Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-05-27
WILL RAISE MAINE
TO END A SCANDAL
United States at Last to Lift
Wreck of BattIeship From
Sea Bottom.
TASK FOR ARMY ENGINEERS
Col. William, X. 1ixby Of St. Louis
VIII Direct the Work Which Was
Undertaken and Abandoned by
Several Private Contractors
downfall Of Economy.

Washington.-The signature by thu
president of the bill appropriatine
100000 for the raising of the wreck
Of the Maine in Havana harbol
marks the beginning of the end of al
international scandal. The greatest
war of the century-if we judge by
thegshifting of international RESPONSE
bi@ties-sprung out of the destruction
of the Maine. 1t stripped Spain of the
Philippines. of Porto Rico and Of
Cuba. in name If not yet in fact. The
war was inevitable, but it would not
have been SO bitterly waged had not
the cry Remember the Maine" been
raised.
Yet for nearly twelve years the
wreck of the Maine has been left to
lie in the ooze of Havana harbor with
the bodies of 63 seamen pinned down
under its disintegrating steel struc.
ture.
The press of Europe. never too
friendly to the United States. has al.
ways claimed that we dared not raise
the shattered hulk lest the charge that
1t was destroyed by torpedo from
without Ie disproved. Proof will rest
on the single question whether the
bottom plates of the ship were bent
inward or outward. If the former, 1t
shows attack from without; If the lat
ter, it proves what Spain has always
contended. that the vessel was de.
stroyed by the explosion Of her own
magazines.
1t is not quite fair to say that the
United States has Jagged in the effort
to raise this murdered ship. to recover
the bodies of its gallant victims and
to determine the cause OF its destruc.
ton. In February, 1898. only eight
days after the destruction Of the ship.
congress appropriated 100000 to &C.
complish this end. Work was begun
through private contract, with the re-
suit that after raising few guns and
other equipments Of the ship the con-
tractors threw up the contract.
made for the discovery and recovery
of the bodies. but in every instance
the contractors abandoned the work.
When the task of raising the wreck
of the Maine is really begun 1t will
fall to the lot of Col. William H. Blk
by OF st. Louis to direct it. Brig. Gen.
W. l. Marshall. chief engineer Of the
army. will arrange the preliminaries.
but as he retires for age June IL. the
work will fall upon his successor.
Colonel Bixby. Speaking Of the plans
Tor raising the ship. General Marshall
said in substance:
1T will be necessary to examine the
wreckage to find out just what condi-
lions are as preliminary to any
scheme that may be devised to raise
1er."
How the Work Will Be Done.
General Marshall explained that 1t
night be feasible to employ tub or
:offerdam. Then the ship would be
jumped out and made as light as pos
'ible. repaired temporarily and made
10 that she could be floated. OF course.
whether she could be repaired SO as
o be f1oated would depend altogether
lpon the nature Of the holes in her.
Plans for cofferdam were previ-
'usly suggeste. A huge tub was to
70 built around the submerged vessel
o keep out the waters Of the harbor,
While the waters and the mud within
he tub were to be pumped out. re-
ealing the wreck as it lay on the bed
I the harbor.
Probably all American citizens will
'e glad to know that the bill signed
y the president provides that the
york Of raising the ship shall be un-
ertaken by army engineers instead
I by private contractors All that
an be saved Is the forward turret,
nd the mast-both for monumental
urposes at Arlington cemetery, where
he bones of the 63 sailors. long bur-
I'd in Havana horbor. shall be in
erred. Two hundred thousand dol.
ars have been appropriated to raise
ne ship and we can be sure 1t will be
aised Any duty committed to the
rmy or navy of the United States is
ways done.
The Downfall Of Economy.
Nobody will begrudge this money
,r the raising of the Maine, Few,
erhaps. will object to President Taft's
roposition to appropriate $780, for
commission to study and to amend
hat he described as the most per.
ct tariff law ever enacted. The
merican people. being always gen.
rous, have not as yet complained
bout the fact that the real reason for
le Taft discontinuance Of travel Is
lat the government appropriation for S
Is travel is almost exhausted. There
really little complaint, as yet. that
le Taft travel has added something .
ke $4,000 annually to the expense ,
the United States secret service, :
hich is charged with his protection. a
decd. there is no fight being made I
l any of these individual items.
Perhaps II there were. the gross an.
'opriations, made or assured. Of this !
xty.second congress would not reach
their present amount as compared
tin those OF the last preceding Sos.
on. Here In fact Is the authoritative
BILE of the appropriations Of the two
,ssions: