Havana, Cuba (a Spanish possession). The American battleship USS Maine, anchored in the harbor, suddenly explodes and quickly sinks. Some of the sailors are rescued by the nearby, mighty Spanish ship Alfonso XII. In all, 85 sailors are saved, and 265 lose their lives. Admiral Charles Dwight Sigbee realizes that his report on the incident has the potential to spark conflict with Spain, given the already tense relations over Cuba, which has a strong independence movement and is sympathetic to the Americans. On the other hand, he is obviously reluctant to admit an accidental explosion, possibly due to negligence. He therefore leaves the matter pending, citing friction with Spanish sailors the previous evening on the Alfonso XII anchored opposite, and citing the excellent discipline on board. He thus leaves the decision to wage war to the political authorities. After long discussions, they decide to wage war with Spain. It would later be discovered, by scientific expeditions a century later, that the Maine had probably exploded from the inside due to accumulated gases.
