Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-12-25
SURRENDER OF THE VIR-
EINITJA

SURRENDER OF THE VIR-
l GINIUS.
New YORK, December ia co
respondent of the Tribune who Wa
: present at the surrender OF the Virgin
ius, telegraphS from Key West that til
surrender took place at Bahia Hond
yesterday morning. The fast stear
yachts Dispatch was selected TO reeeiV
the Virginirs, and Captain Whiting
OF the Worcester, Was designated {
command her. q he crew consisted c
thirty-nine men from the Pawnee. TIL
Dispatch sailed from Key West Sun
day, and reached Bahia Honda abou
noun of Monday. The correspondent
says: ''As soon as tho Dispatch wa
sighted from shore, the Spanish flag
bearing the crown. notwithstanding
the Republican edict abolishing tha
mOnarchiai emblem, was flung to tn
breeze. We discovered black side
wheel steamship, with two smoke
stacks, lying about ii mile beyond tn
fort, and in perfectly smooth water. n,
other craft, except two. or three coast
ing schOnnerS were then visible, and
WAS not until we were about to come t
anchor that we discovered Spanisl
sloop-of-war lying close under shore
about two miles and Il half away. Th'
Dispatch proceeded slowly and steadil,
along, and anchored about 100 yard
FROM the Virginius. Almost imme
diately afterWard, a bOAt from th,
Spanish frigate came alongside the Nir
ginius, and at IL quarter of two O'Clock
the stars and stripes Were raised by
Spanish hands and again floated Oye
the vessel which carried Ryan, Verona
Fry and their unfortunated cOmrade.
to their death. The boat was theI
pnlled away, and at the same moment
we saw, by the aid of glasses, another
boat let down from the Spanish vessel
which proved to be the captains gig.
1t brought to the Dispatch a handsome
young naval officer in full uniform
| He was cOurteouSlf met at the gang.
way by Captain Rodgers. He in,ro-
duced himself as Senor De la Camara,
commanding the sloop-cf-war Favor.
! ita. He Was invited into the cabin
but being informed by Captain Rodg-
ers that Captain Whiting was to re-
ceive the surrender, he stepped briskly
towards the latter, and Spaniard and
American lifted caps in courteous sa-
lutte. Commander De la Camara re-
marked that he had received copy OF
the protocol requiring the surrender OF
the Firgilius, and was prepared to eX-
ecute it, either on that or the following
day. Captain Whiting replied that
he was instructed to receive the vessel
on Tuesday, but the hour would be left
10 the convenience of the Spanish COM
mander. 1t was then agreed that the
ceremony should take place at nine
O'Clock Tuesday morning. Salutes
were again exchanged, and Senior De
la Camara left the ship, the interview
not having consumed more than five
minutes. In the afternoon, Captain
Whiting and Lieut.. MoriOX returned
the call, and were received with prop
err courtesies. On Tuesday morning,
pnnctually as the bells on the Dispatch
struck for nine O'Clock, and before the
echo had died away, the American flag
few to the flag staff Of the Virginius,
at the same moment Il boat containing
Captain Whiting, and Lieutenant Nor
ioX, put away from the Dispatch. AS
they assembled the accommodation lad
der oil the VirginiuS, Il siugle man on
deck, who proved to b. Senor DE la
Camara, advanced and made Il salute.
The officers then read their respective
instructions, and Capt. De la Camar;i
remarked tEat i'll obedience to the re-
quirem ment of his government, he had
the honor to turn over the steamer
NirginiuS to the American authorities.
Capt. Whiting accepted, ana, ascer-
tanning that Il receipt wOul1 be accept
able, gave one. y word or two more,
ciyilly Spoken, and the Spaniard step
ped over the side, Signalled to his OARS
men aud in ten minutes was again
upon the deck uf his own vessel, having
discharged with becoming dignity the
unpleasant duty imposed upon him by
his government. The y;rginius was
in mosI filthy condition. She was
leaking considerably and the. Spanish
Captain stated that he had kept the
pumps going continually since her ar
rival, in order to keep the water down.
Barring the filthy condition of the YES
sci, she was much better than was ex-
pected. The VirginiuS steamed about
200 yards, all going well, when her en-.
gines suddenly refused TO do duty, and
it became necessary for the Dispatch to
take her in tow 1ne two vessels went
out of the lisrbor bri5kly, the Spanish
flag being displayed by the fort as they
went by.
When the steamers reached Tortugas
they found the United States slOOp-of-
war Ossipee and IL coal schooner await
ing their arrival. When supplied with
provisions and coal, the Virginius will
probably be sent to northern port.
She will not enter the h2rbor at Key
West at all, xpyess orders to that eff
feet having been received from Wash
iugtOn.