Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-03-21
maine WRECK AT REST"
Ceremony Attends Burial OF
Historic Hull In Deep Sea.

Havana, March 15.-Under lower
ing skies and in a heavy tumbling
sea the old battleship Maine, resur-
rected after If years burial in Hava-
ma harbor, today plunged, with her
colors flying, to her everlasting rest,
600 fathoms deep in the sapphire
waters of the Gulf. The sinking OF
the hulk was carried out precisely as
planned, marking the end OF the
great work begun more than a year
and half ago.
After impressive ceremonies in the
morning, which ended with the for
maj transfer of the custody OF the
bodies of the heroic dead by the May
or of Havana, Julio dc Gardens, TO
Brig. Gen. W. II. Bixhy, chief OF
the Engineer Corps, l.. ;. A., as the
representative of the United States,
the collins were taken aboard the ar
morcd cruiser North Carolina.
Soon after O'Clock the navy tug
Osccola, aboard of which were the
United States Minister, Arthur NJ.
Bcauprc, and the staff of the legation.
Brig. Gen Bixby, Col William Nj.
Black, Lieut.. Col. Mason NJ. Patrick
and Major Harley b. Ferguson, con-
shutting the Maine commission, pass
ed lines to the stern end of the wedge
shaped wreck, and started seward.
Two thanking tugs attached lines 20
either end of the bulkhead, which
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
voyage.
On deck stood Capt. John O'Brien,
famous as Dynamite Johnny" skip
per of the filibustering steamers
Dauntless and Three Friends. acting
as the Names last pilot.
Passing out of the harbor no salutes
were fired, the fotilla, headed by the
Maine, proceeding in silence with
flags at half-mast.
At 4.35 O'Clock three-whistle
blast from the North Carolina, fol-
lowed by one gun, announced that
the three-mile limit had been crossed.
Half an hour was given laggards of
the fleet to arrive. Then the Amer
lean cruisers took up a position to
the eastward of the wreck; the Cuban
warships moved to the westward and
the accompanying vessels were group
ed to the north and south. Mean
while the wrecking crew went aboard
the hulk and made ready to carry
out the arrangements for the sinking,
which consisted of opening numerous
valves in the bottom, operated from
the deck, the large sideways in the
bulkhead and all the doors in the two
permanent bulkheads remaining in
the ship.
Precisely at 5 O'Clock another whis-
tie sounded from the North Carolina
and another gun was fired. The crew
instantly threw open the valves, and
Captain O'Brien jumped aboard tug
alongside, which steamed little dis
ance away. Then all eyes in the
great fleet were fixed on the wreck g.,
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 Wis
ible 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 be-
gan to wash over her deck. AS she
remained pitching and wallowing
each moment, settling deeper and
deeper. the stern was seen to rise. In
a few seconds the hulk was almost
vertical, showing first the propellers
and then the full keel The next
moment there was flash of blue az
the great ensign flying from the mast
struck the waves and disappeared
simultaneously the decks were blown
up by the air pressure, and with in
credible velocity the Maine plunged