Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-11-20
The uIRGIhiUS.
She is Overhauled by g
Tornado.
Detailed AccogVss Of si-e Pursuit
and Capture.
The Prisoners Tried On Board as
Pirates.
United Statcs War Vessels Prepa-
ring fer Service.
C:r Guli Defences TO be StregtIl-
cned.

I -
cned.
CIRCUMSTA NTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE
CAPTURE OF THE VIRGINIUS.
New YORK, Nov. IA letter from
Havana gives an account OF the steam
er Nirginius, from which it appears
that on the 30th of October the Spanish
| Consul at Kingston advised the Cover
nor at Santiago de Cuba that the Nir-
ginius was in the vicinity OF Morrant
| Bay. The Spanish war steamer Tor
nado had that morning arrived at Si,n-
tiago de Cuba, and in four hours after
The Governor received Information OF
the Virginius, went in search Of her.
CHASED By : SPANISH WAR STEAMER.
The following day the Tornado, un-
der full sail, and bat little steam, as
some repairs were being made to her
machinery, came in sight Of the Vir-
ginius, which probably supposed the
Tornado to be a sailing vessel, as her
course WAS not changed. On the Tor
nadO every effort was made to hasten
! the repairs that Were going on, and at
O'Clock the chief engineer pronounced
them completed. All steam possible
was Immediately got up, and the vessel
was headed for the FirginiHs, soon
reaching a speed OF fourteen knott, and
slowly gaining upon her.
EFFORTS To ESCAPE.
The Virginius had IL the meantime
kept On her course, but divining the
hostile intentions of the Tornado,
changed toward jamaica, and, being
out of coal, commenced TO barn petrO-
| leum, grease, fat and O5her ecpnbusti-
ble5 from the provisions on b0a.d. such
as hams, etc. Night closed in, and the
vessels were in the same relative posi-
! tions, the Tornado, however, gaining.
! As soon as they got within gun-shot,
the Tornado fred Il gun, followed by
| three other shots and shell. This
brought Tie Vjrginius TO, and two
armed boats from the. Tornado came
| alongside and took possession Of the
vessel, and made prisoners of all on
| board.
At the time OF the capture the Vir-
| ginius was flying the American flag,
| but this WAS pulled down by the Span
/ isll officer, and the Spanish ensign
hoisteI; ~ It's place, aitn0ugh the pa
| peTs of tle vessel, duly dispatched for
! Colon, were handed over after the cap
ture. The next two hours were EN-
pioyed in transferring some of the pris-
oners to the Tornado, and putting Il
prize crew on the NirgIniuS. At mid
| night, the two vessels started for Santi-
ago de Cuba, and arrived the following
| day at five O'clock in the afternoon,
having been Joined by the Spanish
| st5amer CantaDro.
| On the following day, the ID OF No
I VGmb9f, u c0urt-martlai was held on
board the Tornado, which commenced
at nine O'Clock and terminated at four.
All were tried as pirates, and the find
ings OF the court and the sentences were
| sent TO the Captain General ana Adni-
raj in sealed packets. After the court
! had concluded Its task, all the prison.
ers, with the exception of Banheta, Je-
! sus Del Sala, General Ryan and Pedro
Cespeses, were transferred to the Jail of
the city, escorted by a force of one hun
dred volunteers and a number of ma
| rines.
General Burriel, it is said, cody ask
ed that all prisoners should be turned
over to him, with the exception of the
| Captain and crew, who Should be sent
| to Havana at disposal of the cOmman-
! date, General dc MariDatO, and declar-
| ed within twenty-iour hours afterward
that all should be tried and executed, in
order TO avoid any complication in the
| way of foreign intervention. He also
| detained II telegram which the United
States Consul desired TO forward to the
| United States Consul at Kingston, re-
| porting the capture, and Inquiring as
! TO the Nationality OF the Virginius.
| The VirginiuS had her Eapers in or
| der, and was dispatched for Colon, all
| the passengers appearing Oh the papers
/ as laborerS for a railroad building there.
All accounts differ as TO the position
of the Virsinius at the time of the cap
ture. One gives the capture as having
been effected at IA point twenty miles
from Jamaica, and the Official account
twelve miles. The Diaro states it at
twentV-three miles; the jOurnale of San
tiago de Cuba at eight miles and twen-
| ty miles, and the version of the Vose
! de Cub:. is twelve miles. The COM
( mander Of the Tornado pulicly stated
| in Santiago de Cuba that in an hour
later the Virgiuius could have saved
herself by entering some port Of ia
maica.
1t seems the Virginius, shortly after
the departure Off French steamer for
| Santiga de Cuba, left Jamaica on the
oath ult. 1t was the intention of the
eXpediti0nists to saildirect for Cubl.
but slight damage to the machinery
obliged them to enter a port of Hayti.
Tins they left, touching at Port au
Prince, Hayti and another port ofsame
island, until the 3Gth, upon which day
they concluded to sail for Cuba and
attempt landing, and upon which
! day the information chat proved so
disastrous to those on board, was given
the authorities at Santiago de Cuba.
Some of the officials at the Brooklyn
| Navy Yard profess ignorance in regard
to the receipt OF orders from Washing
ton. but at The same time every man
that could be obtained was set 10 work
on the vessels of war P0whatttn, Kan
sas and Juniata. The Kansas received
Il supply of stores this afternoon, and
it is thought that she will sail to-
night. The Juniata will be ready to
sail tomorrow night. The Brooklyn
EagloSays executive officer Ransom, of
/! the navy yard III an interview, said
| orders had been received from Wash
! ingt0n about fitting out vessels, but he
/ was not at liberty 10 mS&e them pub
| lie. He Thought there was prospect
! of war with Spain, and that the Gov
ernment would undoubtedly proceed
| hy taking Cuba. The Spanish frigate
| Aripts, which has been undergoing
repairs at the navy yard for the last
two months, has had her plates re-
moved, and could not possibly be got
! in trim for service in less than ten
| weeks.