New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-21
HULK OF THE MAINE .
YELLED IN DEEP MUD
All Water in Cofferdam Sur
rounding Wreck at Last
Pumped Out.
GREAT CANTlLEVER SHOWN
More Bones Discovered-Remains
Cannot Be acknowledgements
Task Still Ahead of
Engineers.

Havana JulN c0-Au the Wate" IN the
corfcrdam surrounding the Maine has been
removed. and the visible portions OF the
wreck arc now shown embedded IN mud
from an estimated depth OF thirty-seven
feet, around the after part Of the vessel, 10
an Understandable depth. That portion OF
the ship Immediately forward OF the central
superstruCture. which was demolished. mas
dissppeared except for some jsSged pieces
Of rusted steel projecting above the slime
curious feature resulting from the re
rnovsl Of the water is that the midsh,p
main deck and central superstructure, re-
naming practically level, constitute In Ell
feet great cantilever sustaining ther
own weight without any direct under sup
rort All the structural members OF the
ship beneath this section have been de-
stroyed and the cavity has been half hiled
with mud The aft nidship section OF the
berth deck on which are the wardroom
End the officers ststerooms, Is fully eN-
,csed but is almost filed with mud. espe-
ciaily on the port side. the removal Of
which viii be slow and dificult.
Hopes are entertained that the body OF
Assistant Engineer Merritt, who is be-
Ievrd 10 have been in hts stateroom at the
time OF the disaster. may be found I'm this
section Some fire scorched bones were dis
covered this afternoon near the overturned
coming tower. where tho remains of proo-
ably four bodies were previously found II
is believed that these were members Of the
crew who AT the moment OF the explosion
we're sleeping in hammocks suspended from
The ceiling ~ the forward berth deck
which WAS blown w and folded hack over
the central superstructure fifty feet aft OF
it's original position. No doubt all the men
persisted instantly. The remains do not
cner the least hope Of Identification
Work Of Three or Four Months.
In view Of the demolition OF the crew
berthins space hope dinlinishes that any
considerable number o. remains will he re-
covered. From present indications three or
-four months viii elapse before the IhAn
surrounding the wreck Is removed and all
portions Of the shin arc made visible.
The dumping 81 thousands Of tons ~ rock
IN The cofterdsm males tho prism shaped
barrier srrar.ntly impre enable 10 any pos
,ihlo exterior water pressure. and IN the
event Of cyclone the engineers are pre-
p,r4d 10 asxure stability by the instant
flooding ofvzhe dam to the normal leNei'
the later pumping ont Of the water pre-
sAnting no difficulty.
The question Of building 2 bulkhesd and
floating out the stern section. which was
not affected by the explosion, is stu doubt
fut on account of the fearfully corroneu
condition of the deck beams and other
structural members not protected by over
living mud. There is no doubt that the re-
rnoval of all the other portions Of the snip
is only possible by dissection.
The engineers intend TO begin the work
Of drawing out the soft mud by suction
Tomorrow. but as the lowering of the mUo
level proceeds they will probably he com
pslled 70 resort 70 other methods. such as
the SLOW process of digging and holstihs
The material out in buckets. At the same
time they viii begin the work Of dissecting
the great confused masses Of meta. The
bow section. represented by tho plates and
heam, OF the bottom Of he ship. is now
standing moro than twenty feet high. All
portions ~ This section have been fully
Identified including the remains Of water
tanks originally on the lowest deck, and
appar.ntpyr not affected by any results of
the explosion Of the magazines.
All these. parts have been carefully
photographed FOR future examination, and
10 confirm the Identification before the dis
sAction ~ the wreckage. which will he ac-
compshed by = hydro acetylene blast. az
soon az tho apparel s is installed and dor
iicke for tho removal Of the dismenbered
paris are erected. As the wreck now has
exposed part Of the armor belt of the
smiJship section on the stsrboard side. II
indicates that the mud level is about
equivalent 10 tho normal water line Of the