The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-11
ANOTHER PROBLEM
FACES DEPARTMENT
Raising of Maine May leopard
ize Thousands of People
BY SPREADING DISEASE
Mud in Havana Harbor Is Said to Be
Loaded With Deadly Germs of
"YelIow Jack"-Might Affect
United States
BY SPREADING DISEASE
By SIDNEY EsPEY

By SIDNEY ESPEY
Washington, September 10.-(Special.)-
VIII the raising of the United States
battleship Maine, now buried in q feet
of slime and filth that has been pouring
into the harbor of Havana for centuries,
cause an epidemic of yellow fever in Ha-
vana and spread to the southern gulf
cities?
This question war department officials
refuse to discuss at length preferr1ng
to make this minor consideration TO the
all important one of raising the Maine to
determine whether or not the war with
Spain was justified.
Since the city of Havana assumed the
proportions of city several centuries
ago its sewage has emptied into the
harbor. As there is practically no tide
the slime and filth settle to the bottom
of the bay. Until American occupation
of the island Cuba was annually visited
with the deadly scourge of yellow fever
and rigorous quarantine was observed by
all cities of the United States against
the Queen of the Antilles" Partieu-
larly was this true of the southern gulf
ports where traffic with the island was
heavy. Notwithstanding this, yellow
fever was brought into the United
States and epidemios of the disease We're
prevalent throughout the southern
states Following the American occupa-
ton sanitary conditions on the island
were much improved, although by no
means made perfect Havana harbor is
ctt ton, Of
the city's sewage.
When the Maine was blown up. II years
ago, by what is now thought to have
been a Spanish torpedo or mine, the
wreck began to slowly disappear. in the
mud of Havana harbor until the mast
and some twisted steel junk are the only
visible signs that a nAmerfcan battle
ship and its crew have paid the price of
war.
Since that time American citizens have
been calling for the raising of the Maine
and recovering the bodies of the brave
crew who have been so ANONYMOUSLY
neglected by the government and through
tardy legislation by Congress .appropria-
tions have at last been made which will
make this undertaking a reality.
To do this two plans which strike of
fcials as practical have been submitted;
one calls for the building of a oofferdam
around the vessel and the other for con-
structing two wharves, one on either side
of the battleship and raising 1t by means
of cables. In either case, however, it will
be necessary to dig through the mud and
filth which now cover the wreck. In the
former case, should that plan be more
acceptable, more than 2,500000 cubic feet
of offensive mud and slime will have to
be pumped from the bottom of the har-
Dor. What amount of disease may spread
over the city of Havana or even cities
in the United States, as a result, no one
connected with the army will say. In the
latter plan hundreds of United States
sailors are to be used, and while the
bed of the harbor will not be nearly as
much disturbed, the men who will be
called upon to work there, run the
chances of imminent death from ex-
posture to the disease breeding mud.
Col L. A LeGarde and Maj. NJ W. Ire
land of the surgeon generals staff, now
on duty at the war department, express
themselves as unfamiliar with the condi-
tons obtaining in the harbor of Havana
From a medical standpoint, however,
regarding the sanitation of the island
during the period of raising the vessel
both are of the opinion that some dis
ease may be spread to the city of Ha-
vana If tons of sea mud are exposed to
the winds. They do not regard it as i'm
probable that germs of yellow Jack,
could be transported to the United
States.
Just what steps the war department
will take in guarding the health of the
citizens of Havana as well as of the
United States is not now known, as the
problem has not been seriously consid-
cred. The matter, however it is said,
will be taken into consideration with
other things by the commission ap-
pointed by Gen. William H. Bxby of the
engineer corps.
Although the song HAS Anybody Here
Seen Kelly?' is an old one, First As
sistant Secretary of State Huntington
Wilson was asked the other day Has
Anyone Here Seen Sebastin Salinas and
Modesto Barrios?'' the two Nicaraguan
''envoys' who came to the United States
to aid Madriz retain the presidency of
that unhappy country.
During their stay at Washington the
two Central American diplomats stuffed
some gullible newspapers with stories of
glorious victories won by the Madriz fac
ton. Each day at their hotel, manifold
copies telling of Madriz's success were
handed out to the newspaper men.
When the opportunity presented. these
two diplomats could be found using
the back stairs to call upon Mr.. Thomas
Dawsons diplomatic officer of the state
department, where they would try to
gain some glimmer of hope for Madriz
from this government in the way of Off
cial recognition. Their task appeared all
but hopeless up to the very last min
ute, when cable dispatches announced
the success of the revolutionists.
Since that time diplomats and others
here have been wondering where Salinas
and Barriers have gone. From last re-
ports they were on their way to New
York.
The most pathetic feature of the situa-
ton, however, is that Of the "councelor'
of the Nicaraguan legation, Corey Stad-
don, a newspaper man, who has been act
ing as Madriz's law representative here
and at the same time praising the Mad
riz regime by means of the press of this
country. Just now, he doesn't know
where he is at. For months of painstak-
ing work, Mr.. Stadden has only received
thank you" He hardly expects to get
more. yet he is hoping against hope and
trusting to Providence to have the Es-
trada government overthrown and Madriz
adherents reinstated.
HrN"r~vs