Who or what sunk the Battleship Maine?

Question

I have read some different opinions. What you think?

Answer 1

Recent research with modern naval architecture specialists and close examination of the wreckage found that the damage was completely inconsistant with the external explosion of a mine. The most likely cause, they speculated, was spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to the magazine filled with ammunition for the six inch gun.

Answer 2

The Battleship Maine

Answer 3

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RE:
Who or what sunk the Battleship Maine?
I have read some different opinions. What you think?

Answer 4

After the Maine sank, an investigation said it was caused by a mine. However, many historians today actually believe a malfunction on the ship caused the explosion that caused the Maine to sink. The Maine was sunk outside of Cuba, which at the time was controlled by Spain. So either Cuba, Spain, or a malfunction caused it to sink. The Navy itself has never placed blame anywhere, but many Americans blamed Spain.

Answer 5

Almost certainly an explosion of coal dust in the coal room, which was conveniently engineered to be adjacent to a major ammunition bunker. If that isn't what happened on the Maine, then it's the only ship of its class during that time period that DIDN"T have it happen, and some had more than one explosion. It didn't matter, though, as a good portion of the country were looking for a reason for the war, and if that hadn't sufficed, they'd have found something else.

Answer 6

a mine.

In 1999, to commemorate the centennial of the sinking of the Maine, National Geographic Magazine commissioned an analysis by Advanced Marine Enterprises, using computer modeling that was not available for previous investigations. The AME analysis examined both theories and concluded that “it appears more probable than was previously concluded that a mine caused the inward bent bottom structure and the detonation of the magazines.” Some experts, including Admiral Rickover’s team and several analysts at AME, do not agree with the conclusion, and the fury over new findings even spurred a heated 90-minute debate at the 124th annual meeting of the U.S. Naval Institute.

Answer 7

Spontaneous combustion was not an uncommon problem on ships built in the latter part of the 19th century. Several ships sustained damage during the Spanish-American War when the bituminous coal in their bunkers ignited. These fires were difficult to detect because they could smolder for hours at low heat, giving off no smoke or flame or raising the temperature high enough to trigger the alarm systems on board these ships. Many of the experts current experiments/ tests all of which are pointing at the same conclusions, that a coal dust fire had resulted in the sinking of the ship. God Bless You Along with Our Southern Peoples.

Answer 8

Personally, I think the coal explosion theory is the more likely scenario. But due to the circumstances of that particular explosion and the relative lack of forensic science of the day, I'm not surprised that it was initially believed to be a mine.

Answer 9

Skipper was drunk and ran her aground.