The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-25
MAIN E IN
II A Y A N A
flARBOR
Wreckage of the Ship
Reflects on This
Government

Washington, D. c., Jan. 25.-Gover-
nor Magoon of the provisional gov
ernment of Cuba. In his annual report
to the secretary of war, made public
today, briAgs to his attention the
wreck of the United States battleship
Maine In Havana harbor and recon-
mends that the government take I'M
mediate steps to accomplish its re-
movN without further delay. He
says:
The wreck Of the Maine continues
to lie In the mud and waters of Ha-
yana harbor. The sunken battleship
Is serious menace 10 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 a shoal. The
moderate tides prevailing In the har-
Dor are hardly sufficient to prevent a
gradual filling up and this Shoal ser
iously interferes with the action of
the tides and, therefore, the entire
barbor 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 distance to pre-
vent 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. Is ap-
parently abandoned and forgotten by
the government and the people of the
United States. Thousands Of Ameri.
cans and other thousands OF other ma
tionalitieS annually enter the harbor
of Havana and probably not one omits
to express regret and centure for the
deplorable spectacle. 1t has become a
scandal The neglect to remove the
wreck is attributed by many, especially
the large Spanish contingent IN Cuba
the fear that its removal will disclose
the fallacy OF the popular belief that
the Maine was destroyed by torpedo
or mine instead of an interior eX
plosion: SO far does this opinion pre-
vail that I believe the Cuban govern
ment was deferred thereby from deal
ing with the wreck as an obstruction
to navigation of its coastal waters and
destroying 1t; however. 1t should be
added that the Cuban authorities were
also restrained by belief that the
United States would some time de
sire and attempt to remove 1t and pre-
serve the wreck as whole instead o1
breaking 1t 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 shows that &
belief prevails In those departments
that 1t is necessary to secure, by
/ treaty or otherwise. the consent OF the
republic of Cuba to the authorities o
the United States entering the harbol
of Havana and proceeding with tho
work of removal; this permission, 4
necessary. can be easily secured ant
the Cuban government would gladl.
afford every assistance In It's power t
accomplish the desired result, not on
! ly because OF the injury to the har
Dor facilities, but also because of thu
prompting of patriotism and senti
ment
II earnestly recommend that th'
UNITED States government take I'm
mediate steps to accomplish the re
moval without further delay"