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February 15th, 1898

Havana Harbor, Cuba

9:40 PM, Local Time

A fire is detected in the coal bunkers of the battleship USS Maine.

Damage control parties quickly put it out.

Minimal damage is caused.

February 16th, 1898

Havana Harbor, Cuba

10:29 AM, Local Time

The Spanish unprotected cruisers Infanta Isabel and Isabel II sail into Havana harbor.

The USS Maine is ordered to leave.

The Maine is unable to comply due to the damage from the coal fire.

The Infanta Isabel tows the damaged Maine to port in Miami

The crew is thankful, and gives a gift to the captain of the Spanish ship.

The Infanta Isabel returns to Havana.

Miami, Florida

7:24 PM, EST

The Maine arrives in Miami.

She is refit and the damage from the coal fire is repaired over a period of several months.

February 28th, 1898

Key West, Florida

10:12 AM, Local Time

The USS Indiana is detached from the North Atlantic squadron and is ordered to sail to Saint Helena to pick up a document for president McKinley

The Indiana sails into the North Atlantic, bound for Saint Helena.

March 1st, 1898

295 miles west of Saint Helena

5:19 AM, Local Time


The Indiana is on her way to Washington, carrying a sensitive package for President McKinley.

The Indiana is approached by a warship flying German colors and is ordered to heave to.

The Indiana ignores this order.

The German warship again orders her to heave to.

The Indiana continues her course.

The German warship fires a warning shot over the Indiana's bow.

The Indiana continues on.

The German warship fires a salvo of torpedoes.

One strikes amidships, the other strikes the stern, near the engine room.

The Indiana begins to list

The captain gives the order to abandon ship.

A CPO torches the letter on orders of the captain.

The crew is pulled off of the lifeboats and imprisoned in Kiel. Their rescue wouldn't come for two years.

The captain managed to get a wireless message out to the British merchantman Dogger Bank.

The message reads: USS Indiana fired upon by German warship, torpedoes launched. Listing badly. Abandoning ship.

The Dogger Bank relays the message to London, where it is relayed to Washington.

March 1st, 1898

7:20 PM, EST

Washington, D.C.

President McKinley receives an ultimatum from the German government, saying that the sailors would be released if the U.S. gave up its hold on Hawaii and the Aleutians.

It also read that this would happen again if he didn't.

McKinley retires to his room to think it over; this is going to be a long night.
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