Battleship Maine Monument "Maine". The memorial is topped by a bronze light standard with an eagle at its crown. The plinth has a bronze plaque bearing the following inscription: To the memory of the soldiers and sailor of the Spanish–American War 1989. Shield and scrolls recovered from wreckage of USS Maine blown up Havana Harbor, Cuba February 15, A.D. 1898. Erected by the city of Bangor, A.D. 1922 The USS "Maine" was an armored cruiser of the United States Navy, and was the first US Navy vessel named after the state of Maine. She was sent in January 1898 to Havana, Cuba as
City of Washington (ship) the Spanish cruiser "Alfonso XII" resulted in the rescue of approximately 100 crew members from "Maine". Captain Frank Stevens and other crew members of "City of Washington" provided eyewitness testimony on the "Maine" disaster in Naval Court of Inquiry hearings which ended on March 21, 1898. The Court of Inquiry concluded that "Maine" was destroyed by the explosion of a submarine mine. While the Court did not place responsibility for the explosion, media and popular opinion overwhelmingly attributed it to Spain's forces in Cuba. Shortly thereafter, Congress declared a state of War with Spain, effective April 20, 1898. In April