Question

The first investigators determined the USS Maine sank because of

a bomb onboard the ship.
spies on the ship.
a mechanical error.
an outside mine.

Answer 1

The first investigators determined that the USS Maine sank because of an outside mine. This conclusion was reached after the ship exploded in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, leading to significant tensions between the United States and Spain, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. Later investigations and theories, however, suggested different possibilities, but the initial assessment pointed to an external explosion from a mine.