THE CUBA R E Y I E W 



LAST RITES OVER BATTLESHIP "MAINE" 



The long-protracted task of raising the 

 sunken battleship "Maine" has been 

 crowned with success. The after section, 

 which was not injured by the explosion 

 anu which comprises approximately half 

 the total length of the ill-fated vessel, was 

 set afloat on February 11th. 



The actual freeing of the wreck from 

 the walls of the cofferdam is a question 

 which now rests with the Navy Department 

 in Washington. Major Ferguson will 

 have the "Maine" all ready for her exit 

 as soon as he receives orders. 



The Spanish war veterans celebrated 

 funeral ceremonies for the last time on 

 Februar}^ loth over the victims of the 

 "Maine," whose remains are lying in the 

 Cabanas fortress guarded by a detachment 

 of military. In previous years these cere- 

 monies have been held on the wreck, from 

 which all the bodies have now been re- 

 covered. 



At sunrise, Major Ferguson, who has 

 had charge of raising the vessel, hoisted 

 the American flag on the wreck. It will 

 fly over her until the burial of the vessel 

 on March 4th, when it will go down with 

 the ship. 



Official advices from Washington under 

 date of February 16th give details of the 

 last ceremonies over the old battleship. 



The Xavy Department has ordered the 

 armored cruiser "Xorth Carolina" and the 

 scout cruiser "Birmingham" to proceed to 

 Havana and receive such relics and ma- 



terial from the wreck as may have been 

 accumulated since the departure from Ha- 

 vana of the collier "Leonidas." 



After this has been done the crews of 

 the ships will go ashore and participate 

 in a military funeral to be held by the 

 Cuban government for the bodies of the 

 remainder of the crew of the "Maine" 

 which have been recovered since the cof- 

 ferdam was emptied. 



The arrangements so far completed pro- 

 vide that on the day the bodies are to be 

 removed to the "North Carolina" the guns 

 of Morro Castle will fire salutes at inter- 

 vals of thirty minutes from, sunrise to 

 sunset. 



The bodies will be transferred to tlie 

 "North Carolina" in the ship's boats, and 

 from the time of their arrival aboard the 

 ship until their burial at ArHngton the 

 flags of the ships of the navy will be flown 

 at half mast. 



When the wreck has reached deep water 

 it will be sunk under directions of the 

 engineers in charge of the work of re- 

 moval. As the wreck is submerged the of- 

 ficers and crews of the "North CaroUna" 

 and "Birmingham" will be at quarters, with 

 guard paraded, while the band of the 

 "North Carolina" will play a funeral 

 dirge, after which three volleys from the 

 big guns will be fired. As the water 

 covers the wreck the bugler of the "North 

 Carolina" will sound taps. 



The cofferdam will then be dismantled. 



CONDITION OF THE SUGAR CROP 



(From Deputy Consul General Henry P. Starrett, 

 Habana, Feb. 2nd.) 



The cool weather of the last few days 

 has strengthened the position of the opti- 

 mistic estimates as to a large production 

 of sugar from this year's crop. Until lately 

 the continued warm weather and frequent 

 rains had delayed the ripening of the cane 

 and resulted in a low percentage of sugar 

 in the early grindings. The present cool 

 weather, however, whicli is generally felt 

 over the whole island, has been welcomed 

 by the planters as a most favorable cli- 

 matic need, and if it continues for a few 

 days longer the cane will have properly 

 matured, and the consequent higher per- 

 centage of sugar will be available.* 



The present estimates for the sugar pro- 

 duction of 1912 run slightly higher than 

 they did a few weeks ago. The more 

 conservative still maintain their estimate 

 of 1,600,000 to 1,700,000 tons, while the 

 most prevalent and competent estimates 



* The cold weather continued well into the first 

 half of February.— Editor The Cuba Review. 



run from 1,800,000 to nearly 1,900,000. 

 The consensus of opinion is that the pro- 

 duction will go well over 1,800,000. 



The Cuban Congress on February 10th 

 authorized the abrogation oi the French 

 parcels post. The trade has been as fol- 

 lows: For 1909, $333,425; for 1910, $430,- 

 .530; and for 1911, $664,405. It consists 

 largely of a great deal of finery and ar- 

 ticles of comfort and luxury and medicines 

 from Paris to be delivered by mail. 



A second bill requires that all French 

 medicines imported into Cuba shall bear 

 a tag containing an analysis giving the 

 contents of the packages of drugs. 



The imposition of a 50 per cent duty on 

 all goods of French manufacture brought 

 into Havana has been withdrawn. 



A fire in Banes, Oriente Province, on 

 January 29th, destroyed twenty business 

 houses" and two lives were lost. The fire 

 started in the kitchen of the El Liceo So- 

 cietv The loss is estimated at $200,000. 



