Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-21
WANTS CHRONOMETERS
Asks for Those Of The Maine to be-
Added TO the Museum at the
Naval Academy.
BURIAL AT SEA FOR MAINE.


Shall be Sunk With Honor-Parts
are to be Given for Memorial
Purposes.
The United States Naval Academy
authorities have asked that the chro-
nometer Of the Maine be added to the
naval museum maintained at Annap-
oils. This request likewise probably
will be granted.
The forward part of the Maine is
shattered and will have to be cut to
pieces for removal bit by bit. The
after half of the vessel, however, is
to be fioated by the construction of a
bulkhead across the forward end and
the flooding of the caisson. The Navy
Department intends then to tow the
section of the hull out to the depths
Of the Atlantic and there sink her.
1t is proposed to carry out this pro-
gramme with appropriate cere-
monies considered as BETTING to mark
the end of a fighting ship A battle
ship convoy will be provided and fu-
neral salvos will be fired as the las. of
the Maine disappears forever below
the surface of the water.
Provision already has been made
for the disposition of particular por-
tions of the wreck. The mainmast is
to be erected in Arlington National
Cemetery at Washington, where the
bodies of the dead recovered from the
wreck are to be buried. This mast
has been brought to New York and
soon will be set up at Arlington.
The commission in charge of the
celebration to be held in Putin Bay
celebrating Perry's victory has asked
for the second mast, but it is likely
this will 60 to the Cuban Republic
for erection in Havana as a memorial
to the Maine. Such a request has
already been received from Cuba.
1t is expected that, as a result of
the publicity given the fact that mu-
inequalities, patriotic societies and
others may obtain on request, por-
tions of the vessel or her equipment
for memorial purposes a great many
requests will be received at the Navy
Department. There are a few guns,
available for souvenirs or memorials,
while for the rest there is little but
steel plates, portions of the armor and
sides of the old battleship.
The passage of the urgent deficiency
bill by the Senate Wednesday after
noon determined that the wreck of the
old battleship Maine shall receive an
honorable burial at sea and that neith-
er the remains of the vessel nor any
part of them shall be made the means
of profit through their exhibition to
the public for fees.
A section of the urgent deficiency
bill confers upon the Secretaries of
War and Navy authorities to dispose
jointly of parts of the Maine desired
for memorial purposes. These are
to be given to municipal bodies, mill
tary or naval societies, relatives of
any of the former officers of the Maine
and to the President of the Republic of
Cuba. A provision that the donors
shall receive reasonable assurances
that such parts as may be given away
shall be used only as memorials and
not disposed of without the Govern
ment's permission illustrates the
schemes devised for the placing of the
wreck on exhibition in American cit
les and the sale of portions of the YES
sci as souvenirs.
Ever since Congress decided the
Maine should be raised tentative
offers for the purchase of the wreck
have been made by individuals or
firms who wish to capitalize the great
popular interest in the sunken battle
ship. The War Department, then in
charge of the Maine, had no authority
to dispose of the wreck, and so these
offers were not even considered. One
of these firms intimated they would be
willing to pay as high as $1,000, coo
for possession of the wreck. They
proposed to float such portion of the
vessel as they could tow it from city
to city along the coast of the United
States. They said at the time they
felt certain of realizing a handsome
profit on the venture. They also pro-
posed to cut the steel into small bits
and sell them at popular prices for
souvenirs. Many other similar offers
were received.
From the first such suggestions for
making an exhibition out of the Maine
aroused the greatest resentment
among naval officers. Secretary Meyer
sympathized with their feelings and
declared himself opposed to any such
disposition of the wreck. The Sec
rotary, however, did favor the giving
of portions of the wreck to civic
bodies, patriotic societies and similar
organizations (for memorial pur-
poses, and it was his suggestion which
was incorporated in the urgency de-
ficiency bill passed by the House on
Saturday and the Senate Tuesday.
The objections to the sale of the
Maine for exhibition purposes were
expressed forcibly by implication by
Representative Mann, the Republican
floor leader, during the debate on the
bill In response to the urging of
Representative Mason, of Arkansas,
that the wreck be sold at auction,
Representative Mann said:
Il am surprised that, having pro-
posd to sell the remains of the battle
ship Maine in order to raise money,
he has not included in his proposition
the selling of the bones of the seamen
who died in the Maine. Both would
bring large sums of money. / would
as soon put up for sale the pennies
that rested on my dead mothers
eyes as to propose to sell to the
HIGHEST bidder this sacred relic of the