Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-03-21
MAINE WRECK
IS At REST
Ceremony Attends Burial Of
Historic Hull.
AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE
dynamite Johnny Acts Az the
Mains's Last Pilot-Proeession To I
Sea a Silent One, No saIutes
Being Fired BY Convoy.

!
Havana. Under lowering skies and
in a heavy tumbling sea the old bat
tleship Maine. resurrected after IA
years burial in Havana harbor,
plunged, with her colors flying, to her
everlasting rest, 600 fathoms deep in
the sapphire waters of the Cult The
sinking Of the hulk was carried out
precisely as planned, marking the end
of the great work begun more than a
year and a half ago.
After impressive ceremonies in the
morning, which ended with the formal
transfer of the custody OF the bodies
OF the heroic dead BIZ the Mayor OF
Havana, Julio de Cardenas, to Brig
Gen W. H. Bixby, chief of the Engi.
neer Corps, U. S. A., as the represen-
tatiye of the United States, the collins
were taken aboard the armored cruiser
North Carolina, where they were de-
posted on the quarter deck, com
pletely. covered by a great mound OF
floral tributes, under a guard of honor,
composed of marines MinuteZguns
! were fired by the North Carolina and
the scout cruiser Birmingham and the
batteries of Cabanas fortress until the
ships cleared the harbor.
The Voyage Seward.
Soon after o'clock the navy tug
Osceola, aboard Of which were the
United States Minister, Arthur NJ
Beaupre, and the staff OF the legation,
Brigadier-General Bixby, Col. William
NJ. Black, LieutCol. Mason M. Patrick
and Major Harley B. Ferguson, CON
stituting the Maine commission, pass
ed lines to the stern end of the wedge
shaped wreck, and started seward.
Two fanking tugs attached lines to-
either end of the bulkhead, which then
became the after part of the hulk, for
the purpose of steadying and steering
her
Her decks covered deep with flow
ers and palms and great American
ensign floating from the jury mast,
where the mainmast formerly stood,
the Maine put to sea on her last voy
age.
On deck stood Capt John O'Brien,
famous as Dynamite Iahnny, skip
per of the f1ilibusteriag steamers
Dauntless and Three Friends, acting
as the Names last pilot AS the
wreck passed the American squadron
the crews manned the rails, the
marines presented arms, the scarlet
coated bandsmen on the quarterback
played the national anthem, while
minute guns doomed a requiem.
Passing out of the harbor no salutes
were fired, the fotilla, headed by the
Maine, proceeding in silence with flags
at half-mast. The course was almost
due north, SO as to keep the wreck
head-on to the heavy seas and thus
avoid the danger of falling into the
trough.
Precisely at O'Clock the crew in
stantly threw open the valves, and
Captain O'Brien jumped aboard tug
alongside, which steamed little
distance away Then all eyes in the
great fleet were fixed on the wreck,
the crews of the warships lining the
rails. All was silence but for the wash
of the heavy seas.
For ten minutes no change was
visible in the trim of the great, rusty,
battered hulk, which pitched heavily
as the huge rollers struck her. Then
she was seen to be sinking at the
bulkhead end. Soon the waves began
to wash over her deck. AS she re.
NAMED pitching and wallowing each
moment, settling deeper and deeper,
the stern was seen to rise. In few
seconds the hulk was almost vertical.
showing first the propellers and then
the full keel. The next moment there
was flash of blue as the great en-
sign flying from the mast struck the
waves and disappeared Simultane
ously the decks We're blown up by the
air pressure, and with incredible
velocity the Maine plunged down,
leaving no trace save flowers tossing
on the surface of the sea-
Precisely 20 minutes elapsed from
the opening of the valves until the
vessel disappeared.
HoId-Up on Tenement Roof.