{"id":335825,"date":"2026-03-07T09:52:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T14:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=335825"},"modified":"2026-03-14T15:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T19:16:15","slug":"the-maine-the-disaster-afloat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba-usa\/the-maine-the-disaster-afloat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Maine: the disaster afloat"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 9:40 p.m. on February 15, 1898, two consecutive explosions\u00a0shook\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>USS Maine<\/span><\/i>, a second-class battleship adrift in Havana Bay. In a matter of seconds, a symbol of\u00a0U.S.\u00a0power was blown to bits, causing a shower of debris, more than 260 crew members charred to death, and a fireball on the water. Broken in two by the blast, the 6,700-ton ship, with its armored turrets and pristine white hull,\u00a0plunged into\u00a0a mudflat.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sabotage or\u00a0accident?\u00a0The controversy surrounding\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0since that fateful day has not diminished, and the remnants of its explosion continue to reach us today on the underwater currents of time. The United States government sought to\u00a0determine\u00a0the cause of the tragedy and four days later the U.S.\u00a0Navy\u00a0convened\u00a0the Court of Inquiry, a board headed by Captain William T. Sampson, to investigate the incident.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
The wreckage of the Maine during the recovery efforts. Photo: Cuban Heritage Collection\/UM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, rushed through, the investigation remained superficial. Focusing on a plate in the bow found warped like a metallic tongue inward, the experts concluded that the ship had been struck by an external force. The Hearst and Pulitzer newspapers did the rest. Consumed by anger, the United States vowed revenge, and with the jingoistic cry of\u00a0\u201cTo hell with Spain\u2026.\u00a0Remember the Maine,\u201d\u00a0it launched a war that made it an empire and reshaped global geopolitics.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The short story of the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>, from its arrival in Cuba to its tragic disappearance three weeks later, is quite well known. Little could be added about its circumstances and consequences. However, less is said about how it was raised from Havana harbor and sunk again at sea with full military honors. This was the incredible engineering feat that brought the disaster to light and captured the world\u2019s attention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Operation\u00a0refloat<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Twelve years after that dramatic and incendiary night in 1898 that led to the Spanish-American War, the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0remained visible adrift in Havana Bay, like a beggar\u2019s skeleton.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"This
This is how the site of the sinking looked in 1905. Photo taken by Jack London during his brief trip to Havana. Photo: London Album\/Huntington Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While it was profitable for the\u00a0boatmen\u00a0who rowed tourists there, it had the drawback of obstructing navigation for larger vessels, which is why Cuban authorities insisted on its removal. Meanwhile, Spain still awaited the truth about what had happened,\u00a0seeking\u00a0to clear its name. The contentious headlines of 1898 were replaced in the\u00a0U.S.\u00a0press by calls to refloat the ship, as the public wished to recover the remains of the seventy\u00a0sailors\u00a0trapped inside and demanded a second exploration to unravel the mystery of the explosion that had changed the course of history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under these pressures, around May 1910, the U.S. Capitol in Washington authorized funding for the removal of the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>, and the work was entrusted to the naval engineering corps. They quickly packed their bags for the Cuban capital and,\u00a0by early December, cranes from the\u00a0Lackawanna Steel Company\u00a0were already making their first excavations on site. The Cuban dredger\u00a0<\/span>Cayo Buba<\/span><\/i>\u00a0joined the effort, extracting an anchor in March and, much later, the bow. In addition, 275 workers were hired, a number that soon proved insufficient due to the amount of\u00a0\u201cdirty work\u201d\u00a0to be done.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The mast that had graced postcards of the nautical landscape was the first relic of the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0sent to the United States. Planted as a symbol in the famous Arlington Cemetery, it now pays tribute to those who died in the explosion. The memorial was only part of the plan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"One
One of the projects drawn up for the refloating. Although reality turned out differently, the drawing reflects that they used advanced concepts for the time. Photo: Author\u2019s archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The idea was to expose\u00a0the Maine.\u00a0Hoping to achieve this, they would construct a cofferdam, a temporary structure or enclosure to contain the wreck.\u00a0Then they would pump the water out and free the hull. The area also had to be cleared of rigging, machinery, armament,\u00a0equipment\u00a0and other debris that, scattered by the currents, already created a hazardous seabed. However, raising a hundred-meter-long battleship\u00a0\u201con dry land\u201d\u00a0after a\u00a0decade\u00a0submerged\u00a0represented\u00a0a colossal challenge. No project of such\u00a0magnitude\u00a0appeared in the annals of engineering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the event of the year. Not a week went by without the\u00a0<\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>El\u00a0F\u00edgaro<\/span><\/i>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>La\u00a0Discusi\u00f3n<\/span><\/i>\u00a0chronicling the\u00a0ups and downs\u00a0of the salvage operation. Even a theater company adapted the story for the stage. From January 1911, the Molino Rojo theater presented the entertaining zarzuela\u00a0\u201cLa\u00a0extracci\u00f3n\u00a0del Maine\u201d\u00a0(The Extraction of the Maine), whose performances ran for more than six months and, according to the\u00a0<\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0\u201cit grows more popular every day.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Panoramic
