Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-09
IN RUSH FOR RELICS
Swarm of Curio Hunters in Vi
Cinity of Maine Wreck.
VESSEL STRICTLY GUARDED
One Man Heard to Express Desire for
MYSTERY OVER MERRITT RING
Oliver B. Jenkins Recounts Incidents
Connected With Resurrection
Work in Havana Harbor.
MYSTERY OVER MERRITT RING

You have no idea of the schemes en-
ployed by the curiosity seeker in Havana
TO get aboard the hull of the Maine when
the water was pumped out OF the Golfer
dams. The army of curio hunters
swarmed to the water front. but the
United States officials were determined
that there should be no dissertation of
the Maine, and no one was allowed to go
aboard
Oliver B. Jenkins of aos II street north
west. official government undertaken who
returned TO Washington from Havana
Yesterday. made the foregoing comment
he says the curiO hunters were almost
as difficult to keep back from the Maine
as the waters of the harbor itself Mr.
Jenkins went to Havana to take charge
of the bodies that might be found, and
Will return to the work after the "cy-
clone" season of Cuba has subsidized
Coveted a Skull.
Il never knew that Americans were so
forgetful of their dead. 1 met people
in Havana that would have taken any
thing from that ship. They wanted some
thing. Why, 1 met a man in a hotel one
night-he didn't know me, but knew him
who wanted a souvenir badly ne
said: There's one thing I'd like to get
off that ship, and that's a skull
Well l said. If you ever get skull
off that ship you'll have to take mine
with 1t: l tell you that everything on
that ship is sacred
No one was allowed to come aboard
the ship except those connected with the
work. The North Carolina dropped an
Choir IN the harbOr once, and the officers
In charge Of the. cofferdam work per-
mitted the jackies from that vessel to
go aboard the Maine. l never was so
surprised as l was when | found thai
those American sailors had tried to ran
sack that ship for souvenirs from end to
end. They broke into boxes and pried
open desks and tried to carry away
everything that wasn't nailed fast
Il would like to have had a souvenir
myself, OF course. but l took nothing ex-
cept some wood which was thrown out
to be burned.
Decks Filled With Mud.
We found the decks full Of mud In
some places there was five feet of mud
on the decks, and I determined that every
bit OF that mud should be double sifted.
SO that there would be no chance Of
anything escaping. We found buttons
and trinkets owned by the sailors in that
way.
II couldn't be all over the ship at once,
and as l had very limited help it was
a hard matter to watch everything
had insisted that l should have men to
help me that l knew all about. Even
with the care we took we had an I'M
fortunate experience with the ring of
Lieut.. Merritt.
Somehow or other the FL Mundo, a
Spanish newspaper. got hold of that ring
before l saw 1t. and, l guess, before any
one else officially connected with the
work saw it. The first thing / knew. the
I'll Mundo had a long story about the
finding of the ring. illustrated with three
enlarged photographs of the ring
Il don't understand how the FL Mundo
got that ring 1t may be they had some
one aboard the ship in the guise of a
charge OF the work, tried his best to find
out who gave that ring up to a news
paper. but he has not succeeded. He is
still working on it. The FL Mundo, how
who accepted it, and it has now been
turned over to Lieut.. Merrtts family, as
read in The Star last night.
Eleven Bodies Under Turret.
I'VE found eleven bodies under the tur-
ret which had been blown over by the
force OF the explosion. They were fell
lows who had lain down there to take a
. nap. We found Lieut.. Merritts body
right where 1t was supposed to be-in the
wardroom. In the pantry We found the
body of a boy leaning over dishwasher.
Altogether we have rescued twenty-seven
| bodies. We found all sorts Of little trim
kets and pocket pieces scattered about
| on the decks In the mud.
| THE work has progressed down as far
as the berth deck. and there 1t will rest
until after the cyclone season. There
| can't be any work done there with water
and spray dashing over Moro castle a
| hundred feet high. There are several of
| ficers who would like to get away from
| there as soon as possible, too"