Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-02-21
STORY OF TIE MAINE
Reason Why Battleshlp Went to Ha-
YaDa Is Revealed.
kSIETERpRETED CABLE MESSAGE
Gable Brought BattIeship Instead Of
cartridses--Incident Brought on the
Spanish American War. =

Spanish American War. =
w. S. Meriwether in Mississippi Sun.
w. S. Meriwether, the author Of the
following article, was formerly on the
staff of the New York Herald, but Is
new editor of the Mississippi Sun,
published at Charleston, Miss:
In Stephenson's American history,
the one now being used in our public
schools, occurs this paragraphs:
"At Havana there were public de-
r1onstrations Of i'll will toward Ameri-
cans. Therefore. the battieship Maine
was ordered to Havana as an intirna-
tion that Americans would be protect
ed by their government"
The Maine was not sent to Havana
"as an intimation that Americans
would be protected by their govern
ment." She was sent there because
Of nainisterpreted cable message
which a newspaper correspondent in
Havana sent to his paper in New
York. All the correspondent wanted
was a box of cartridges. A battleship
was sent instead. The battleship was
blown up in Havana harbor, war with
Spain ensued and a considerable part
of the geography of the world was
charged as q result.
The writer was in Havana ut the
time of the Maine disaster, reported
that immortal horror to the identical
newspaper whose assistant cable edi-
tor had misinterpreted the message
about cartridges and makes this COM
ing February 15--tyentyfourth ami
versy of the tragedy-the occasion for
setting history right.
-. The reason this revealing chapter
has not been written before is this:
The correspondent who had sent the
cable was one of my most valued
friends. Under seal Of confidence he
had told me the entire story. He had
planned ito write it himself hut
thought it inadvisable to do so, until
some yeas had interviewed. asked
and obtained his permission to make
a passing reference tor it in an article
which had been asked to prepare
describing the scenes in Havana on
the night Of the Names destruction,
but the reference did not attract the
attention it deserved. More with the
idea of supplying my friend with data
than employing 1t myself, had, as
opportunity served asked the several
actors in the drama, each o." whom
intimately knew, the parts they had
played. Then the man for whom those
notes were intended, came back from
. Havana, where he had been stationed
as correspondent for the Associated
Press, and suddenly died. I felt that
his death released the story to me,
but just at that time I was plunged
into war work as publicity manager
for the United States Shipping board
and the episode was forgotten until
the calendar brought its reminder that
the twenty fourth anniversy Of the
disaster comes around on this Febru-
ary 10, Here is the full story:
Relieved Havana Man.
1t was early in February, 1898, that
/ received orders from my newspaper,
the New York Herald, to proceed to
Havana and relieve John r. Caldwell,
in charge of the Herald's Havana bu-
reau. Caldwell was an exceedingly
capable newspape man, but somehow
had come into disfavor with the then
owner of the Herald, the late James
Gordon Bennett, who had cabled from
Paris a curt order to make the change.
Havana at that time was a trou-
blous city. The reis tions between this
country and Spain were strained to
the breaking point. Riots were fire.
quent and every American felt that
his life was in danger at all times.
Caldwell realized it and sought to arm
himself. But there was strict edict
against the sale of firearms, one chief
ly directed against Cubans, for the is
land was then in a blaze Of insurrec-
tion.
So unable to equip himself with the
means of self-defense. Caldwell wrote
to the Herald and asked that a revol-
yer be sent to him. One was pur-
chased Immediately and shipped. But
when it arrived there were no cart
ridges, and the correspondent could
no more purchase cartridges than he
could purchase revolvers. Meanwhile
the situation was growing worse. In
stead Of writing for cartridges he Ca
bled.
The Herald and it's Havana CORES
pondent employed a private code.
This was necessary because Of the
strict censorship exercised in Havana
by the Spanish. And as it happened
the Herald man, Fred Burgin, who
was in charge of the code and of .Ha-
vana cable news, was home sick when
this message came clicking into the
Herald office one night:
Camera received but no plates.
Please hurry by next steamer.
John r. Caldwell.
z, Young Assistant Mixes Things