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General >> Chit-Chat (for poking fun and off topic subjects) >> Please Identify this Span-Am Relic?
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Message started by Century2 on Jan 7th, 2017 at 1:01pm

Title: Re: Please Identify this Span-Am Relic?
Post by psteinmayer on Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:21pm
The story of the Maine is a fascinating one for me.  I've read many of the reports, both past (blaming the Spaniards), and present (coal dust theory), and I agree that the destruction was most likely an internal disaster rather than outside influences.  There are many photos available showing the salvage of the Maine, and the operations (for the turn of the century naval technology) was a marvel of engineering!  After the bow, masts, and internal equipment, weapons, and other items were removed, the hull was towed out to the open ocean and scuttled.  The USS Maine was the first US Dreadnought/Battleship, and was already outdated when it arrived in Havana Harbor (photos of this also exist).

I've also toured the USS Olympia about 5 years ago.  Being an ex US Navy Petty Officer, I struck up a conversation with one of the care takers who happened to have served on the sister ship (and class namesake USS Forrestal CV-59) to my carrier, the USS Ranger CV-61.  Thankfully, this led to my being escorted throughout the entire ship, seeing places not allowed on the tour, including the entire engineering spaces.  Those triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines are amazing!  If you ever get the chance to visit Philadelphia, I highly recommend seeing this ship, as well as venturing across the river to Camden to see the USS New Jersey BB-62.

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