The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-17
THE RAISING OF THE MAINE.

The present movement in Congress
for the raising of the battle.ship Maine
sunk in the harhor Of Havana twelve
years ago, surpasses any effort hereto
fore in that direction. II is obvious
that the Maine ought to be raised; it is
obvious also that there is a great re-
luctancc in Congress 10 provide for that
work. No specific reason has been given
by any member of Congress for that
reluctance, but there is no doubt that
pit springs from haunting fear in the
minds of the members lest the raising
should dispfoye tho finding of tho
Board of Inquiry as to the cause of
tho destruction of the Maine. There
IS no doubt but the "Roard did IFS
duty according 10 its light ms stated
by Rear Admiral r, L. Chadwick, re.
tired, who is the only surviving mem
ber Of that board. He is entirely salts
fed of the accuracy Of The finding made
by the board Of which he was Nom.
bcr; but, rs he says, for tho board TO
be so satisfied is one thing. and il is
quite another to convince the world at
large Of that accuracy without demon.
strable proof. And Admiral Chadwick
very justly says: "Our failure TO raise
the wreck has undoubtedly given an
impression to many Of n want of open.
ness and raightforwardnes on fhe
part of the Government He affrms
that it is our duty to remove this i'm
preston, and concludes with the fair
and candid statement, "Wc can af !
ford TO say that we were mistaken; we
cannot afford the imputation of fearing
the truth
Representative William Sulzer OF
New York, in recent speech. pleaded
strongly for the appropriation asked in
order TO raise the wreck OF the Maine.
and remove 1t from Havana harbor.
The authorities of Cuba and of Havana
desire this removal, because the ship
IS an obstruction to navigation, and
sandbar is forming around the wreck.
making shoaI where there was for.
merly deep water, In his speech Mr..
>ulZer makes his plea for the raising
of the ship on the following grounds:
The records in the Navy Department
he Maine was blown UP; that "A bodies
we're Immediately recovered and buried
n Key West. Fla; that later 144 bodies
we're recovered and buried i'm HabaiIa:
hat these bodies were subsequently,
'rought home ard buried In the national
at Arlington; that ut least 63
'odlcS were never recovered or accounted |
or, ana are now entombed I'm the wreck ,
II the Maine. For some nexpllcable rea-
on the Maine has never been raised and Y
hese bodies Of the Nations heroic dnaG .
covered and brought home for burIo1
(ur dereictton IN this matter is a ma '
ional disgrace 1t is becoming a big.
lack blot on our boasted patriotism
Public sentiment has demanded for {
ears that the wreck OF the Maine be (
alsed, that the truth OF her destruction =
e told, that the derellct be removed !
rom the channels OF navigation; that the {
odics OF these brave sailors who sacri-
iced their lives on the altar of their [
ountry be recovered, brought home and y
ecenty inferred I'm the national ceme-
cry.
There is no way of explaining away
ur dcreliction in this matter There {
) no possible way Of avoiding the con q
incing logic Of Mr. Sulzer's position. p
is the duty Of the United States, e
9th for its own honor and the candor d
nip and convey it out of the barbor OF
Iavana. u
The question is, whether the ship was o
estroyed by an explosion from without z
r an explosion from within. The Board s.
Inquiry, composed of eminent naval
ffcers, found, according to the best g
ghts they could get, that the explo- i
on was caused by torpedo from with 81
at. The Spaniards have always con. |
'nded that the ship was blown up from 81
thin. The position Of the plates at III
lie bottom of the ship can solve this
lestlon once they are exposed TO ex- n,
If the explosion was from al
ithout. the plates will be bent inward in
the explosion was from within, they n,
III be bent outward. Our contention ca
Is always been that the explosion was @,
ON without, which would require tha. ri
C plates should be bent inward. Ad m