When Teddy Roosevelt sent the USS Maine into Havana's harbor in 1898, he hoped that the show of force would help protect the lives and property of American citizens in the restless Spanish territory. But when the Maine mysteriously exploded and sank at anchor, the nation was shocked and demanded revenge. Ultimately, its destruction led to the Spanish-American War. But was the great ship really mined by Spanish forces, as newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst trumpeted in his tabloids? Journey back to the night of February 15, 1898 to unravel the enduring mystery. Examine the official navy report of the disaster which reached no conclusion and the tabloid accusations which made a frenzied but groundless case. Maritime experts and leading historians point to possible causes of the explosion which claimed 254 lives and examine its repercussions.