The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Sinking of the USS MAINE - (2/15/1898) - Nov 23rd, 2003

www.spanamwar.com ^ | Edward P. McMorrow

[The Mayor]

Sad news today, and it's got my blood boiling. I'm so sick of this trying to fight a PC war. They're not gonna "like" us no matter what we do, so let's start fighting back like we meant it.

Mornin Sam, I couldn't agree with you more.

This is no way to run a war. Someone, somewhere has got to change things, I thought Rummy was the man, was I wrong? It appears so.

[The Mayor]

I think it's time to turn up the heat!

[SAMWolf]

1974 Cornelius Ryan, war reporter/historian (Bridge too Far), dies at 54

We lost a great military writer in Mr Ryan. Like Stephen Ambrose he was able to make reading about military history like reading a novel.

[snippy_about_it]

Morning EGC. Today is are last warm day it looks like.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Happy Sunday friends.

Sam, you should win an award for most humorous taglines, LOL.

[snippy_about_it]

Hi Victoria. I agree, SAM's tagline are pretty funny. Humpty Dumpty was pushed! LOL.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Snippy. LOL, I'm still laughing.

[snippy_about_it]

Surgeon Lucien G. Heneberger, USS MAINE

Surgeon Lucien Heneberger was the chief medical officer aboard the Battleship MAINE when she was lost in Havana Harbor.

Surgeon Heneberger described the event as follows:

"I was lying in my nightclothes, reading, when there came a sudden sensation of an upheaving of the ship. The lights were immediately extinguished; and this was followed by the deep, dull boom of the explosion."

"I jumped out of bed, groping my way through the ward room to the ladder leading to the deck, and gained the roof. The captain and some of the other officers were already there, and were soon joined by the rest....."

"It was an awful moment...that immediately followed the explosion. Thefearful groans of the anguish of the wounded, the battle for life of those that had been blown into the water, the tremendous excitement of the hour all went to make up a scene I can never forget."

Surgeon Heneberger abandoned ship when ordered by Captain Sigsbee. All that Heneberger could take with him was the clothing he was wearing at the time of the blast. His sword was eventually recovered from the wreck and returned to him.

In the days that followed, Heneberger was charged with looking after the American wounded in Havana until their removal to the United States could be affected. His duty in Havana ended on March 23, 1898.

http://www.spanamwar.com/Heneber.htm

[snippy_about_it]

[SAMWolf]

Specifications of the U.S.S. Maine

Two armored turrets each armed with two 10 inch guns, firing 500 pound projectiles, nine mile range

Six 6-inch guns in casemates, eight one-pounder guns

Four Gatling guns, two 14-inch torpedo tubes

Four-foot-high by 180-foot-long armor belt below water line

Ship 324 foot long, 57 foot wide, 6,683 tons displacement

Ram on bow, double hull, watertight bulkheads

Reciprocating steam engines 9,000 horsepower, speed 17 knots

Manned by 31 officers and 343 enlisted men,

Cost: $2,500,000

[SAMWolf]

Good evening Victoria. Another good graphic today.

[WaterDragon]

'evening, SAM. I didn't even know there was a question about how the Maine was sunk. I remember reading that Teddy Roosevelt was disgusted with McKinley for not challenging Spain over Cuba, and that it was he who lashed the 'yellow press' into whipping up public opinion against Spain after the sinking of the Maine. Have I got that right? In any case, America flexed her muscles, freed Cuba and the Philippines from Spain. Don't know whether we were in the right. TR greatly enhanced his political ambitions by fighting in Spain.

[WaterDragon]

Valin, I had a Siamese cat once who very nearly vocalized words! Another extraordinary thing she did was to hop up onto the toilet to go tinkle!

[WaterDragon]

Ryan's books shaped my perceptions of WWII for all time.

[WaterDragon]

Good evening, snippy. Looks like a no-smoking zone in that photo!

[WaterDragon]

TR got a great reputation fighting in CUBA, not Spain! LOL

[SAMWolf]

You were right, we were fighting Spain, just doing it in Cuba and the Philippines.

[SAMWolf]

IMHO, his "A Bridge Too Far" is a masterpiece.

[radu]

Good evening everyone at the FReeper Foxhole!

Slipping in quickly to say hello before the storms hit and knock the signal out for the night. It looks like we're in for a rough night. pfft!

Howdy troops and veterans!
THANK YOU for serving the USA!

[PhilDragoo]