Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-27
Details Of the Capture Of the virginius.

Details OF the Capture Of the virginius.
NEW YoRK, November ia.
| A letter from Havana gives an account
| of the capture Of the steamer virginius,
from which it appears that on the Both OF
| October the Spanish Consul at Kingston,
Jamaica. advised the Governor at Santa
| 90 de Cuba that the Virginius was in the
Vicinity of Morrant Bay The Spanish
war steamer Tornado had that morning
| arrived at Santiago de Cuba, and four
hours after the Governor had received in
| formation of the Virginius, went in search
OF her. On the following day the lorna
do. under full sail and but little steam, as
some slight repairs were being made to
her machinery, came in sight OF the Viz
pinius, which probably supposed the Tor
nado to be a sailing vessel, as her course
WAS not changed. On the Tornado every
effort was made to hasten the repairs
which they were engaged In, and at two
O'Clock the chief engineer pronounced
them completed. All possible steam was
Immediately got up and the vessel headed
for the Virginius, soon reaching q speed
of fourteen knots and slowly gaining
| upon her. The Virginius had, in the
meantime, Kept on her course, but diyin-
| ing the hostile intentions OF the
Tornado, changed it toward Jamai-
ca, and, being out Of coal, commenced TO
burn petroleum, grease, fat, and
| other combustiblcs from the provisions
on board, such as hams, etc. Night closed
| In, and the vessels were in the same
relative positions, the Tornado, however,
gaining. As soon SO they got within
| gunshot the Tornado fired gun, followed
| by three other shots and shell. This
| brought to the Virginius, and two armed
boats from the Tornado came alongside,
took possession Of the vessel, and made
prisoners of all on board.
At the time Of the capture the Virginius
| was flying the American flag, but this was
pulled down by Spanish officer, and
| Spanish ensign was hoisted in it's place,
although the papers of the vessel, duly
dispatched for Colon, were handed to him.
After the capture, the next two hours
were employed in transferring some OF the
| prisoners to the Tornado and putting a
prize crew on the Virginius.
At midnight the two vessels started for
Santiago de Cuba, and arrived there on the
following afternoon at five O'Clock, having
been joined by the Spanish steamer Can
tabro. Upon their arrival in port the in
telligence spread like lightning, and at
tracted an immense crowd of people.
The Government Palace and other public
buildings were illuminated, and all the
authorities, civil and military, went to
felicitate Governor Burriel upon the news,
who, in the evening, gave a brilliant re-
ception. The vessels were surrounded in
the bay by a number of boats filled with
| bands of music and cheering volunteers.
The festivities were kept up late in the
night.
On the following day (the 2d a court
martial was held on board the Tornado,
which commenced at nine O'Clock, and
terminated at four. All the prisoners were
tried as pirates, and the findings OF the
court and the sentences were sent to the
Captain General and the Admiral in seal
ed packets After the Court had conclud-
ed its task, all the prisoners with the ex-
ception of Bembetta, Jesus Del Sol,
General Ryan and Pedro Cespedes, were
transferred to the Jail of the city, escorted
by force of one hundred volunteers and
g number of marines. General Burriel it
is said, coolly asked that all the prisoners
should be turned over to him, with the
exception of the Captain and crew, who
should be sent to Havana at the disposal
of the. Commandment, General de Marinats,
and declared within twenty-four hours
afterward that all should be tried and
executed, in order to avoid any compiled
ton with the exterior-that Is foreign
Intervention. He also detained tele-
gram which the United States Consul
had decided to forward to the United
States Consul at Kingston, reporting the
capture and inquiring as to the nationali-
ty of the Virginius.
The Virginius had her papers in order,
and was dispatched for Colon, all Of her
passengers appearing on the papers as
laborers for q railroad that Is building
there.
All accounts differ as to the position Of
the Virginius at the time of her capture.
One gives the capture as having been ef-
fected at twenty miles from Jamaica, and
the official account says that 1t was twelve
miles. The Diario states 1t at twenty
three miles, the journals of Santiago de
Cuba at eight miles and twenty miles, and
the version Of the Voce de Cuba ut twelve
miles.
The commander of the Tornado public
ly stated in Santiago de Cuba that one
hour later, and the Virginius could have
saved herself by entering some port OF
Jamaica.
1t seems that the Virginius, shortly after
the departure Of the French steamer for
Santiago de Cuba, left Jamaica on the
oath ultimo. 1t was the intention of the
expeditionists to sail direct for Cuba, but
q slight damage to her machinery obliged
them to enter port Of Hayti. This they
left, touching at Port au Prince, Hayti,
and another port of the same island, un-
til the 3Oth, upon which day they con-
cluded to sail for Cuba and attempt a
landing, and on which day the informa-
ton that proved SO disastrous to those
on board was given to the authorities al
Santiago de Cuba.