Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-28

be blamed, although | cannot stop the
ship from coming
''rhe staff was worried and made a
score of suggestions; but when one
hproposed a plan another showed how
impossible it was of execution.
There is only one way said Gov
ernor- General Blaneo, Il have thought
of all these other things. j must be
ready when the captain sends such
note ashore to write him an answer
saying that | have a mine beneath the
shin, and at the flash of his first gun
(Which will be q declaration of war;
the key will be pressed that will, be-
yond question, sink his ship; that his
request is refused. He can have ne
opportunity of knowing whether what
7 say is true or not. He will have no
chance to investigate. He will not care
fire a gun, because he knows 1T would
be open war and | would have the right
to destroy the Maine before the smoke
had drifted across the harbor If he
does not try to bully us the Maine VIII
come and go in safety and the mine
can he removed. No one but ourselves
will ever know that it had been there.
But if he does dictate to us we Will
! have the only possible means of check
mating him. He cannot land an arm
ed force to back his demands we are
too strong for him. Nor, if he fires,
can we reply With the guns from the
fortress, because we would shoot into
the city
"Of course. every one saw the reason
Of the governor generals plan. 1t was
absolutely safe if nothing unpleasant
should happen and completely effective
If anything did and SO the details We're
carried out. ] was sent on many CONT
Dental errands. but only the mos
faithful and trusted were let INTO the
secret. An old boiler Of q donkey en-
CINE was used It was prepared IN the
fortress and was taken out on lighter
ut night, ostensibly to be placed out
side the harbor's mouth. but WAS in
tentionally tipped overheard near the
mooring picked out for the ship. They
knew the exact place, when they got
certain lights in range. | was not on
the lighter but I knew ii about all
that same night And the wires were
taken to o point on the city side OF
the harbor to a house from window
Of which you could see a signal from
the palace. That was done so that IL
the wires We're picked up accidentally
thew would not lead to any govern
raant building. 1t was wise precau-
ton. but it was a mistake, as we all
knew afterward. The wires were in q
cable. saw il myself because my
brother in law lived in the house That
was another mistake, because he turn
l.. t3.,e pGhplS.
The box sat on table near window
that looked out on the water Ny
brother n-law was not wicked, but
only weak II" believed what the
scbeners told him He is dead too.
cit was a splendid plan, that OF the
Governor general. You yourself will
admit that sir. You know my people.
You understand that our honor pro-
teetetl the ship. II the captain should
insult us by debating to us the gov
ernor- general could silence nm. III
tire captain persisted and carried out
his threat he must make an instant
decision between surrenderine to ma
ton against which he himself had be-
gun hostilities. or accepting the tate
that war sanctions ut any time after
II is declared our honor was secure
in either event But the rebels-they
didsnot understand the word.
Then the Maine came. never snaA
forget how brave she looked. with
your flag standing out stifiiy in the
northeast trade winds and the sun
cleaning on her steel and brass as
she steamed slowly into the harpor
and picked up the moorlng which was
reserved for her. And the sleeping
mine was down in the mud below her.
Cant. Sigsbee was accorded every
Formally and courtesy. He and his
officers came and went freely every
dar. But the crew never came on
shore: III that the captain was wise
1t was much better so. 1t was in the
latter part of January that the snip
arrived and for nearly three weeks
she swung at her mooring and Things
went on in Havana much as before,
eNcept .hat the crowd at the landing
through which Capt. Sigsbee had TO
push his way every day got denser
and their looks got blacker. The an
ger of OR people increased at the ar
rosance of your government in send
ing the ship.
AS for the rebels, they glowered at
tn. captain because he did nothing
Tbey believed that when the Name
was sent she was coming to help them.
But we went right on with our WORK.
ccnceutra ting them, conquering them,
putting down the rebellion, contining
suspects executing traitors. And the
Maine had been in the harbor for days
and no other ships came. no men We're
landed, nothing was done. The rebels
felt sure that the crew We're all repub-
iicans and would help republic II the
captain would only let them come