USS MAINE EXPLODES IN HAVANA
Havana, Cuba (JFK+50) On the evening of February 15, 1898, five tons of gunpowder detonated aboard the U.S.S. Maine* docked here Havana. The explosion destroyed the forward third of the vessel and cost the lives of 260 American sailors.
The 'yellow press,' led by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, had published accounts of oppression against Cubans by the Spanish. Under pressure for intervention, President William McKinley dispatched the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba. The battleship arrived on January 24, 1898.
There were two differing viewpoints on what caused the USS Maine to explode as evidenced in the New York World headline..."MAINE EXPLOSION CAUSED BY BOMB OR TORPEDO."
There were two differing viewpoints on what caused the USS Maine to explode as evidenced in the New York World headline..."MAINE EXPLOSION CAUSED BY BOMB OR TORPEDO."
On April 19, Congress passed a
resolution asserting Cuba's independence and authorizing U.S. military
forces to assure Spain's withdrawal. A formal declaration of war on
Spain was approved on April 25.
Three investigations were conducted involving the incident. The first two determined the explosion to be caused by a torpedo (mine) presumably planted in the harbor by the Spanish. A 1976 investigation determined the explosion was caused by an internal coal dust fire.
Patrick
McSherry argues evidence does NOT support the 'coal dust theory,' so the mine
theory, in his view, remains the most reliable.
*U.S.S.
Maine (ACR-1) was launched on November 18, 1889 after 9 years of
construction at the U.S. Naval Yard in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was one of
the 1st U.S. battleships & a showpiece of the U.S. Navy. Her
loss was a shock for the American people.
SOURCES
"How Likely was a Coal Bunker Fire Aboard the Battleship Maine?," by Patrick McSherry, www.spanamwar.com/
"Spanish-American War," The World Book Encyclopedia 1988 Edition, Chicago, World Book Inc.
"The Spanish-American War: The U.S.S. Maine Explosion", ThoughtCo., www.thoughtco.com/
U.S.S. Maine Mast Monument**
Arlington National Cemetery
Photo by Cliff (2008)
Flickr Upload
bot (talk/contribs)
**The mast of the USS Maine was brought to the U.S. in March 1912. Construction on the monument began in Nov 1913 & dedication by President Wilson was on May 30, 1915.
Arlington National Cemetery
Photo by Cliff (2008)
Flickr Upload
bot (talk/contribs)
**The mast of the USS Maine was brought to the U.S. in March 1912. Construction on the monument began in Nov 1913 & dedication by President Wilson was on May 30, 1915.
