 Massachusetts served in the Spanish – American War ( 1898 ) as part of the Flying Squadron and took part in the blockades of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba . She missed the decisive Battle of Santiago de Cuba after steaming to Guantánamo Bay the night before to resupply coal . After the war she served with the North Atlantic Squadron , performing training maneuvers and gunnery practice . During this period she suffered an explosion in an 8 @-@ inch gun turret , killing nine , and ran aground twice , requiring several months of repair both times . She was decommissioned in 1906 for modernization . 
