The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-06
WRECK OF THE MAINE DEAD FoREGRo UsD

. s
government already had the services
of General Bixby. who is recognized as
the most distinguished waterway en-
gineer OF this country
Indeed. for this branch OF engineer
Ing the government especially trained
him at tho beginning of his career,
for as a reward for his graduating at
West Point at the head of, his class he
graduate course In the National School
of Bridges. Highways. River and Har-
Dor Improvement. He has been pres
dent of the Mississippi River commits
sion for several years. ana It was he who
had charge Of all that greet harbor and
channel improvements on the great
lakes between Buffalo and Duluth. In
Huron and Superior. and the great sault
Ste. Marie Lock.
He has also had charge of the Inn
provements of the entire Ohio River,
as well as the upper Mississippi, and
last year he was assigned as special
advisory engineer to the National
Waterways Commission. In working
out the scheme for the recovery of the
Maine he has been advised by board
of three engineer officers. Colonel W.
NJ. Black Lieutenant Colonel NJ NJ.
Patrick and Captain n. B. Ferguson,
the last named among whom will have
direct charge of the work in Havana.
To Seek bones of Seventy-hve En-
trapped Men.
Recovery of the bones of the victims
still in the wreck will be gruesome
function of the corps of men al work
in the cofferdam. The total compile
ment of the Maine was 355 officers and
men, of whom ESQ were killed or
drowned on the night of the explosion
and seven more died afterwards in the
hospital, making a total of $50 victims.
Altogether lis bodies were recovered
from the ship and the surrounding
waters, but seventy-five corpses were
never found. How many of these went
down inside the hull and how many
foated out to sea nobody knows. The
work of caring for such OF the
partments Of the wreck will probably
be supervised by naval chaplain. who
will save every article which might
aid in Identification.
Tho skeletons recovered will be
placed in .caskets and borne aboard a
naval vessel to the Arlington National
Cemetery, opposite Washington, where
the Names military mast, will be
erected as the GROWING feature of
a memorial monument to be dedicated
TO all Of the victims of the tragedy
of February Is, 1893.
Cut In Two ana Floated.
The wreck will he hoated after 1t
has been examined by the Spanish,
r,,l, A
but this cannot be effected until the
badly damaged portion of the bow has
been cut off. This having been ac-
complished. water-tight bulkhead OF
timber llvbe built across the front of
tie remainder Of the hull.
This cutting of the ship In two Is
la simple matter, General Bixby tells
me. Two or three years ago a big
vessel built up on the lakes had to
be taken. out to sea. but was found
TO be too long to go throug the locks
of the Welland Canal leading from.
Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. So the
owners placed her In drydock, out her
in two, put a bulkhead in each open
endaand towed the halves, separately,
out to@the st. Laurence, where she was
put In drydock agln and riveted to-
fBether. 5s
The three-acre cofferdam about the
Maine will serve, as a drydock for this
spurnose, and after the big bulkhead
has been put in place the doors in
her compartments will be closed, III
tnally all of her leaks will be calked,
sppip Invited to Watch Work.
Spain has been invited to send Ato
Havana a representative, who Will be
given access to the Maine as soon as
the cofferdam has been Inwatered, and
"a similar Invitation has ben sent to
Cuba. The International aspect of the
undertaking was one cause which
moved the President "a intr,lst the
delicate task to the army englneers,
rather than to contractors. Economy
MAS another consideration. for Cuba
had offered our government the storage
yard doNk front, steam holsters, ldredg-
es, {pile-drivers and pumping apparatus
needed for, the work, and these have
Fsinca beenF e CCertAd hInraovnr the