The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-26
MISREPRESENTATION
BATTLEsH|P MAINE
Hulk of U. s. Warship, Tomb Of SO,
Will Be Raised From Bottom Of
Havana Harbor.

HAVANA, CUBA. Sept. 26 After IL
years OF delay and seeming indiffer-
ence. the United States is at last
theoretically preparing 20 raise the
hulk OF the batleship Maine, blown
~ In Havana harbor on that memoir
able fifteenth of February. 1898, and
left where 1t lay, nearly submerged,
watery tomb for SO American sail
ors.
Preliminary work Is already in
progress. board OF engineers has
reported feasibly on the proposition.
and preparations for the actual rails
Ing are going forward rapidly, with
American army and naval engineers
on the job, ably assited by representa-
lives OF the Cuban government.
The debris OF the old Maine hulk
that has remained an eyesore to Wis
itors and an obstruction to shipping
interests and shame TO the United
States since the war, is to be cleared
away with all possible speed.
Col. w. NJ. Black, Capt. Ferguson.
assistant Engineer Harper and Gel.
Patrick are In charge. A preliminary
survey OF the harbor and its floor has
been completed.
The Cuban government is aiding in
every way possible. The treasury
department has promised that the
machinery brought here will be eX-
empt from duty. The reservation in
Casa Blanca, along the water front
has been set aside as a storage place
for materials. and President Gomez
has donated the use OF the floating
- he artx ,n,Nk % 10
works and its personnel.
An appropriation OF 100000 from
congress Is available for the work,
and should this amount prove insult
fcient, 1t Is believed that additional
appropriations will be quickly avail
able. Some estimates place the cost
at 100000.
Senior Manuel Lombillo-Clark,
capable Cuban engineer in charge or
the harbor works, Is cooperating with
the Americans In every way. There Is
not doubt entertained here that the
work will be pushed rapidly this fall
and winter, and that II will probably
be completed next spring.
The keel OF the Maine Is imbedded
In the harbor mud. and slime to a
depth OF from TO 10 feet Beneath
this strata Of oozy sediment that COW
ers the whole OF Havana harbor, Is
q coral reef floor The problem Is to
sink cofferdams about the wreck,
pump out the water and leave the de-
bris to be removed by derricks.
The expedient of blowing the wreck
to smithereens by dynamite and re-
moving it piecemeal has been sug-
gested. but sentiment is strong
against II because OF the presence OF
some or all of So uncovered bodies
in the hulk, one OF which was seen
by a diver recently Little more than
the skeleton remained.
1.-THE bodies, or skeletons, will be re-
covered and probably will be buried
IN the National cemetery at Arlington
with appropriate honrs.
The raising of the Maine Is expect
ed to solve the problem of the real
cause OF the destruction Of the vessel.
II Is popularity supposed that IL was
blown up by mine planted by Span
ish agents. The official board which
investigated reported that the explo-
sion came from without, but did not
place the blame. Others believe, how
ever, that the explosion occurred In
side the vessel and was really an ac-
cident. II the latter theory Is estab-
lished an international sensation will
result, and the United States may be
placed in an embarrassing position,
because the Spanish-American war
was generally regarded, In large
measure, as brought about by the
blowing up of the Maine.