The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-10
RING OF CAISSONS
NOW IS COMPLETED
Second Stage Of Work in Raising
Battleship Maine Under
Way.
RAPID PROGRESS MADE
May Be Months Before Wreck
Has Been Disposed Of
Finally.

Havana. Monday. April 3.-In the
driving of the last few interlocking
steel piles OF the last OF the twenty
caissons forming the inclosing walls OF
the huge basin, or cofferdam. surround
ing the wreck Of the Maine. the first
stage in the great work Of exposing,
and ultimately removing the shattered
remains OF the battlcship sunk In the
harbor Of Havana on the night Of Feb
ruary 10, 1898. has just been brought
TO a successful conclusion.
The work was accomplished with a
ranidity fully up to the most san
Sineers In charge, and its progress
was unmarked by single mishap OF
hitch until the Introduction Of tho
final pile, which failed to interlock
properly with those on either s.ue.
This gave rise to a rumor that the
stability OF the caisson was endan-
gcred. but examination showed ,-.at
the trouble resulted from the pile be
Ing slightly deformed by an accidental
blow from the iron bucket OF a dredge
working alongside, and the extra plac-
ing Of three piles served to repair the
damage.
second Stage OF Work.
The second stage OF the work, that
Of filling the caissons. as fast q they
are completed. with mud. clay and rock
dredged from the harbor bottom. has
been going OH for some time as fast
as circumstances would permit and
now that the ring OF caissons IL com
picted. Is being pushed forward with
he utmost rapidity. The steam dredge
Norman Da9is, loaned to tho govern
tnent by the EIuston-Trumbo Dredging
company. AMI the United States army
dredge Barnard are dumping hundreds
II tons OF material into the caissons,
the work going on, as II has from The
beginning. night and day.
II Is expected that the filling OF the
1aissons viii be completed BY the end
Of April. and after that the second
work. that OF pumping out the great
basin and leaving exposed the hull or
the batiieship in precisely the condI-
Ion she was on the morning after her
iestruction thirteen years ago. Will DC
usocecded with. First. however a
hcayy timber platform VIII be erected
IN top OF the caissons cncircling the
las!n 70 serve as q stage or operations
ana foundation for cranes and oluer
apparatus for use wien the work OF
ulsmantling the wreck is begun II
VII also serve a temporary rest
ne place for the dead on the Maine
~ fast As tho remains arc recovered
rs soon as the wreck IS fully cx-
posed the work OF exploration in scarct,
II human remains Will take prccc-
icnce OF every other consideration. 1t
IS practically certain that when this
stage Of the work is reached United
states man war Will nc ordered to
iiavhnna, and VIII lie close 10 the
'frcch 10 receive tho bodies as fast as
they are recovered and transport them
70 their iinai resting place
After that will come an exhaustive
scrutiny OF the shattered wreck By
experts, who. IN the opinion or en-
sincer officers, VIII be able 10 deter
oine beyond all future question pre-
1iseiy the character OF the agency
whereby the destruction Of thu. Main.
was effected
Months Before Final stnEe.
Probably many months Viii clapsc
before the final stage OF the work.
the extraction and disposition OF tho
wreck viii be begun. So far the
clans are merely tentative. everything
depending on what the condition of
The wreck proves TO be- 1t is known
that the forward part Of tho ship.
shout one third OF her length is prac-i
tIcaily detached from the rest. and is
50 shattered That it Will have to be
extracted piecemeal. When the after
part has been stripped as far as posi-
bic OF all heavy weights. including
the two turrets, Weighing with thcir
pairs of ioinch guns, about zoo tons
each, it Is hoped that ii will be posi-
lie TO build bullShead across the
shattered end and float the hulk out
Of the basin TO be sunk in all prob
ability hundreds of fathoms deep in
tho straits OF Florida.
Finally. Will come the extraction OF
thousands OF steel piles composing the
twenty caissons and the dredging or
the material with which they were
rlled This may not be completed be-
iOrc the end Of the wear