The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-03-20
Laid HER To REST
THE GALLANT MAINE BURIED IN
The GULF 0F MEXICO.
TAKES Her LAST SLEEP
Solemn and Impressive Ceremonies
Mark the Towing to Sea and Sink
ing Of the Bulk of the Battleship
Maine From Harbor of Havana,
Where She Had Lain for Years.

Under lowering skies and in
heavy, tumbling sea, the old battle
ship Maine, resurrected after four
teen years burial in Havana harbor,
Saturday plunged, with her colors
flying, to her everlasting rest, six
hundred fathoms deep in the sap
phire waters of the Gulf. The sink
ing of the hulk was carried out pre-
cisely as planned, marking the end Of
the great work begun more than a
year and a half ago.
After imposing ceremonies in ths
morning, which ended with the for
nal transfer Of the custody of the
bodies of the heroic dead sailors, by
the mayor Of Havana, Julio D. Car
denas, to Brig. Gen. W. H. Bxby,
chief Of the engineer corps, U. S. A.,
as the representative of the United
States, the cofins were taken aboard
the armored cruiser North Carolina,
where they were deposited on the
quarter deck completely covered by
great mound Of floral tributes, under
guard of honor composed Of ma
rines Minute guns were fired by the
North Carolina and the scout cruiser
Birmingham and the batteries Of
Cabanas Fortress until the ships
cleared the harbor.
Soon after 8 o'clock the navy tug
Osceola, aboard which were the
United States minister, Arthur NJ.
Beaupre, and the staff Of the lega-
ton, Big. Gen. Bixby, Col. William
Black, Lieut.. Col. Mason Patrick and
Major Harley 3. Ferguson, consti-
tuting the Maine commission, passed
lines to the stern end Of the wedge
shaped wreck and started seaward.
Two fanking tugs attached lines to
either end of the bulk-head, which
then became the afterpart of the
hulk, to steady and steer her.
Her decks covered with flowers
and palms and great American en-
sign floating from the jury mast,
where the mainmast formerly stood,
the Maine was taken to sea on her
last voyage. On deck stood Capt.
John O'Brien, famous as Dynamite
Johnny" skipper of the ilibustering
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 pre-
sented arms, the scarlet-coated
bandsmen on the quarter deck played
the national anthem, while minute
guns doomed requiem
Passing out of the .bor, salutes
were fred, the fotllla, headed by the
Maine, proceeded in silence with the
flags at half-mast. At 4:35 o'clock
the three-mile limit was crossed. The
American cruisers took up position
to the west and the accompanying
vessels to the north and south. Mean
while, the wreckng crew went aboard
the hulk and made ready to carry
out the arrangements for the sink
ing.
At 5 o'clock another whistle from
the North Carolina sounded and an
other gun was fired. The cruiser in
stantly threw open the wales anc
Capt. O'Brien jumped aboard tug
alongside, which steamed a little dis
tance away. Then all eyes in the
great fleet were fixed on the wreck;
the crews Of the warships were lin
ing the rails. All was silence but
for the washing Of the heavy seas.
For ten minutes no change was
visible in the trim Of the great bat
tered hulk, which pitched heavily as
the huge rollers struck her. Then
she was seen to be sinking at the
bulkhead end. Soon the waves be-
gan to wash over her deck. AS she
remained pitching and wallowing,
each moment getting deeper and
deeper, the stern was seen to rise.
In a few seconds the hulk was al
most vertical, showing first the pro-
pellers and then the full keel. The
next moment there was a fash OF
black and white, as the great elslgn
Hyine from the mast struck the waves
and disappeared. simultaneously
the decks were blown up by the air
pressure and with incredible velocity
the Maine plunged down, leaving no
trace save flowers tossing on the sur
70 20 of tho seas