knots. She had an armored belt extending 180 feet at the water-line on each side, over which was a flat, armored deck. Joining the two forward ends of the belt was a heavy steel bulkhead, at the bottom of which was an armored deck that continued to the stem. The flat, steel deck above armor dipped down abaft the belt, and was continued to the stern, one deck below, with a slightly diminished thickness. Her barbettes and turrets were of heavy steel. The barbettes rested on the armored deck below. From Norfolk the Maine was ordered to Key West, where we arrived on December 15, and moored in the harbor off the city. My orders there were confidential, but they were of such a nature that they might at any time have been made public with propriety, had the government so desired. They were, in brief, that the Maine was to proceed to Havana in of case grave sage to General Lee, and he answered it. Some of these messages were rather absurd. In one I inquired of General Lee the state of the weather on the south side of Cuba. He promptly replied that he did not knowwhich was quite as gratifying as if he had been fully informed. At another time I cabled, "What is the price of bull-fight fans?" to which he replied, giving me quotations. Afterward I bought some of the fans commonly used as souvenirs of a Havana visit, and they were lost with the Maine. One night, about six or seven o'clock, I got the preliminary message. The Maine was immediately prepared for sea. Knowing that Key West would be alert as to any sign of movement, I gave orders that all hands should repair on board immediately upon the firing of a gun from the Maine; then, in company with a number of the officers, I went on shore to a dance at the hotel, my particular object being to divert suspicion. I was asked a number of questions as to the departure of the Maine; but we had managed so well that some of the crew had already given out that we were going to New York. I promptly The final message to the Maine from General Lee never came. During the whole visit I was kept fully informed as to the state of affairs at Havana. The riot that occurred about that time in the streets, in which certain newspaper offices were the chief object of attack, most naturally led us to fear that there might be danger to American citizens. GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE, UNITED STATES CONSUL-GENERAL AT HAVANA. From a photograph made on the deck of local disturbances The form of our correspondence was a matter between General Lee and myself. Toward the last it was deemed necessary to make occasional tests to ascertain if telegraphic communication continued open. Therefore nearly every day I sent a mes While at Key West I was directed by the Navy Department to assist the collector of that port in operating against filibustering expeditions. At that time the Spanish press was indignant because it assumed that the United States was doing nothing to put a stop to filibustering. Certainly the American. public had far more ground for indignation; it was almost impossible to put a complete stop to filibustering where there were so many bases of operation as existed along the Florida reefs and on the coasts north of them. It was generally the case that when an expedition was able to leave the United States, it landed in Cuba according to schedule. At one time five vessels engaged in watching for filibusters were in touch with the Maine by telegraph; and the Maine's steam-launches, as well as the Marblehead's launches, were out at night, bringing-to vessels moving out of Key West harbor. We did our work conscientiously. On Christmas Eve and again on Christmas night, the Maine was illuminated with hundreds of electric lights, to the great delight of the people of Key West, very few of whom had ever seen such a display. The following is quoted from one of the local newspapers: "The beautiful illumination of the battleship Maine, on Christmas Eve and night, was one of the finest displays of electricity ever witnessed in the city, or perhaps in the Hundreds of incandescent lights from the bow to the stern, up the masts and funnel, and around the ship's sides, made her one mass of lights. It was a picture not often seen in the tropical regions." It became known after a time that the other large vessels of the North Atlantic Squadron, under command of Rear-Admiral Sicard, were to come to the waters about Key West for fleet drills and evolutions. At that time of year it was impracticable to have the drills elsewhere. The United States could not afford to abandon its best winter drill-ground for no other reason than its proximity to Cuba. The squadron came and had its drills, as intended, but until war was opened never went nearer to Cuba than Key West and Tortugas, nor, so far as my knowledge goes, was it ever intended that it should. During our visit to Key West I had inquired as to the best pilot for the reefs. There was a general concurrence of opinion that Captain Smith was the best man. He held himself subject to my call during our whole stay at Key West, when I might have been obliged to go out at night with the search-lights. The squadron was duly reported off Jupiter Inlet, on its passage south. We knew, therefore, at Key West, very nearly the hour when it would arrive off the reefs. The Maine had received orders to join the squadron when it appeared. The squadron arrived off the reefs on Sunday, January 23, 1898. I sent ashore for our pilot, who in response was obliged to report that the pilot commissioners refused to let him take the Maine out, because their local rule of precedence required that the pilot who brought us in should by right take us out. VOL. LVII.-11. I appealed against this rule as being merely one of local convenience or comfort, out of all proportion to the value of the Maine and the important public interests involved. The board of pilot commissioners weakened not -neither did I. The Maine went out without a pilot; so somebody lost nearly one hundred and fifty dollars, which remained in the coffers of the United States. After the departure of the Maine, the torpedo-boat Cushing, Lieutenant Albert Gleaves, was charged with the maintenance of communication with General Lee. On Sunday night, the squadron, including the Maine, eight vessels altogether, anchored outside the reefs, off Sand Key light. The next day it got under way and steamed west. It anchored that night on the bank about ten miles to the southward of the southeastern entrance to Tortugas Roads. After anchoring, the vessels were directed by signal to bank fires. Later, while the squadron was receiving nightsignals from the flagship, a vessel's running lights were sighted to the eastward. From