Page:The United States Army and Navy - including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Hawaii (IA unitedstatesarm00chic).pdf/13



The attention of the American people and all the world beside was directed toward the splendid man-of-war Maine from the day when the floating fortress steamed into Havana harbor to represent the United States in Cuban waters, ‘The Maine was a second-class, twin-screw battleship, built at a cost of $2,500,000 and commissioned September 17, 1895. Her dimensions were as follows ; Length, 318 feet ; breadth, 57 feet, draft, 21 feet 6 inches ; displacement, 6,682 tons ; horse power, 9.293 ; specd, 174 knots ; armament, main battery, four 10-inch amd six 6-inch guns ; secondary battery, seven 6-pounder and eight T-pounder rapid fire guns and four Gatlings ; armor, on the sides 12 inches thick, on the turrets 8 inches, and on the barbettes from 1) to 12 inches ; crew, 34 officers and 370 men.

The destruction of the Maine by the explosion of a submarine mine in Havana harbor leaves only one other warship of her class, the Texas, in the navy,