The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-15
RAISING Of
.MA|NEP PRESENTS
DIFFICULTIES
FEAR THAT EXPOSURE OF
FILTH FROM HARBOR MAY
SPREAD EPIDEMIC OF
DISEASE.
Bed of the Harbor is Covered With
Sewage From the City for
Many Years.


raising of the United States battle
ship Main now buried in twentyseven
feet of slime and filth that has been.
pouring into the harbor of Havana
for centuries. cause an epidemic OF
yellow fever in Havana and spread
to the Southern gulf cities?
This question war department Off
Gals refuse to discuss, at length, pre-
fering TO make this aminor consider
alton to the all important one OF rals-
inc the Maine TO determine whether
or not the war with Spain was just.
Since the city of Havana assumed
the portions of city, several centur-
les ago, its sewage has emptled INTO
the harbor. As there is practically
no tide the slime and filth settled to
the bottom of the bay Until Ameri-
Fcan occupation of the island, Cuba
was annually visited with the deadly
scourge fever, and vigorous quaran-
tine was observed by all cities OF the
United States against the ''Queen of
tie Antilles Particularly was this
true of the Southern gulf ports
where traffic with the isiapd was
heavy. Notwithstanding this, yellow
fever was brought into the United
States and epidemics of the disease
was prevalent throughout the South
em states. Following the American
occupation sanitary conditions on the
island were much improved, although
by no means made perfect. Havana
harbor is still the reservoir for the
disposition of the elty's sewage.
When the Maine was blown ap,
welve years ago, by wlat is now
thought TO have been a Spanish tor
pedo or mine. the wreck began to
slowly disappear in the mud Of Ha-
vana harbor ustil one mast and some
twisted steel junk ase the only visi-
bic Signs that an Americas battle
ship and lis crew have paid the pr1ce
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 gov
eminent, and through trady leg4sia-
ton by congress appropriations have
at last been made whieE will make
this undertaking a reality.
To do this two plans which strike
officials as practical have been sub
mitted; one calls for the building of
a cofferdam around the vessel and
the other for constructing two whar-
YES one on either side of the battle
ship and raising it by means of ca
bles in either case, however, 81 will
be necessary 90 dig through the mud
and filth which now cover the wreck.
In the former ease should that plan
be more acceptable, more than $780,
| 900 cubic feet of offensive mud and
slime will have TO be pumped from
the bottom of the harbof. 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 Unit
ed States sailors or soldiers are to be
used. and while the bed OF the har-
Dor will not be nearly as much dis
turbed, the men who will be called
upon to work there, run the chances
of imminent death from exposure to
the disease breeding mud.
Col. l.. A. LeGarde and Major III.
w. Ireland of the Surgeon Geper-
ais staff, now on duty at the War
Department, express themselves as
| unfamiliar with the conditions OBJ
tanning in the harbOr of Havana.
From a medical standpoint, however.
regarding the sanitation of the is
land during the period OF the raising
the vessel both are Of the opinion
that some disease may be spread TO
the city of Havana. If tons of sea
mud are exposed to the winds. They
do not regard 1t as improbable that
germs of "yellow jack" could be
transported 10 the United States.
just what steps the War; Depart
ment 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 considered. The mat
ter, however. will be taken into con-
sideration with other things by the
commission appointed by General
William H. Bixby, of the Engineer