Krag Collectors Association Forum

In 1898, Key West, Florida, was the closest US Navy base to Havana, Cuba.

The USS Maine was stationed at Key West as tensions heated up in Cuba.

The USS Maine Baseball Team played a series of games and were "Navy Champs" in December, 1897.
The team was photographed in Key West.
'Stoker' William Lambert, who was Black and 'left-handed' was regarded as an amazing Pitcher and 'Star'.
In the team photograph he is isolated, off to the far right.

In January, 1898, the USS Maine filled up her coal bunkers at Building #1 and left Key West for Havana, on a peace mission to look out for American Interests and add stability to the situation.
The team's goat mascot was left at Key West.
All of the team was to perish in the mysterious, February 15, 1898, explosion, with the exception of John H. Bloomer.
He died in civilian life at age 35, in 1905, possibly with health problems related to the 1898 disaster.

(This story has Baseball, military history, SAW ships, tragedy and racism. I find the combination irresistible)!

Although most of the dead from the USS Maine were buried in the Colon Cemetery at Havana and later exhumed and reburied at Arlington Cemetery, 19 to 27 of the Maine's crew are buried at Key West.
Possibly, the Key West burials are men who died in transit or in the hospital.
The injured survivors were likely cared for at the Marine Hospital in Key West.

(When the SAW commenced, the head Nun, at the Key West Convent, turned her facility into a large hospital to treat American wounded and sick, arriving from the battlefields of Cuba).

The Library of Congress has a film, viewable online, made by Edison in March, 1898, of the funeral procession of nine Maine crew members at Key West.

I ran out of time in Key West and did not get to walk to the cemetery. I have used a stock picture of the burial site.
There is confusion about how many Maine crew members are buried at Key West.
Some burials are identified, most are 'unknown'.

BTW - "Tom" the ship's mascot-cat was found alive in the Maine's wreckage, he found a new berth on the USS Fern.

"Tom" the cat, one of the USS Maine's mascots, recovering on the USS Fern, days after the disaster.

The loss of the Maine has fostered many stories. For example, the statement credited to Hearst - “You get to Cuba, I’ll give you a story.” Any thoughts on that angle?

This posting has revealed information new to me. For that I am grateful.

Thanks, BR