The USS Maine is infamous for its tragic explosion in the Port of Havana on the morning of February 15, 1898. It had been deployed to safeguard American citizens during the Cuban struggles against Spanish rule. The ship exploded suddenly and without warning, resulting in the loss of three-quarters of its crew. The cause of the explosion remained ambiguous following an inquiry, but the American public—stirred by the sensationalist reporting of tabloid giants like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer—held Spain responsible. Even after 120 years, questions persist about what truly occurred that day. The primary theories remain: a mine planted by Cuban nationalists seeking to incite American intervention; operatives of the Spanish government aiming to send a message to emerging U.S. imperialism; an accident stemming from the highly flammable bituminous coal stored too close to the ammunition supplies; and the possibility that the United States itself engineered the explosion to justify military intervention in Cuba. Which of these theories comes closest to the truth? Will we ever know? Perhaps not, and it may not even be significant. In Arlington National Cemetery, the victims are laid to rest beneath the recovered main mast of the Maine, while in Havana, a solitary monument overlooks the sea, awaiting its proper and final dedication.
The Maine is known for its catastrophic loss in the Port of Havana on the morning of February 15, 1898. It was sent to protect the interests of American citizens during the Cuban revolts against Spain. It exploded suddenly, without warning, losing the life in the explosion three quarters of its crew. The causes of the explosion were not clear in a commission of inquiry, but the American public, fueled by the incendiary proclamations of the US tabloid press made by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, blamed Spain. It has been 120 years since the sinking of the Maine and still many wonder what really happened. The hypotheses remain the same: a mine placed by Cuban patriots who wanted to provoke an American intervention; agents of the Spanish government who tried to teach a lesson to the newborn northern imperialism; an accident caused by the use of highly volatile bituminous coal in boilers too close to the ammunition store; and that the United States itself caused the explosion to have a pretext that would allow them to invade the island militarily. Which of these hypotheses approaches the truth? Will we know someday? Probably not. Maybe it does not even matter. In the Cemetery of Arlington they rest, under the recovered main mast of the ship, the victims of that unfortunate event. In Havana, facing the sea that guards the burned remains of the Maine, a soulless monument awaits for its just and definitive consecration.
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