The National tribune., 1910-10-20

cuSslon, ana ne VIII nave much IN his
annual message about them.
Some other matters are in his mind
for attention during his visit to the
Isthmus One of them is the demands
of the higher class of employees for in
creased compensation. Col. GoethaIs
told the President while visiting at Bev-
erly the other day that he thought there
was no justification for granting these
salary demands. The employees claim
that the higher cost of living depre-
ciates the value of the salaries they are
now receiving, but Col. Goethals says
he has investigated, and found that the
cost of living has not advanced upon
the 1sthmus with the single exception
of meats. and that the cost of meats
has advanced only about one cent a
pound
Another important decision the Pres
ident has made at Beverly during the
past week affects the raising of the
wreck of the battleship Maine in Ha-
vana 1Iarbor The special Board of
Army Engineers sent to Havana recon-
mended that the wreck be raised by the
Army, that the work be done by hired
labor and by the utilization of the Gov
ernments wroclling apparatus and such
other apparatus as might be found nee
essary. Because of the peculiar eXigen-
cies the board recommended that the
Army Engineer in charge be given full
liberty to engage such labor and ap-
paratuS as he needs without resorting
to the usual procedure of advertiSing z
therefor and letting contracts The
Chief of the Engineers of the Army,
Gen. Wm. II. Bixby. brought the report
of the special board to Beverly with his
own approval thereto. The President
promptly signed it, and now the work
will proceed.
Gen. Biyby said at Beverly that he
i
to view in the early Winter. by which
time Congress could decide what further
steps it wishced taken with reference to
the disposal of the same. An available
appropriation of 100000, made at the
last session. will be used but it is eX-
pected that more money will be needed
The Army Engineers will proceed at
once to erect a cofferdam of interlock-
ing steel pilings around the wreck
pumps will be set TO work, drawing out
the water. After the water is out ex-
cavations will he made around the
wreck. This may be done by spades
or by hydraulic processes. The pur-
pose is to expose the entire wreck to
view without disarranging the struc-
ture, SO that there may be full oppor-
tunity for judging how the explosion
came about by which it was sunk.
This is. of course, of great international
interest, because of the fact that the
sinking of the Maine virtually brought
on the war with Spain. The work of
exposing the wreck to view will be
overlooked by representatives of the
Army and the Navy. Spain has also
been invited to send an official to the
scene. and the Cuban Government will
be asked TO do likewise. Gen. Bixby
said the other day that probably every
opportunity would be offered to people
having any right to such a privilege to
photograph the structure in whole or in
part.
The plan decided upon for the re-
r1oval of the historic wreck is regard
ed as probably fhe wisest. John F.
O'Rourke, a New York Engineer, came
to Beverly early in the Summer and
int crested the President in a plan for
raising the wreck on bed of cables.
He had plan for placing strong steel
cables under the wreck at intervals of
few feet, and by tightening these with
jacks placed upon a platform to raise
the entire structure. The Army Engi
neers said the raising of the ship by
cables would mean the crumpling of
much of the framework, which has
rusted and weakened during the IL
years il has been submerged in salt
water. Because Of the tense interest in
ascertaining whether the explosion that
sunk the Maine was really from the
outside, as Naval Commission de-
clar@d. it was felt that this plan might
destroy important evidence.
1t had also been proposed to lift the
wreck by sending divers into the hull
to plaster the interior with air-tight
material, and then to lift the entire
structure by the pneumatic process
This consists of pumping air into the
hun till the water is forced out and the
vessel floats. The Army officers, how
ever, said the decks of the battlcship
are not strong enough to bear the pres-
sure of air. and. in fact, never would
have been strong enough.
The Army Engineers intend to float
the undamaged portion of the wreck
by the bulkheading process. Congress
probably will be asked to determine
what shall be done with the wreck. but
probably 1t will be decided to float this
undamaged portion out into the deep
sea and sink 1t. The forward portion
Of the ship. where the explosion worked
damage. will probably have to be re-
moved piece by piece
The popular interest in the proceed
ings will be very great, because the.
removal of the wreck has been talked
of for. Years. Apart from the scnti-
mental interest tie work will have "A
material advantage in clearing Havana
Harbor Of an annoying obstacle, and
Will give a much larger area for the
anchorage of shipping. The Maine oc-
cupied one Of the best anchorage places
in the harbor.
The 2OOth Pa.