A Day When the USS Maine Exploded, 1898
You Are There - Graphic History Series
You Are There… Graphic History Series.
Historical Backdrop
On February 15, 1898, the armored cruiser USS Maine sat at anchor in Havana Harbor, sent there to protect American lives and interests during Cuba’s violent struggle against Spanish rule. Havana looked bright from a distance, but the city was tense, watched by Spanish soldiers, Cuban civilians, foreign sailors, dockworkers, and newspaper men. Our subject is Assistant Engineer Darwin R. Merritt, a young naval officer aboard the Maine.
February 15, 1898, 5:30 a.m. — Aboard USS Maine, Havana Harbor
You wake before full light in your narrow officer’s berth, the air close with coal smoke, damp canvas, old wool, hot metal, and harbor mud. The ship lies still at anchor, but nothing feels still below decks; pipes tick, men cough, hammocks creak, and the smell of machine oil clings to your hands before the day has started.
February 15, 1898, 6:20 a.m. — Weather Deck, USS Maine
You step into gray dawn and the harbor opens around you, flat and heavy under a pale sky. Havana’s waterfront sits to starboard with forts, masts, warehouses, church towers, and Spanish flags in the distance, while deckhands scrub planks and marines stand stiff near the rails.
February 15, 1898, 7:45 a.m. — Engine Room Companionway, USS Maine
You descend from morning air into heat that presses like a wet blanket. Below, the ship breathes through pistons, valves, coal bunkers, boiler fronts, and sweating men whose faces are blackened by soot before breakfast is over.
February 15, 1898, 9:10 a.m. — Quarterdeck, USS Maine
You report near the quarterdeck while Captain Sigsbee moves with careful calm, his beard trimmed and his eyes steady. Courtesy still matters here; Spanish boats pass, salutes are watched, and every officer behaves as if routine can hold back trouble.
February 15, 1898, 11:35 a.m. — Harbor View Toward Havana
