Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-25
MAINE WRECK
MENACE To
HARBOR
GOVERNOR MACON URGES
ITS IMMEDIATE REMOVAL
Skeleton of III Fated BattIeShip
Offers Serious Danger to
Ships Entering Havana; Hulk
Contains Slxty-Three Bodies,


IBy Morning journal Special Leased WirsI
| Washington, ID, c., Jan. 24,--Gover-
nor Magoon, of the provisional gov
ernment of Cuba, In his annual report
to the secretary of war. made public
| today, brings TO his attention the
wreck of the United states battleship
Maine in Havana harbor, aud recom-
mends that the government take Inn
mediate steps to accomplish It's re-
moval without further delay. He says;
THE wreck of the Maine continues
to lie in the mud and waters of Ha-
vana harbor, The sunken battleship
Is serious menace to the shipping of
the harbor, as it occupies a portion Of
the best anchorage. The obstruction
has increased annually during the
past ten years by causing shoal. The
moderate tides prevailing in the har-
Dor are hardly sufficient to prevent a
gradual filling up, and this shoal Sc
riously nterferes with the action Of
the tides and, therefore, the entire
harbor Is rapidly filling 1t will be
necessary. in a short time to begin
dredging in order to provide proper
anchorage for the large amount of
shipping now entering the harbor un-
less the wreck is removed The an
chorage is also restricted by the
wreck and the shoal, for ships are
obliged to anchor at sufficient dis
tance to prevent grounding in case
they strain on their cables.
Even more important than this OBJ |
struction to navigation is the fact that |
this wreck, although It contains the
bodies of sixty-three American sea-
men, or what Is left of them, IL ap- |
parently abandoned by the govern |
ment and people the United |
states. Thousands of Americans and |
other thousands of other nationalities |
annually enter the harbor of Havana. |
ana probably not one omits to express |
regret ana censurc for tile d~pldrahi |
spectacle. 1t has become a national |
reproach and an international scandal
The neglect to remove the wreck Is
attributed by many. especially the
large Spanish contingent in cuba. to
the fear that its removal Will disclose
the tallacy of the popular belief that
the Maine was destroyed by torpedo
or mine instead OF an interior explO-
sion. so generally does this opinion
pvreai that l believe the Cuban gov
ernment was deferred thereby from
dealing with the wreck as an obstruc-
tion to navigation of its coastal waters
and destroying it; however, IL should
be added that the Cuban authorities
were also restrained bu a belief that
the United States would some time de-
sire and attempt to remove IT, and
preserve the wreck as "A whole instead
Of breaking il up and removing 1t in
the more inexpensive manner,
The correspondence on file in the
department of state and the navy de-
partment at Washington show that a
belief prevails in those Departmental
that ii is necessary to secure byl
A treaty or otherwise. the consent of
the republic Of cuba to the authorities
of the United states entering the
narbor of Havana and proceeding with
the work of removal; this permission,
Il necessary. can be easily secured, and
The Cuban government would gladly
afford every assistance in its power
10 accomplish the desired result, not
only because of the injury to the har-
Dor facilities, but also because OF the
prompting Of patriotism and senti- |
nent. / earnestly recommend that
he United states take immediate :
,teps to accomplish the removal with l
,ut further delay" /