US Battleship Maine Explosion in Havana Harbor - Key West FL - Spanish-American War Memorials on Waymarking.com

At the corner of Palm and Magnolia Avenues in the cemetery look to the right to see the memorial that is surrounded by an ornate wrought iron fence. The scrolled, black grillwork encircles a solitary bronze sailor, who overlooks the plain, white marble markers honoring the 27 sailors killed.

From the wiki:

The Maine spent her active career operating along the East Coast of the United States and the Caribbean. In January 1898, the Maine was sent from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba, to protect U.S. interests during a time of local insurrection and civil disturbances. Three weeks later, at 9:40 on the night of February 15, an explosion on board the Maine occurred in the Havana Harbor. Later investigations revealed that more than five tons of powder charges for the vessel's six and ten-inch (254 mm) guns had ignited, virtually obliterating the forward third of the ship.

The remaining wreckage rapidly settled to the bottom of the harbor. Most of the Maine’s crew were sleeping or resting in the enlisted quarters in the forward part of the ship when the explosion occurred. Two hundred and sixty-six men lost their lives as a result of the explosion or shortly thereafter, and eight more died later from injuries. Captain Charles Sigsbee and most of the officers survived because their quarters were in the aft portion of the ship. On March 28, the US Naval Court of Inquiry in Key West declared that a naval mine caused the explosion.

The explosion was a precipitating cause of the Spanish-American War that began in April 1898 and which used the rallying cry, "Remember the Maine!, To hell with Spain!"

The episode focused national attention on the crisis in Cuba but was not cited by the William McKinley administration as a casus belli, though it was cited by some who were already inclined to go to war with Spain over their perceived atrocities and loss of control in Cuba.

Type of memorial: Monument Location: Key West Cemetery Public or private: Public Who placed it?: Citizens of Key West, FL When was it placed?: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/12/2020 Mychell visited it 05/28/2015 Osa2013 visited it 09/13/2014 Markerman62 visited it 11/06/2013 honiepye visited it 08/11/2011 dukemartin visited it 07/27/2011 HikingSeal visited it 01/04/2011 petendot visited it 12/30/2010 Skyecat visited it 06/09/2009 wicked witch of the west coast visited it 05/30/2009 ChapterhouseInc visited it 05/12/2009 Free2bme29 visited it 04/21/2009 model12 visited it 12/03/2008 Mychell visited it 10/16/2008 sfwife visited it 12/31/2007 blackjack65 visited it

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