Panoramic view of the cofferdam composed of twenty cylindrical caissons. Photo: Cuban Heritage Collection\/UM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A corpse in the tub.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

From the outset, the local press revealed the complexity of the maneuvers in the bay. First, they had to drive 3,190 rolled steel stakes 23 meters into the seabed using mechanical pile drivers. These bars\u00a0\u2014\u00a0with tongue-and-groove Boardman joints\u00a0\u2014\u00a0would serve as the base for assembling twenty cylindrical caissons\u00a0\u2014\u00a025 meters high and 15 meters in diameter\u00a0\u2014\u00a0which, like adjacent piles, defined the elliptical\u00a0encasing\u00a0around\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Interior
Interior of the cofferdam showing the wall of stones poured to reinforce the cylinders. Photo: Cuban Heritage Collection\/UM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The focus of attention was on the joints between the tangentially placed cylinders, given concerns that the external pressure of the water and mud would eventually cause the walls of the enormous barrier to collapse. Anticipating this risk, the specialists reinforced the connection points with wooden stakes protected by a small, arched riprap. Both the cylinders\u00a0\u2014\u00a0hollow in the center\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and the closures between them were filled with compacted gravel and clay. This would provide greater strength and\u00a0watertightness.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The construction of the cofferdam seemed to\u00a0proceed\u00a0at a leisurely pace, and months passed before the first jet of water was released. Several problems arose: the framework was not sufficiently watertight according to the\u00a0calculations,\u00a0it suffered tropical downpours, and at times the work was suspended when the\u00a0allocated\u00a0funds ran out. Even so, with surprising tenacity and efficiency, the commission of military engineers Black,\u00a0Patrick\u00a0and Ferguson, under the supervision of Brigadier Bixby, gradually overcame problems until they achieved absolute confidence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a technical standpoint, the cofferdam\u00a0represented\u00a0such a resounding success for the Americans that the\u00a0<\/span>Chicago Inter-Ocean<\/span><\/i>\u00a0called for it to be filled in to create a small island, where a monument to the rescue of the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0could be erected. Conversely, the\u00a0<\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i>\u00a0of August 4th quipped:\u00a0\u201cIt is truly the height of safety. Even the\u00a0smelly\u00a0mud is being called upon for help.\u00a0So\u00a0the success of the cofferdam project with cylindrical formwork could not have been more brilliant. But the fact is that, despite the complete safety they proclaim daily, the project managers\u00a0remain\u00a0extremely wary.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An inspection gave the green light to the oval enclosure to begin draining the contained water, which was done under extreme surveillance and with powerful pumps. As the water level decreased,\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0revealed its immense chaos. It resembled a corpse lying on its side in a giant tub.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Diagrams
Diagrams of the symmetrical layout at the beginning and end of the salvage operations. Note the amount of additional shoring on the right. Photo: Diario de la Marina.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Maine exposed<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

By mid-June 1911, the aft bridge with its mud-filled passageways, the officers\u2019\u00a0quarters and the turret with its heavy-caliber cannons were visible. Over the course of weeks, the shattered keel\u00a0emerged\u00a0and it was confirmed that the entire bow was lost from frame 41 onward. Fifty-eight missing crew members, personal belongings, and other evidence also\u00a0emerged.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But with the receding water level, the dreaded flexions in the\u00a0wall\u00a0began to appear.\u00a0Would it hold? The question was on everyone\u2019s lips. Like many buildings in\u00a0\u201cmodern\u201d\u00a0Old Havana, the cofferdam ended up with pine shoring from end to end and thickened with mounds of earth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i>\u00a0of August 10th reported on the ordeal:\u00a0\u201cThe cylinders forming the cofferdam continue to tilt more and more due to the strong external pressure, but according to the engineer in charge of the works, there is no fear that any will burst and cause a catastrophe. However, as a preventive measure, the indicators placed on each of the twenty caissons are checked every half hour. To date, some 20,000 tons of stone have been thrown into the cofferdam, and another inner wall is being built to prevent mud from continuing to stick to the hull.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the sea wall completely removed, the once magnificent ship was revealed as a jumble of rusted iron and frayed pieces, a prehistoric beast with a rosehip rind. The workers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0what a long and arduous task they had\u00a0\u2014\u00a0cleaned the hull and the mud-filled compartments with pressurized water, recovered the last human\u00a0remains\u00a0and cut away the most damaged parts with acetylene torches. Finally, they sealed the cracks, designed a valve\u00a0system\u00a0and attached\u00a0\u2014\u00a0halfway between the bow and stern\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a wood and cement bulkhead to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0refloating the ship.