The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-11-13
SEND new BOARD
TO maine WRECK
Five Army and Navy Officers to
Report on the Warship's
Destruction
HULK WILL THEN BE SUNK
Mainmast Will Be Erected as Monu-
ment Over Graves Of Victims
in Arlington.

Washington, Nov. ia board of
five army and navy officers has been
appointed to proceed to Havana to
inspect the wreck of the battleship
Maine and report all possible data that
it can gather. including the cause Of
the destruction OF the vessel.
The members of the board are Rear
Admiral Charles Vreeland, aide for
inspections; Chief Constructor Richard
NJ. watt, Col. Wilpam Black, engineer
corps; Commander Charles f. Hughes
of the board of inspection and survey
and Commander Joseph Strauss, on
duty i'm the office of the aide for ma
terial. The members of the board
will leave Washington tomorrow and
expect to arrive in Havana early next
week. The work of examining the
wreck of the Maine probably will take
several days. This will be the second
formal investigation of the cause of
the wreck of the Maine.
Personnel Significant.
The personnel of the board is sig
identified with the first investiga-
ton. which followed Immediately the
destruction Of the vessel Admiral
Vreeland and Commander Hughes are
members of the board of inspection
and were selected because of their
familiarity with this sort of work.
Chief Constructor Watt is chief of the
bureau of construction and repairs and
an expert on the structural features of
naval vessels. Commander Strauss Is
a powder expert and was formerly in
charge of the naval proving ground
at Indian Head, Md. Col Black was
chosen because of the fact that he
was the president of the army board
which decided to raise the Maine by
means OF a conerdam. He is the Sc
nior engineer officer in charge of the
work or raising and removing the
Maine from Havana harbor.
In accordance with legislation pass
ell several years ago about half a mil
lion dollars has already been spent IN
raising the Maine. A large coiferdam
has been constructed around the vessel
and the mud cleared away. For the
last few weeks no work has been don~
MS the hurricane season was threaten
ing. All danger of an accident of this
sort is now over and the army engi-
,necrs are ready to remove all the
waste water from the cofferdam ana
disclose tho hulk of the Maine for th'
Investigation of the board.
The Former Inquiry.
Immediately after the wrecking o.
the Maine. February Is. 1898, court
Of inquiry was appointed, consisting
Of Capt. william T. Sampson presi-
dent; Capt. French f.. Chadwick ana
Lieut. Com. w. p. Potter and Lieut.
Com. Adolph Marx, judge advocate
After hearing testimony Tor apou'
three weeks the court found that the
loss of the Maine was not due to any
default or negligence Of any officers OF
members of the crew; that the shil
was destroyed by the explosion OF
submarine mine, which caused the
partial explosion of two or ~ IRE Oh he'
forward magazines, and that no eVl-
dence was obtainable to hx the re-
sponsibility for the destruction OF the
Maine on any person or persons Mucn
of the testimony on which TINS repor'
was based was from naval and cNh'
ian divers who investigated the con-
dition of the Maine below the water
line.
The new board, however, will nave
better facilities for studying the prop
able causes OF the wreck The water
will be entirely removed from the COZ
ferdam, which will give the experts al
opportunity of gathering first hand IN
formation and they will not have u
rely upon the report of divers.
Sink Hulk in Deep Water.
After the board completes its inves
tigation of the wreck. the army ensi
neers will lose no time I'm compiyh
with the law of congress that proVlue
for the removed of the hulk from Ha
vana harbor. The after part OF III
ship, according to reports receive
here. can be foated and bulkhea
will be built so that this section ca
he raised and fioated out to sea, wher
II will be sunk I'm deep water II
bow will have to be cut In sectlon
and placed on scows and disposed
In the same manner.
The remains of more than oo VIC
Tins of the disaster have been recoN
cred and will be buried In Arhns
ton National cemetery. The main
mast of the vessel will be erected owe