One of the Jacks from U.S.S. Maine
Resurfaces
by Edgar M. Malpas
"Remember the Maine!"
was the battle cry that carried the United States into a war with Spain
exactly 100 years ago this year. The incident that largely helped to trigger
hostilities was the explosion and sinking of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in
the harbor of Havana, Cuba, on the evening of February 15, 1898. The incident
killed 260 American servicemen and wounded others. While it was initially
believed that a mine triggered the explosion, a 1976 study suggested that the
blast could have sparked by a fire smoldering in a coal bin next to the forward
magazines. The mystery as to the explosion continues to this day, as evidenced
by a February 1998 National Geographic technical study.
When the staff of the Hampton Roads (Virginia) Naval Museum was planning an exhibit to commemorate the centennial of the Spanish-American War (1898-1998), they were approached by a visitor who wanted to donate a flag from the U.S.S. Maine.
Joe Judge, the museum's curator, accepted the donation from Edward Conwell, who had inherited the flag from his grandfather. Conwell's grandfather had been in the Navy and was a friend of one of the Navy divers who had been sent to examine the wreck of the battleship. Conwell explained, "The diver went down to the wreck and found this flag and he tied it around his waist and when he came back to the surface, he asked the officer of the day if he could have it. The officer said 'yes' and the diver, who was good friends with my grandfather, gave it to him."
This particular jack measures 72 inches (hoist) by 102 inches (fly), and has 43 white cotton stars on a navy blue, woolen bunting field. The stars are arranged in six, offset horizontal rows, all but one of which contain seven stars. The jack's canvas heading is stenciled: "UNION No. 3. NAVY YARD NEW YORK DEC. 1892". The ship apparently retained this 43star jack in its flag locker despite subsequent star additions: 1891 (44 stars) and 1896 (45 stars). The Maine had been built in New York in 1890, and thus witnessed two star increases during her eight-year career. Also, today's regulations regarding size of the jack with respect to the canton of the accompanying national ensign were not then in effect, which perhaps explains the somewhat large size of this jack.
Unfortunately, Conwell did not live to see his grandfather's jack displayed in the exhibit, as he passed away last October. Mrs. Conwell said the 43star jack had been stored in their attic for 21 years, until Conwell decided to donate it to the museum. She never considered the monetary value of the lag, but wanted to ensure it was placed in a setting in which it belonged.
This 43-star jack is featured as part of the " Cuba Libre!: The Spanish-American War in the Caribbean" exhibit at the naval museum. The museum also contains the ' jack of the U.S.S. Congress, which was burned and sunk in Hampton Roads during 1862 by the Confederate ironclad, C.S.S. Virginia (more familiarly known as the Merrimac,) and a 34-star U.S. ensign from the U.S.S. Oregon. The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is located on Nauticus, on the waterfront in downtown, Norfolk, Virginia USA and is free to the public.
Editor's Note: It is very important to remember, however, that the actual union jack and national ensign worn by the battleship Maine at the time of the February 1898 explosion indeed carried the then-current complement of 45 stars. The 45-star flag came into effect on July 4, 1896. The Maine's 45-star jack was rescued from the wreck's bow very shortly after the explosion. (45-star U.S. ensign of the Maine rescued from a locker). Jacks are customarily rolled when lowered and stored at the foot of the jackstaff; Navy divers found it there, "ready for hoisting the next morning." The ship exploded at 9:40 p.m. local time. The 45-star jack was turned over to the American Consul General, who sent it to the Secretary of the Navy. By direction of the Secretary, it was placed on the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. The 45-star jack and ensign were then placed on display at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland USA. See H.C. Washburn, Illustrated Case Inscriptions From the Official Catalogue of the Trophy Flags of the United States Navy (Baltimore: The Lord Baltimore Press, 1913), 82 (photo) and 83; see also id. at P. 6465. See also the letters to the editor section of this issue, for more on the Maine.