said, lis generally accepted as cor
rect now"
Referring to the proposition constantly
duNdIiCtu IIltI the maine De raised, the
admiral said:
Regarding the policy of raising the
Maine l have nothing to say. 1t might
be better to ask, s'Why is not the Maine
removed?'
Apparently the people have forgotten
the almost inconceivable wreckage of the
vessel and need recourse to the earlier
of the wreck. Most of the
parts above water were removed long
ago and the present appearance above
the water suggests but little of the mass
of torn. ruptured and twisted parts stiH
under water.
"To raise her so as to maintain the
existing mutual relations Of her multi
tudinous details would require engineer
ing operations too gigantic to contemplate.
A cofferdam could be built around her and
the inclosed water pumped out, thus ex-
posing the wreck.
Difficulties in Way.
1.-THE records Of the court already show
the conditions below. The Maine would
be found to have settled deep in the har-
Dor mud, or overspread a foot thick with
marine growth.
'In clearing away the wreck the filthy
mud of the harbor bed would be exposed
for weeks or months to the action of the |
tropical sun. Would the people of Havana
submit to that?
Taking her as she is, she could be
blown into manageable parts and the
parts removed. but that might subject us |
70 the charge of trying to conceal some |
thing, whereas the whole world now yir- |
.ually accepts the opinion Of the court.
II can see some things for r-yself but |
repeat that / do nor know the pox,or,, |