RAISING THE "MAINE."

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 510, 19 October 1912, Page 7

RAISING THE "MAINE."

All will remember an unpleasanl incident —the sinking of the "Maine' warship—that led up to the Spanish American war. Congress has now authorised the raising of the wreck which has rested on the bottom o' Havana harbouii for nearly twelv< years, and has,; doubtless, settlec considerably in the mud. The Main? was destroyed by the explosion of £ submarine mine, which, caused thi partial explosion of two or more o' the forward magazines. Apart frorr the loss of'life, the result of this ex plosion was that the vessel from the bow to frame 41 was terribly shattered. It is proposed that the debris of the bow' should be destroyed by dynamite, and to raise afterpari only. A new bow would then to be constructed, .which could b( later joined to the old afterpart. A similar thing was accomplished ir 1907, when the "Suevic" was wreckec' off the English coast. Her after pari was separated from the bow, whicl was held fast by the rocks, and sh( proceeded under her own steam tc Southampton, where she was docked A new bow 212: feet long was built at Belfast, towed to Southampton and joined to the vessel. Within •; year the' Suevic was able to resume her regular duties.