The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-15
CAN THE MAINE
Be BROUGHT Up?
BEST ENGINEERS IN THE COUN-
TRY WORKING ON PROBLEM TO
RAISE THE WRECK.

hdl DOl, reD 10, 1898, WIN the loss U
two officers, 23O sailors and ?
|, marines, be raised?
This is the question that congress
mas put up TO the war department
100000 having been appropriated t.
either raise or destroy the historic
wreck and bury the dead, should The
remains of any of the unfortunat,
sailormen be found
Many officers are frank in their de
claration that the Maine cannot be
raised. They have maintained since
the Spansh-American war that the
wrecked battleship, mass of twisted
| steel, her forward turret blown away
and with forward keel rising above
the stern cannot possibly be success.
/ fully raised.
Engineers of the army however, are
more optimistic and numerous confer.
ences have been held by war depart.
| ment officials with contractors from
various parts of the country. In addl
tion the question has been still fur
ther complicated by the LEGAL aspect.
which made it necessary for the war
department to obtain from the depart.
ment of justice an opinion recently
rendered that the 100000 appropriate
ed by congress can be used in any
way the war department engineers
see fit.
That department has appointed a
board consisting of Col William II.
Black. chief of the harbor improve
ment work at New York City. Lit. Col.
Mason NJ. Patrick, an army engineer
on duty at Norfolk, Va. and Captain
Harley B. Ferguson, engineer officer
at Montgomery, Ala, who will make
a survey of the wreck and determine
how the Maine shall be raised, if in
their opinion such thing is possible.
A most interesting situation is thus
established and it will be curious to
watch the work of the army engineers.
who will be backed by the experience
of many civil contractors, as against
the opinion of naval officers that the
wreck cannot be raised.
At conferences held by the army en-
gineers with civil contractors who are
seeking the honor and money in
volyed in the attempt to raise the
Maine many curious plans have been
presented.
John F, O'Rourke, president of the
O'Rourke Construction company OF
New York, who has solved some OF
the greatest engineering problems of
in the development of New York City,
had long conference with former
President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay re-
Gently. Colonel Roosevelt having al
ways shown a deep interest in the
wreck of the Maine, Mr.. O'Rourke
took his plan to Oyster Bay before
presenting il to the war department. /.
His idea is not only to raise the Maine
but to bring the remains of the ship
back to the United States under her
own steam. He proposed to build .
around the Inflated vessel a floating
wharf and to lift her to this by means
of caissions. He is on record al the
war department as being anxious to
obtain the contract, if one is to be
let, not only for the sake of the mon.
ey that would be in it for his firm, but
for the honor he might gain in the
eyes of his countrymen. Tunnels una
er the wreck through which cables
are to be passed also enter into the
ORourke plan.
John f. Arbucl,le, who when he is
not roasting coffee or establishing :
loating hospitals for the poor children :
Df New York city, devo;es his time
o the raising of wrecks. is a'so after
he honor of the job. He raised the |
naval collier Nero. stranded on the l
'ocks at Brenton Reef Newport. r. l.,
md Sound steamer that Went ashore
,ff the Massachusetts coast as Wen
Is other crafts. II is Mr. Arbuckla
Doast recently repeated in a long tee.
ram to the secretary of the navy
hat he has never experienced a fail
ire in raising ships. He is now try.
ne TO raise the auxiliary cruiser
'ankee. sunk on reef in the Buz. ]
ards bay, Massachusetts, =
Naval officers insist that the Maine ..
annot be raised. first because there
; probably only half a ship left. the
'hole forward end being destroyed. e
econdly, they say that she is lying "
eep in the muck of Havana hartor a
'hich presents not only a serious en- "
ineering problem. but will cause un- el
oubted Illness and most likely death &c
, the salvage workers to say nothing oi
f the residents of Havana IL this rot in
of Havana's sewage 20