The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-10-20
| RAISING THE MAINE RECALLS STORY
/ OFNOT Told nA NAM[ESS WITNESS
Taking Sailors Bones From
Mud lncased Wreck
Goes On.

plosion in either magazines Or coal
bunkers.
1t is generally believed that the ont.
side explosion, if there was one. caused
magazine to burst inside, but pre-.
vailing opinion in this country has
been consistently in favor Of the out
side mine theory. though 1t is admitted
that such mine might have been laid
by Cubans as likely rs by Spaniards.
Perhaps, however. General Bixbv Ii
correct In prophesytng that 1.-THE Dri-
mary cause will never he learned
He has repeated his belief several
times after noting the tangled state of
the wreckage us 1t was gradually ex.
posed inside the eliptical bowl Of steel
pilings. Yet even the general is not
yet in II position to speak finally. The
pumping is still incomplete. and the
secret may be barred when more of the
harbor mud is lifted away from the
shattered hulk.
AS the chief basis for the exterior
mine theory is the opinion of officers
who were attached to the Maine, their
stories of conditions aboard are being
recalled by old navy men. most Of
whom have read the testimony and re-
read it many times,
Captain Slgsbee testified that he had
never permitted any loose powder to
be kept in the magazines and that 1t
was all slowed. SO far as he knew, in
the usual air tight and water tight cyl.
inders, each containing one charge. He
asserted. too. that the coal bunkers nd
joining the magazines were well VEN
tilated. had been examined regularly
and were connected electrically to the
annunciator near his cabin door. Fills
confidence in the safe conditions of the
vessel was reflected by the other OH.
GERS.
Present State Of the Wreck.
The latest dispatches from the scene
Of the wreck seemed to uphold the
original belief. In the mass of twisted
metal was found recently curved
piece of Steel Engineers say 1t is
probably a portion Of the flnt keel of
the Maine, and Ferguson. the naval
constructor in charge Of the eXamina
ton. says that adjacent plates and
beams are undoubtedly from the vicin.
ity Of the keel.
Practically all the water has been
pumped out Of the cofferdam, 10 that
the wreck itcased only in mud.
with dots of remaining water here and
there. The bow structure Is mostly
exposed. Examination Of the uncover
cd plates, beams and ribs has ihdi-
Gated that they belonged to the struc'
ture OF the double bottom, which is
elevated to height of forty feet above
the normal position, apparently adding
confirmation to the theory Of ire
tnendous exterior explosion. But Gen.
eral Bixby may yet be right in his
forecast. So confused is the wreckagc
that the Indications of Spanish Or
Cuban crime are not to be accepted In
haste.
The Search For Bodies.
Besides having the object of solving
the puzzle Of the explosion, the gov.
eminent is raising the Maine in the
hope Of recovering bodies of sailors
who went down with the ship. A few
skeletons and loose bones have been
found thus far.
Prior to July 20 It was figured that
the bones picked out Of the wreckage
represented four or more bodies. On
that day more bones, all fire scorched,
were found near the overturned con.
ming tower. The men who died In that
Vicinity probably were sleeping at the
time Of the explosion in hammocks
suspended from the ceiling of the for
ward berth deck. This deck was fold
ed back by the blast until its ruins
lay over the central superstructure.
fifty feet aft Of its original position.
On July % the bones of six or seven
additional bodies We're found beneath
the wreckage on the central super.
structure. They were heaped together.
and not one was intact. There, too.
are probably the remains of sailors
who slept on deck that hot night. The
forward part of the ship was heaved
up and fell upon them rs they lay
Later. when the searchers reach the
deeper sections of the vessel, whole
skeletons may be found and possibly
clothing or tr1nkets which may give
clews to names. Four skeletons were
taken on July "a and another on July
Fl from the berth deck. On Aug
were found the bones of Assistant
Engineer Merritt. and they were identi.
fed by portion Of an officers cap
and uniform and fountain pen. The
other sets Of bones were found at the
same time. The total finds thus far
have been sixteen. About fifty-hve bod.
les are yet to be traced.
The raising has proceeded far enough
to show that the Maine's after bulk.
head Is practically uninjured. The
question of building bulkhead and
floating out the stern section Is still
under discussion, but the engineers
hesitate on account Of the corroded
condition of the deck beams and other
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