Question

Which of these statements is the best historical conclusion about the cause of the sinking of USS Maine?

The sinking definitely began with the explosion of a Spanish mine.

The sinking definitely began with a mine explosion, but experts are undecided about who was responsible.

The explosion was caused by a coal fire onboard USS Maine, and no mine was present.

Experts cannot definitively say what the cause of the explosion was.

Answer 1

The explosion of the Maine in Cuba on February 15, 1898 was ruled by a Naval Court of Inquiry in March of 1898 as caused by a mine explosion. Subsequantly many different views of what caused the explosion have been put forward to a fire in her coal bunkers to a fire in her powder magazines. In 1976 a group of American Naval Investigators concluded that a fire ignited the Maines magazines.

The answer to the question however remains that experts cannot definitively say what the cause of the explosion was.

Answer 2

The correct answer is:

D. Experts cannot definitively say what the cause of the explosion was.

This statement is the best historical conclusion about the cause of the sinking of USS Maine.

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