This post was written by SCHS Library Volunteer Gail Denisoff.
Stylized image of the USS Maine explosion. Only 94 of the ship's 355 crew members survived the explosion. Courtesy of the Nautical History Gallery and Museum |
Schenectady resident Ambrose Ham was a 20 year old Apprentice
First Class aboard the USS Maine when it exploded in Havana Harbor on the night
of February 15, 1898. An article in the
Schenectady Evening Star dated February 17, 1898 questioned his survival. According to the article, an Ambrose Hall was
listed as a survivor and hope was that he was really Ambrose Ham.
Born January 10, 1878, in Indian Fields, New York, Ambrose
moved to Schenectady as a boy with his mother and brothers where he lived on
Catherine Street and attended school until the 6th grade. Following the death of his mother in about
1894, he came under the guardianship of Mr. B.L. Conde of Schenectady who enlisted
him in the US Navy on July 31, 1894 at the age of 16. He was placed on a school ship in Newport RI
where he apprenticed for approximately 18 months. On his enlistment card he was described as
being 5’4 ¼” tall with grey eyes, light brown hair and a light freckled
complexion. At the time of the explosion, Ambrose had been part of the crew of
the Maine for about a year and a half.
The USS Maine is best known for the explosion in Havana
Harbor on the night of February 15, 1898
Image of Ambrose Ham from the Feb. 6, 1906 edition of the Binghamton Press and Leader. Courtesy of fultonhistory.com |
Ambrose did indeed survive the sinking of the Maine. In response to a letter sent to him from the
Schenectady Sunday News, Ambrose gave this account of the incident sent from the
US Army Hospital in Key West, Florida dated February 26th, 1898
(original letter in the Grems-Doolittle Library):
Dear Sir,
I received your letter with picture last night. I thank you very much for taking such an
interest in my escape from the Maine.
On Tuesday, Feb 15th I went on watch at 8:00
o’clock, aft on the poop deck. I was
standing signal watch and my watch would be up that night at 12:00
o’clock. Everything went well till
twenty minutes of ten.
It was a beautiful night, the water in the harbor was as
still as a lake. The ship was swinging
to flood tide. As I was about to turn
around to walk aft, I saw a volcano of fire which seem to envelope the whole
ship then followed a terrible roar and another which lifted the big ship out of
the water. I was hit by a piece iron
which was coming down like hail. The
whole forward part of the ship was torned to pieces, steele was twisted like
wire. Men were thrown high in the air and what few escaped were burned so badly
we could hardly tell who they were.
As soon as the explosion was over I ran to the Captain boat
which was not injured and helped to lower it into the water. Several men who were not hurt got into the
boat with Cadet Holden in charge and picked up the men in the water. By that time boats from shore and some from
the Spanish man of war came up, picked up a lot of injured men and took them
ashore to the Hospital. Well our boat
stayed around the wreck which was burning.
The after part of the ship was not injured and on the poop deck was the
Captain, leut comd. Wainwright and a couple of junior officers. Then the
captain gave orders to see if everyone was off the ship. Next order was to abandon ship. The captain was the last man to leave the
ship, he seem as cool as a piece of ice.
He was taken over to the City of Washington where some of the survivors
were and such a night – men with broken limbs, burned faces. The Maine surgeon, the Captain and Lieut.
Blow were working hard dressing the mens wounds.
Two of the men were taken to Havana Hospital that night but
they died afterwards. Next day we were
taken to the Steamer Olvette which runs between Key West and Havana and left
that afternoon and arrived in Key West at night. Went to the Hospital some to Marine some to
Army Hospital. Last week eight men came
from Havana, four are expected today.
The men were treated kindly on the Steamers and in the Hospital. On the City of Washington some of the
passengers stayed up all night to watch the wounded.
Whether it was an accident or not I will not say. The court of inquiry will know tomorrow. My injuries were slight and are all well
now. The men in this Hospital are
improving quickly and will be able to get discharge from Hospital in two weeks
with the exception of two men who have broken legs. It was said last night that two men died in
Havana Hospital. I don’t know how true
it is.
I am sorry I could not send this account before for I only
received your letter last night. Would
you mind sending me one of the papers with my picture in it. I would like to read the account of the
disaster in your paper and oblidge.
Ambrose Ham
The USS Marblehead courtesy of Wikipedia. |
Following his release from the hospital, Ambrose served aboard
the USS Marblehead in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He was honorably
discharged from the Navy on January 9, 1899, a day before his 21st
birthday. After returning to
Schenectady, Ambrose lived on Paige Street and worked as a grocer. His
guardian, Mr. Conde had pursued a lawsuit that his mother, Mrs. Hannah Wiltsie Ham
had initiated before her death for an inheritance from an uncle of hers. He was successful and when Ambrose returned,
there was $1300 in the Schenectady Savings Bank waiting for him. Shortly
thereafter, on March 12, 1899, Ambrose was baptized in the 2nd Dutch
Reformed Church .
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