Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-14

Taft today fnally approved plans Iof
raising the wreck of the battleship
Maine from Havana harbor, which
called for the completion of the work
| on or before the 18th anniversary of
| the destruction of the war vessel, Feb.
| - next. The work is to be done ac-
| cordng to plans made by army engi-
neers and to be under the direction of
an engineer officer
President Taft believes that the par
amount QUESTION in the raising of the
Maine is the determining for all time
of the cause of the explosion and
whether the source of destruction was
from the outside or inside of the ves-
sci. For this reason he desires that
the work shall remain in the hands of
the army engineers and not be let by
contract
BY direction of the President, Spain
has been invited to send a representa-
tive to Havana to be present during the
work of exposing and removing the
wreck.
The disposition of the old hulk re-
mains to be settled The army engin-
GERS believe that it will be possible To
float the after two thirds of the vessel.
wrought the greatest havoc and killed
the greatest number of the crew. while
they were asleep in their quarters. is
believed to be too far gone ever to be
taken out as a whole and the wreckage
will be removed piecemeal If Con-
gress approves the recommendation OF
the engineer in charge, the wreck will
be taken out to sea and be given
ceremonial burial in deep water. there
to remain until the end of time Nari-
Gus plans have been suggested of ex
hibiting the wreck and preserving it
but none of these finds favor with tn
authorities at Washington.
Gen. William H. Bixby, chief of en-
gineers of the army, spent an hou"
with the President this afternoon and
after explaining the plans for the re
moval of the wreck in detail, secured
the Presidents formal approval il
writing. Gen. BiXby later issued 1t
statement which in formal way out
lines the work to be undertaken. He
believes that the task can be complet
ed within three months, and while NJ
special effort is to be made in that
direction, it is his opinion that Havana
harbOr will be clear of the wreck by
Feb. Is next.
If the wreckage of the forward par:
of the vessel is in a condition to permit
of definite conclusions. the cause OF
the destruction of the ship on Feb. Il,
! 1898, will have been determined by thu
end of January next. No portion OF
| the wreck is to be disturbed until full,
| opportunity has been given to view and
nd hr fret t.,
be undertaken will be the construction
of a Golfer dam of interocking stee.
pillars about the hulk and pumping out
the water The dam will be large
enough to give clearance of fifty fee.
on all sides of the wreck. The forward
| turret of the battleship was blown
completely off the vessel and the dam
will be SO constructed as to include the
turret just as it now lies in the harbor
The pumping out of the water when
the dam il completed will unquestion-
ably be an impressive event.
The army engineers will endeavor tn
give everyone who has right to be
present ample accommoda tons for
sharing in the first view of the exposed
WreCkage.
large number of the bodies o.
sailors who lost their lives in the dis
aster were never recovered. 1t is be-
lieved that nothing but skeletons will
now be found. These will be removed
at once and taken to Arlington Nation
al cemetery at Washington for burial
After the wreck has been thoroughly
examined and studied bulkheads will be
built into such portions of the wrecl,
as it is thought can be foated and the
damaged portions will be hoisted from
the bottom piecemeal. Congress then
will he asked to settle the question of
the disposition of the last remnants of
the armOr clad, whose destruction is gen
orally believed to have precipitated the
Spanish-American war
The wreck is now in Is feet of water
1t has sunk but one foot since the dis
aster Underneath the wreck soft mud
has been found to a depth of five to
eight feet, and beneath this there is
hard clay into which the steel piles will
be driven.
The dam to be constructed about the
wreck will be Ais feet in length and 375
in width at the widest point. Twenty or
more plans were submitted to the army
engineers and to the President for rails
ing the wreck. None was quite so SIM
pie as that adopted by the army officers