SKELETON MODEL OF FORWARD PART OF THE MAINE Showing relation of parts before the explosion

less complete explosion of the contents of the remaining forward magazines followed. The magazine explosions resulted in the destruction of the vessel."

Thus, notwithstanding the lapse of years and the numerous theories and possibilities suggested by persons not in possession of sufficient information upon the subject, every one of the subsequent Boards ordered to inquire into the subject, have simply substantiated the findings of the original Board on the disaster.

All of the subsequent reports and findings by persons and Boards qualified to express an opinion upon the subject, prove how searching and exhaustive must have been the examination into every phase of the disaster by the original Board, which has come to be referred to as the "Sampson Board" after the senior member, then Captain

W. T. Sampson, U.S.N. With the Maine sunken out of sight and in her terribly distorted condition, it is almost marvelous how accurate were the findings of that Board.

In the minds of those acquainted with the personnel of the Sampson Board, there never was the slightest doubt about the correctness of their able, unanimous deductions.

However, for the benefit of the entire country and posterity generally, it is a satisfaction to have, from a joint board of Army and Navy officers this unanimous report to the same effect as was that of the original board of fourteen years ago.

At one time, there was considerable discussion in the lay newspapers as to alleged disagreements over the cause of the disaster, and among others General Bixby, Chief of Engineers, U.S.A., was reported to have expressed certain opinions. It may here be stated, with full authority, that General Bixby, to whom was intrusted the important work of raising the Maine, has never, either directly or indirectly, expressed any opinion upon the subject.

A model device of the wreck has been made, with movable parts on hinges, so contrived by a system of weights, pulleys, and levers, that, upon releasing a catch, the effects of the explosion are shown in the collapse and distortion of the various plates, keel, turrets, etc. The model was made by Naval Constructor W. B. Ferguson, Jr., U.S.N., the Navy Department's representative in Havana during the work on the Maine, and was exhibited to the President at the White House, and later will be sent for examination to Congress. In order to continue the work on the wreck General Bixby, Chief of Engineers of the Army, has asked Congress for an additional appropriation of $250,000.

The dedication ceremonies of the Naval Training Station at North Chicago took place at the Station, about twenty-five miles north of Chicago, on October 28. Addresses were made by President Taft, Secretary of the Navy Meyer, Representative Foss, and Rear Admiral Ross.

It was appropriate that the President himself, as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, should have presided at the dedication ceremonies of what is the greatest naval training station in the world.

The site is strikingly picturesque and also combines other more intrinsic qualities of a desirable location for the training of the Navy's embryo seamen, many of whom may be destined to become officers.

Long ago, it was recognized that the Navy should have a training station on the Great Lakes, where as good sailors are produced as anywhere in the world; and a combination of business interests at Chicago, seeing the

advantage that would accrue to the city from having the Station near, offered to donate the site to the Govern

ment.

A board of naval officers was ordered to select a location, with the result that, after carefully going over various proposed locations, the present site was finally selected. Formal possession was taken of the reservation on July 1, 1905. It occupies 182 acres, fronting on the Lake.

The Navy Department thereupon assigned Rear Admiral Albert Ross, U. S. N., to take charge of the work, and, as he has continued in charge ever since, the Station may be considered to represent the materialization of his ideas.

For more than six years the development of this work has been going on, until now the Station may be said to be completed, and the training of recruits has been under way since July 1.

The Training Station, as now completed, represents an expenditure of $3,750,000.

The largest and most expensive of the thirty-nine buildings is the imposing Instruction Building, with its great figure of an American eagle spreading his wings over the middle entrance. This building contains a lecture hall, class rooms, a small theater, a thoroughly equipped gymnasium, reading and writing room, and post office. In the basement are a natatorium, bowling alleys, and billiard and pool rooms.

When the weather is such as to make the parade grounds impracticable for drilling, there is a large drill hall used for the purpose; so that the course of training, once embarked upon by the recruit, is unbrokenly carried through.

The great advantage this Station possesses over the other three training stations-at Newport, Norfolk, and San Francisco-is that it was begun and entirely finished under one definite plan. It is not, like the others, a heterogeneous result of make-shifts, extending over many years, and embodying different, and more or less. unconnected, ideas of the different commandants, each one doing the best, as he saw it, with what funds for improvements were available from time to time.

The Station can accommodate 2500 recruits, most of whom will come from the interior part of the country, to which Chicago is more accessible than any of the other Stations.

Two hundred recruits recently completed the course of training and were transferred to ships in the Pacific Fleet, and a smaller draft were sent to the Atlantic side in November.

Upon arriving at the Station, the recruits are marched into the barber shop, where they are given a hair-cut and shave; thence to the dressing room, where they receive a good bath.

While this is going on, the recruits are being provided with an outfit of uniform from the large stock of all sizes kept on hand in the general store-house; and when they emerge from their bath, they don their new uniforms, including every article worn.

The clothes, hat, shoes, etc., in which they arrived at the Station, after going through a process of fumigation, to insure against any danger of contagious disease, may be sent home, but are not allowed to be kept among their effects. The Government provides the recruits with complete outfits, and there is no room in their bags for civilian clothes.

After the examination by the medical officer, to make sure the recruiting officer has not overlooked any defects, they are marched to the "detention" barracks; where, for twenty-one days, they are quartered in dormitories subdivided into units, containing ten men each. These groups are so arranged in order that, if infectious disease develop, it will not be necessary to quarantine more than ten men; and a careful watch is kept during these three weeks, so that any infection may be immediately detected and combated.

Each group has its own mess room, bath rooms and domitory. During this detention period, the recruits are not idle by any means, but undergo instruction and certain kinds of drill all the time; but they are not allowed to mingle with the older recruits, until the twenty-one days have expired.

If a recruit comes to the station with any germ of disease in his system, it is believed that the disease itself will develop before the expiration of twenty-one days. Hence, the detention period is required as a safeguard against an epidemic among the entire corps. After this period of detention, the recruits are marched to the main quarters and dormitories, where they are assigned to the general brigade.

As much instruction and drill are given as can be, without overtaxing their endurance or their interest, and the effect of the splendid discipline, open air exercise, plenty of wholesome, well prepared food, early hours, well ventilated dormitories, pure water, and medical supervision, are almost immediately perceived in the physique of the recruits.

The surroundings are designed as much as possible to stimulate an interest in everything nautical. The walls of the drill halls, instruction rooms, and living quarters are decorated with well executed, detailed pictures of

such things as the mariner's compass, signal flags, international code flags, wig-wag and semaphore alphabets, all in proper colors; the log and lead lines, names of hitches, knots, and splices; nomenclature of boats and equipment, small arms; in fact everything is done to give the recruit information about life and conditions on board ship, where he is transferred as soon as the training period is completed.

The facilities for boating under oars and sails are exceptionally good, and this form of drill really amounts to a most popular form of amusement, as it is a pleasant novelty to a large proportion of the recruits, who have never had any opportunity of enjoying any kind of water sports.

Not only are they taught the manual of arms, to handle boats, to drill at infantry and artillery, to signal, to knot, splice, sling a hammock, box the compass, to swim, and how to hit the bull's-eye at target practice with rifle and revolver; but it is sought strongly to inculcate the