The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-10-21
TO RAISE maine
WORK WILL BE COMPLETED BY
FEB. is, ANNIVERSARY
OF DISASTER.
TAFTAPPROYESTHE PLANS
Golfer Dam to Be Built and Water
Pumped Out-SkeIetons of Sail
ors Will Be Buried in
Arlington.

Beverly, Observation-Disclosures
Taft has finally approved plans for
raising the wreck of the battleship
Maine from Havana harbor which call
for the completion of the work on
or before the thirteenth anniversary
OF the destruction Of the war vessel,
Feb. Is next. The work is to be done
according to plans made by army en-
g%ineers and to be under direction of an
engineer officer.
President Taft believes that the
paramount question in the raising of
the Maine is the determining for all
time of the cause of the explosion, and
whether the source of destruction was
from the outside or inside of the ves-
sci. For this reaso he desires that
the work shall be retained in the
hands of the army engineers and car
ried out by contract.
By direction Of the president, Spain
has been invited to send a representa-
tive to Havana to be present during
the wreck of exposing and removing
the wreck.
The disposition of the old hulk re-
mains to be settled. The army engi-
peers believe that it will be possible
to float the after two-thirds of the
vessel. The forward third, where the
explosion wrought the greatest havoc
and killed the greatest number of the
crew while they were asleep in their
quarters, is believed to be too far
zone even to be taken out as a whole
md the wreckage will be removed
piecemeal.
May be Taken to Sea.
If congress approves the recommen-
hation of the engineers the wreck will
be taken out to sea and given a cere-
monial burial in deep water, there to
remain until the end of time.
Various plans have been suggested
for exhibiting the wreck and preserv-
Ing it, but none of these find favor
with the authorities at Washington.
General William r. Bixby, chief Of
engineers OF the army, spent an hour
with the president and after explain
ing the plans for the removal of the
wreck in detail secured the presidents
formal approval in writing. General
Bixby later issued a statement which
outlines the work to be undertaken.
He believes that the task can be COM
pleted within three months and it is
his opinion that Havana harbor will be
clear of tho Wrnnk hu Enhr,roru TX
next.
If the wreckage of the forward part
Of the vessel is in a condition to per-
nit of definite conclusions the cause
Of the destruction of the ship on Feb
ruary Is, 1898, will have been deter
mined, probably by the middle of JAN
nary next. No portion of the wreck is
10 be disturbed until a full opportunity
has been given to view and study it.
To this end the first work will be the
construction of a Golfer dam of inter-
locking steel pilings about the hulk.
The dam will be large enough to give
q clearance of so feet on all sides of
The wreck. The forward turret of the
battleship was blown completely off
The vessel and the dam will be con-
btructed so as to include the turret just
as it now lies in the harbor. The
pumping out of Che water when the
lam is completed will be an impress
sive event.
Only Skeletons, Probably.
A large number of the bodies of sail
ors who lost their lives in the disaster
were never recovered. 1t is believed
that nothing but skeletons will now be
found. These will be taken to the Ar
lington National cemetery at Washing.
lon for burial.
After the wreck has been thorough
ly examined bulkheads will be built
into such portions as it is thought can
be fioated and the damaged portions
will be hoisted from the bottom piece
meal.
Congress recently appropriated
$500 900 for raising and removing the
wreck. The army engineers visited
Havana some time ago and began an
examination both of the wreck and
the various plans suggested for it's
removal.
The wreck is now in 25 feet of watr.
1t has sunk but one foot in IL years
and a half since it went down. Under.
meath the wreck soft mud has been
found to a depth of 5 to s feet.
and beneath this there is hard clay
into which the steel plates will be
driven. The dam to be constructed
about the wreck will be las feet in
length and 237 feet in width at the
widest point. Twenty or more plans
were submitted for raising the wreck,
but meme was so simple as that adopted
by the army officers.