USS Maine (1890)

A big ship was named Maine.

It was built for the Navy. The ship was very large.

Many years ago, the ship went to a harbor. One night, there was a big explosion. The ship sank to the bottom. This was a very sad event.

People were not sure why it happened. Some thought it was an accident. They thought a fire started in the coal.

This event led to a war. The war changed things for many people. It was a very big change.

Today, parts of the ship are gone. One part is a memorial. It helps us remember the sailors.

The USS Maine was a large Navy ship.

It was the first ship named after the state of Maine. Building the ship took nine years. During this time, new ship designs were made. This meant the Maine was old by the time it was done.

In 1898, the ship went to Havana Harbor. It was there to protect U.S. interests. On February 15, the ship exploded and sank. This event killed 268 sailors.

People argued about why the ship sank. Some thought a mine caused it. Others thought a fire started in the coal. The coal used was a type that can catch fire easily. This is called spontaneous combustion. An expert named Hyman Rickover later agreed it was likely a coal fire.

The sinking helped start the Spanish-American War. Many people used the event to call for war. The ship stayed at the bottom of the harbor for years. In 1911, workers raised it and sank it at sea. Today, the main mast is a memorial in a cemetery.

The USS Maine was a large United States Navy ship. It was a special vessel because it was the first ship named after a state.

The ship was built to be a strong warship. Some people called it an armored cruiser. Others called it a second-class battleship. It was meant to protect American interests in far away places. The ship played a major role in a very important moment in history.

Building the Maine was a very long and difficult job. It took nine years to finish the ship. This long time happened because of limits in American industry. A fire in a drafting room also caused delays. The ship used steam engines instead of sailing masts. This was a new way of moving ships. It used two large vertical triple-expansion engines. These engines were designed by George Wallace Melville.

The ship was built because of changes in naval power. A Brazilian battleship named Riachuelo showed that other lands had strong ships.

This made the United States want to build better warships. The Maine was authorized by Congress in August 1886. Its keel was laid down in 1888 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The design came from Theodore D. Wilson. He was a member of the Naval Advisory Board. The ship was the largest vessel built in a U.S. Navy yard then.

On February 15, 1898, the Maine exploded in Havana Harbor.

The explosion sank the ship and killed 268 sailors. This was about three-quarters of the crew. People began to argue about what happened. A Navy board said an external mine caused it. However, other officers thought a fire started in a coal bunker. The coal was bituminous coal. This type of coal can release flammable gases. In 1974, Admiral Hyman Rickover studied this. He agreed that a coal fire was a likely cause.

The sinking of the Maine changed the world. It helped start the Spanish-American War in April 1898. Many people used the phrase "Remember the Maine!" to call for action. The ship stayed at the bottom of the harbor for a long time. In 1911, workers built a structure to raise the ship. They patched the hull and towed it to sea to sink it. Today, the ship lies on the seabed. The main mast is kept as a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The USS Maine was a significant United States Navy vessel that played a pivotal role in late 19th-century history.

Often described as an armored cruiser or a second-class battleship, the ship represented a shift in American naval strategy. It was the first U.S. Navy ship named after a specific state. The vessel was designed to protect American interests during the Cuban War of Independence. Its sudden destruction in 1898 became a major catalyst for the Spanish-American War. This event changed how the United States interacted with other nations on the world stage.

The design of the Maine was influenced by a need to modernize the American fleet. In the early 1880s, the Brazilian battleship Riachuelo showed that other nations possessed powerful warships.

This prompted the Naval Advisory Board to plan for stronger American ships. The Maine was authorized by Congress in August 1886 and began construction in 1888. The winning design came from Theodore D. Wilson, an American naval architect. The ship featured two-gun turrets positioned in an echelon arrangement. This means the turrets were staggered along the sides rather than being on the centerline. This layout allowed the guns to fire both forward and backward.

Building the Maine was a long and difficult process that lasted nine years. This delay was caused by the limitations of American industry at the time. For example, delivering the ship's armored plating took three full years. A fire in a drafting room also destroyed important blueprints, causing further setbacks. Because of this long construction period, the ship became somewhat obsolete by the time it was finished. New technologies, such as lightweight Harvey steel, had already changed naval design. The Maine was caught between two roles: it was not fast enough to be a cruiser, but not heavily armored enough to be a true battleship.

The ship's propulsion system was a major technical focus. It used two inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines.

These engines were designed under the supervision of George Wallace Melville. Melville chose to mount the cylinders vertically rather than horizontally. This was a departure from the standard practice of the era. He believed vertical mounting provided better efficiency and easier maintenance. The engines were placed in separate watertight compartments to improve safety. This focus on machinery made the Maine a very advanced vessel for its time.

On February 15, 1898, the Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor.

The explosion killed 268 sailors, which was approximately three-quarters of the crew.

Immediately after the sinking, a debate began regarding the cause. An initial Navy board of inquiry suggested an external mine had struck the ship. However, other officers argued the explosion was internal. They suggested a fire had started in a coal bunker. The ship used bituminous coal, which can release flammable methane gas. This gas is known as firedamp and can cause spontaneous explosions.

Scientific investigations later supported the idea of an internal accident. In 1974, Admiral Hyman Rickover conducted a study into the sinking. His 1976 research concluded that a coal bunker fire was the most likely cause.

Despite this, the event was used by newspapers to fuel public anger. Through a practice called yellow journalism, many papers blamed Spain for the disaster. This led to the famous rallying cry, "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!" This public pressure accelerated the start of the Spanish-American War in April 1898.

The physical remains of the Maine have a long history. The ship sat at the bottom of Havana Harbor for many years. In 1911, workers built a cofferdam around the wreck to raise it. They patched the hull, towed the vessel out to sea, and sank it permanently.

The ship now rests on the seabed. To honor the sailors who died, the ship's main mast was placed as a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.