the disposition of the lights it was evident that the vessel was of very low free-board and of very narrow beam. I assumed, therefore, that it was a torpedo-boat coming from Key West with despatches for the commander-in-chief. It occurred to me also that she was bearing despatches for the Maine to go to Havana. It was an intuition, nothing more; but without waiting for orders, I directed that fires be spread and preparations made for getting under way. The torpedo-boat, which proved to be the Dupont, communicated with the flagship. After some delay the flagship made signal for the commanding officer of the Maine to repair on board, and for the Maine to prepare to get under way. The Maine replied that she was all ready. My gig had already been lowered, and I was soon off for the flagship, some distance away. There was a fairly rough sea and a strong tidal current. The night was dark. Presently the bow of the Dupont was seen looming up over the gig. She had seen us, but the gig had not made out the Dupont clearly until close under her bow. I was taken aboard, and the gig was sent back to the Maine. The Dupont then steamed nearer the flagship, a boat was sent for me, and I presented myself to the commanderin-chief. Admiral Sicard announced that he had received instructions from the Navy Department to send the Maine to Havana. I do not MINSTREL GROUP WHO PERFORMED AT THE ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN BY THE CREW OF THE "MAINE" TO THE CREW OF THE "COLUMBIA." The sailor with tall hat and striped shirt is Walsh, coxswain of the captain's gig, who was killed; the man in cook's costume at the right, private marine Joseph Lutz, was saved, and is now Captain Sigsbee's orderly on board the Texas. know personally the precise reason which induced the United States government to act at that particular time. My orders were to proceed to Havana and make a friendly visit. I was left to act according to my own judgment, in the usual way; that is to say, it was undoubtedly assumed that I would know how to act on my arrival in Havana, and it was intended to hold me responsible for my action. The situation seemed to call for nothing more than a strictly careful adherence to the well-known forms of naval procedure and courtesy. It was to be expected that the Spanish people in Havana would prefer that the Maine should stay away; but with a lingering insurrection, the end of which was not in sight, with American interests in Cuba affected adversely, and American citizens in Cuba alarmed for their safety, the United States had decided to show its flag from a public vessel in Cuban waters. It is quite certain that I gave myself no concern over the peculiarities of the situation. My vessel was selected to go to Havana, and I was gratified at the choice, just as any other commanding officer would have been. I volunteered the remark to Admiral Sicard that I should try to make no mistakes. The Maine got under way about 11 P. M., and stood to the southward into the Gulf Stream. I did not desire to reach Havana at early daylight, but rather to steam in when the town was alive and on its feet; therefore a landfall was made at daylight the next morning, well to the westward. That was on Tuesday, January 25. The vessel was then slowed down and the decks were straightened up, so that she might present the usual orderly appearance for port. The crew was required to dress with exceptional neatness in blue; the officers were in frock coats. When all was ready, the Maine was headed to the eastward, nearly parallel to the shore-line of the city, and toward the entrance. She was sent ahead at full speed as she passed the city, and the United States national ensign was hoisted at the peak, and the "jack" at the foremast-head. This disclosed at once the nationality and purpose of the vessel; that is to say, the Maine was a United States man-of-war that desired a pilot to enter Havana harbor. All pilotage in and out of Havana, or within the harbor, is under the direction of the captain of the port, who is a naval officer. The pilot service is entirely official. A pilot put off promptly to the Maine, and boarded her to seaward of the Morro quite in the normal way, without objection or unusual inquiry. He took her in through the narrow entrance slowly, and with such care and excellent skill that I complimented him for it after we were made fast to the buoy. I also commended him to the captain of the port, later. There were then in the harbor, moored to permanent mooringbuoys, two other men-of-war: the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII, which never changed her position from the time the Maine arrived until the Maine was sunk; and the squarerigged German training-steamer Gniesenau. The Maine moved slowly in, passing between the two men-of-war, and was moored to a mooring-buoy chosen by the pilot, about four hundred yards south of the German vessel in the man-of-war anchorage off the Machina or Naval "Shears." She never left this buoy, but carried it down with her when she sank. It was approximately in the position of buoy No. 4, as shown on chart No. 307, published by the United States Hydrographic Office At the time of the explosion of the Maine the Spanish despatch-boat Legazpi occupied the berth which had been held formerly by the Gniesenau. A day or two after the arrival of the Maine, the square rigged German training-steamer Charlotte entered the harbor. Other vessels were anchored or moored in localities more or less remote from the Maine-two hundred yards and upward. Probably no forms of etiquette are more stable than those observed among navies in reciprocating courtesies. They are laid down in the navy regulations and are established by rigid international convention. Those relating to reciprocal courtesies between naval ships and military and civil authorities are quite as well established; they are known in all ports much frequented by naval vessels. On the arrival of a foreign vessel in port, the chief naval officer present of the nation to which the port belongs sends an officer of the rank of lieutenant, or below, to the commanding officer of the arriving vessel with an offer of civilities, or to express the wish of the naval authorities to give any assistance in their power. On the departure of the officer who makes this "visit of ceremony," an officer of the arriving vessel is promptly despatched to acknowledge the visit and to express the thanks of his com THE "MAINE'S" BASEBALL NINE AS ORGANIZED AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. All were lost with the exception of Bloomer. Newton was the ship's bugler and sounded taps just before the explosion. The goat was left behind at Key West. |