The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-26
MAINE IN HAVANA
3ATrLESHTP ANCHORS IN CHIEF
 HARBOR OF CUBA.
Marked Attention Paid to American Vessels Present torTake Part In InauuREtf0n of New
 Government,

Havana, Jan. 25.-On this, the elev- enth anniversary of the arrival of the old battleship Maine on her ill-fated mission to Cuban waters, the new Maine, with the still more modern Mississippi following in her wake sail ed into Havana karbor to be present at the inauguration of Gen. Jose Mi guel Gomez and the new Cuban gov ernment on Thursday next.
 This is the first visit of the name sake of the wrecked warship and her coming excited great interest, not only among Americans, but among all classes of the residents, who lined the harbor walls from La Punta battery, opposite Morro, to Machina wharf, off which the two American battleships are moored to an anchorage buoys to- night within a few hundred yards of the tangled mass of steel and the old fighting top, the visible remnants of the vessel destroyed February 15. 1898
 The new Maine arrived at II a., m. precisely the hour at which the old Maine steamed into the harbor on Jan uary 25. 1898. The old Maine saluted the Spanish flag over Morro Castle. To- day the new Maine. which is the flag ship of the third squadron of the At lantic fleet, commanded by Rear Ad-
  nant flying from the historic old fort ress. The salute was returned by the Cabanas battery on a high hill over looking the harbor. This afternoon calls were exchanged by Rear Admiral Arnold. Governor Magoon and the Am erican Minister. Edward Morgan.
 The Maine and Mississippi joined company at Key West yesterday morn ing, the former coming up from Vene- zuelan waters and the latter down the coast from the Philadelphia navy yard. The time of the arrival of the Warships was communicated to the authorities at Havana by wireless and the people poured out to the water front to wit ness the spectacle.
 The vessels, with vari-colored signal flags constantly flying from their mastheads, sailed by Morro and steam ed into the harbor close enough to the Havana shore for the people to hear the Cuban National anthem, which was played by the ships bands.
 The Maine led the way and was the only vessel to fire a salute. Both ships appeared massive and formida- ble as they swept close to the shore paint they recalled the days of the Spanish American war. Cubans and | Spaniards residing in Havana, who have been accustomed of late years to the immediately white American war ships, were surprised at the grim color of today's visitors.
 Occasional applause and some cheer ing greeted the ships, but for the most part the Cubans looked on silently All shipping in the harbor stopped as the two big vessels threaded the chal- mel to the anchorage buoys assigned to them by the port authorities. These buoys are-the nearest in the harbor to the wreck of the old Maine, which naturally attracted intense interest on the part of the officers and men on the two ships.
 In the course of the afternoon parties from both vessels made a close inspection in small boats, of the visi- bIe portions of the wreck.
 Tonight the streets of Havana s down town section are filled with hun dreds of blue jackets on liberty. Lieu tenant Commander w. T. Cluverius of the Mississippi. is a survivor of the old Maine on which he was serving as A midshipman at the time of the ex- plosion which destroyed her.
 Lieutenant Commander Sumner E.. W. Kittele, navigator of the Missis- sippi is a son-in-law of Rear Admiral Sigsbee retired who was in command of the Maine.