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How many crew members died in the destruction of the USS Maine?
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Spanish-American War
Theodore Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, 1898; print created by Kurz & Allison.
The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, resulted in the deaths of 260 Navy crewmen and officers.12
While initial reports and a U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry at the time attributed the sinking to an underwater mineâfueling public sentiment against Spain and contributing to the start of the Spanish-American Warâa 1976 investigation concluded that the disaster was most likely caused by an internal fire that ignited the ship's ammunition.1