Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13
WITH FULL H0NORS.
Warships Will Bring Bodies Of
the Maine Victims.
NOT COMING UNTIL APRIL
Plans for Distributing Souvenirs Of
the Battleship Wrecked
of Havana.

| 1t is announced at the Navy Department,
| that the bodies Of the American sailors
recovered from the wreck of the battle.
ship Maine, In the harbor Of Havana, will
not be brought to the United States be
fore April, as 1t is desired to continue the
search for bodies until all work Of remov-
ing the wreck shall have been completed
According to present plans all Of the
wreck that can be noated Is to be towed
to sea and given an honorable burial. and
all the recovered bodies will be brought to
this city and buried In the Arlington ma
tional cemetery with full civil and mill
tary honors All the bodies SO far recov-
cred are now on board the collier Leon
idas at Havana, on which vessel also are
stored all portable parts Of the old battle
ship that it was considered desirable to
preserve.
Although not settled, 1t Is probable
that the fifth division Of the Atlantic
fleet, composed of the armored cruisers
Washington and North Carolina and the
scout cruisers Chester. Salem and Biz
mingham viii be used in transporting
the bodies of the Maine victims to the
United States. At any rate. warships
original intention Of bringing the bodies
home on the collier Leonidas having
been abandoned. BY direction Of the
President, every possible honor Is to be
paid to the memory of the victims Of the
Maine.
Distribution Of Souvenirs.
and the Secretary Of the Navy are au.
| thorized to donate any parts of the wreck
or It's equipment not needed by the
United States Ito any municipality Of
| the United States, or to any military OF
naval association Or society in the United
States, or to the former officers and crew
of the Maine or their heirs or repre-
| sentatives' 1t is provided that the
United States shall not bear any part OF
the expense attending the removal o.
such relics, and that the recipients mus
preserved and cared for as memorials
and shall not be sold or otherwise dis
posed of.
"A joint board composed Of Lieut.. Co,
| Edward Burr. Corps of Engineers, L. S
A., and Commander Richard II. Leigh
| sent the Secretaries Of War and Navy
| respectively, in the consideration of al
applications for souvenirs Of the Maine
There are numerous applications Of that
sort Of souvenir. including masts, guns
bells, flags. etc.
Main Mast in Arlington.
Under the law the main mast Of the
| vessel. with its fighting top, is to be
erected in the Arlington national ceme-
| terry. near the graves of the Maine dead
| That mast is yet to be removed. The
foremost of the vessel is now stored
at Governors Island, N. Y. It was
blown out of the ship and recovered from
the mud of the harbor In the early sal
wage operations. There are several strong
applicants for that mast, including the
city OF Pittsburgh, where It is desired
for use as a monument to Lieut.. Fred
F. w. Jenkins of that city, who lost
his life in the disaster.
The Cuban government has applied for
a portion Of the wreck for use as part
of monument to be erected in Ha-
! yana. It is probable that the after
turret and the guns in 1t, will be donated
for that purpose, IL it is found that IL
is possible to remove that structure
from the wreck without breaking it up.
Otherwise. the coming tower or some
other tangible portion Of the wreck will
be donated to the Cuban government.
There is no provision of law on that
particular subject, but the Secretaries of
War and Navy have full discretion in
the premises.