Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-14
AIM Is TO DETERMINE
CAUSE OF THE EXPULSION
Scheme Is Outlined In Full for the
Work 70 be Done-cam viii be
Built Around Wreck and Water
Pumped Out Exposing Whole
Skeletons Expected to be Found.

BEVERLY, MASS, OCT. t3--fresl
dent Taft today finally approved plans
for raising the wreck of the battle
ship Maine from Havana harbor,
which cali for the completion OF the
work ON or before the thirteenth an
niyersary of the destruction of the
war vessel. February 10, next. The
work Is to be done according to
plans made by army engineers and
is to be under the direction of an en-
gineer officer. President TAFT Tins
evening said that the paramount
question in the raising OF The Maine
is the determining for all time The
cause of the explosion aaI whether
The source of destruction was fem
the outside or inside the ys~sel. For
this reason he desires that :he work
shall be retained in the lands of the
army engineers and not ier out by
contract.
BY decision of the President, Spain
mas been invited to send represen-
tative to Havana to be present during
the work of removing the wreck.
Will Remove by PiecemeaI.
The disposition of the old hull re-
mains to be settled. The army en-
gineers believe that it will be posi-
bic to float the after two-thirds OF
the vessel The forward third, where
the explosion wrought the greatest
havoc and killed the greatest number
while they were asleep in their quar-
tiers. is believed to be too far gone
ever 10 be taken out as whole, AMI
l, I'd tain
meal.
If congress approves the recon-
mendation of the engineers the wreck
will be taken to sea and given cers--
monial burial in deep water to re
main until the end of time.
General William Bixey, chief of ell
gineers of the army, spent an noir
with the President this evening and
after explaining the plans for the re-
moval of the wreck in detail, secured
the Presidents formal approval Gen
eral Bixey later issued a statement
which outlines the work to be under
taken.
Will Take Three Months.
He believes that the task can be
COMPLETED within three months and
il is his opinion that Havana harbof
will be clear of the wreck by Febru-
airy Is. next. If the wreckage of tie
forward part or the vessel is in con-
dition to permit of definite conciu
sions. the cause OF the destruction OF
the ship on February II, 1898, Will
have been determined probably by the
middle of January next. No portion
of the wreck is to be disturbed until
a full opportunity has been given to
view and study it.
I To this end the first work will be
the construction of a cofierdam OF in
terlocking steel pilings about the
hulk. The dam will be large enough
to give a clearance of 80 feet on all
sides of the wreck The forward tur-
ret of the battleship was blown com
nletely off the vessel and the dam
will be constructed as to include the
turret lust as il now lies IN the har-
Dor.
Expect Only Skeletons.
The pumping out of water when
the dam is completed Will unquestioh-
ably be an impressive event large
number OF bodies of sailors VINO iost
their lives in the destruction were
never recovered. II is believed that
nothing but skeletons viii now be
found. These will be taken TO the
Arlington national cemetery at Wash
ington for burial
After the wreck has been thorough
" examined and studied. bulkheads
will be built into such portions OF
the wreck as Il is thought can be
fioated and the damaged portions VIII
be boisted from the bottom by piece
meal. Congress then viii be asked
10 settle the question OF the DISPOSE
ton of the remnants Of the armo-
clad. whose destruction has generally
believed TO have precipitated the
Spanish-kmerican war
Congress recently appropriated
$500 600 for raising and removing the
wreck. The army engineers visited
Havana some time ago and began an
examination Of the wreck and 81 the
various plans suggested for its re-
movaL
The Dam 20 be Built.
The wreck Is now in q feet 81 va
ter. II has sunk but one foot in the
twelve years and a half since II went
down. Underneath the wreck soft
mud has been found to a depth Of
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