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This feat of science and human ingenuity allowed them to keep\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in a sort of open pit for six months, enough time to draw diagrams from various perspectives and capture detailed images of the wreck\u2019s actual condition. Bixby himself told the\u00a0<\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i>\u00a0that they had taken four thousand photographs (and four thousand glasses of whiskey). This meticulous documentation would be an invaluable resource for future researchers.\u00a0On January 26, 1912, the salvage operation was completed.\u00a0It\u00a0had cost\u00a0almost a million dollars.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite having the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0exposed\u00a0\u2014\u00a0unlike the first commission\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and examining other evidence more thoroughly, the 1911 investigating team simply repeated the theory of its 1898 counterpart: the\u00a0aforementioned mine. It\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0until 1975 that Admiral Hyman G. Rickover\u00a0\u2014\u00a0considered the father of the\u00a0U.S.\u00a0nuclear submarine\u00a0\u2014\u00a0provided new arguments. Resuming the case, Rickover and his team of experts refuted the conclusions of both reports, which had been developed under pressure, pointing to a fire in a coal bunker\u00a0adjacent to\u00a0the reserve ammunition depot as the most\u00a0likely cause\u00a0of the detonation. In other words, he attributed it to an accidental spark, not a premeditated attack.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days before the fourteenth anniversary of the disaster, the floodgate was opened to allow the water to slowly return to its domain. Shaking off its deep slumber, the mutilated colossus began to rise heavily. The warship no longer displayed the martial bearing of the\u00a0war ship\u00a0that, on January 25, 1898, moored to buoy number 4 in Havana harbor to safeguard the interests of its citizens during tense times. Now it resembled a barge, a floating coffin. All that remained was to tow it to its\u00a0final destination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ghostly
Ghostly appearance of the Maine after being refloated. Photo: El F\u00edgaro, March 24, 1912.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amidst foam and flowers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

On March 16, 1912,\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0was towed to its irreversible sinking. The day before, already free of the cofferdam, it was visited by many and prepared for its final voyage. It was adorned with flowers and a flag. Around two in the afternoon, it glided with the slowness of a funeral toward the harbor entrance. From El Morro, a military band played a farewell march as it passed, while the La Caba\u00f1a battery fired a ceremonial salute.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sea was quite rough.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0heeled\u00a0to port and starboard, like a dying soldier nodding his head off to his grave. The hull was taking on water, so they positioned a bilge pump. Offering an honor guard was a procession of vessels led by the battleship\u00a0<\/span>North Caroline<\/span><\/i>, the cruiser\u00a0<\/span>Birmingham<\/span><\/i>, and the Cuban coast guard ships\u00a0<\/span>Hatuey<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Yara<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Enrique\u00a0Villuendas<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>10 de\u00a0Octubre<\/span><\/i>; followed by dozens of tugboats, steamers like the\u00a0<\/span>Saratoga<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span>Olivette<\/span><\/i><\/a>, yachts, and launches. A band aboard the\u00a0<\/span>North Caroline<\/span><\/i>\u00a0played the romance from Tosca,\u00a0\u201cE\u00a0lucevan\u00a0le\u00a0stelle\u201d\u00a0(Farewell to Life).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Postcard
Postcard capturing the moment the battered ship was towed to its final destination, on the afternoon of March 16, 1912.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sky, which had shone blue hours before, gradually darkened during the solemn ceremony.\u00a0Nearly five\u00a0miles from Havana, the\u00a0<\/span>North Caroline<\/span><\/i>\u00a0sounded\u00a0three blasts to signal the halt of its engines. The escort ships formed a semicircle,\u00a0sounded\u00a0their sirens and some fired cannons in fervent homage; meanwhile, the mechanics uncovered the prepared hatches and\u00a0proceeded\u00a0to dynamite the venerated vessel. Instantly, water rushed into its bowels, expelling the compressed air in torrents.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At approximately 5:20 in the afternoon, before a hundred thousand pious eyes that stretched from the shore to that horizon of death, a leaden ocean swallowed the unfortunate ship that had fought against the waves like a mythological monster refusing to succumb to drowning. It sank with its propellers showing\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a whimsical parallel to the iconic farewell of the\u00a0<\/span>Titanic<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and plunged diagonally into a 1,150-meter abyss. A swirl of foam and flowers left its mark on the sea. But a ghost never truly dies or disappears. In the subtle cycles of history,\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Maine<\/span><\/i>\u00a0seems to resurface, its drastic influence like a Trojan Horse in the Caribbean.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A ghost never truly dies or disappears. In the subtle cycles of history, the Maine seems to resurface, its drastic influence a Trojan Horse in the Caribbean. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12346255,"featured_media":335828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13944],"tags":[14891,34937,35076],"ppma_author":[34888],"class_list":["post-335825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba-usa","tag-cuba-usa-relations","tag-history-of-cuba","tag-the-maine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Maine: the disaster afloat | OnCubaNews English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the subtle cycles of history, the Maine seems to resurface, its drastic influence a Trojan Horse in the Caribbean.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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