The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-13
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A TORPEDO CRUISER LOST
SHE WENT DOWN OFF SPAIN
WITH 273 LIVES.

Only Three Sailors Reached Land ia
Tell the Story-The People on Shore
Unable to Lend Any Assistance on
Account Of a storm-Her Seaworth-
mess Questioned.
LONDON, Nov. l2.-The British torpedo
cruiser Serpent has foundered off the
coast Of Spain. The fate Of her crew is
unknown. The Serpent was twin crew
vessel of l,710 tous, and 4,5O0 horse power.
She carried six guns.
The Serpent was lost twenty miles north
OF Cape Finsterre Out Of a total of 2Ys
souls ON board, only three were saved The
Serpent went on the rocks during a storm I
Manday night. A heavy mist prevailed at the
time. Owing TO the violence of the storm
1t was impossible TO send assistance from
the Shore Tremendous seas swept the decks
OF the vessel, carrying away group after
group OF the men. The news OF the wreck
was conveyed to Corunna, distance OF
sixty miles over mountain roads The
Serpent's complement was 170 officers and
men. The Others on board were going out
TO relieve men now on ships on the African
station.
NOT A SAFE SHIP.
LONDON, Nov. l2.- The Serpent was
built after ideas Of Admiral Cooper Kew.
who insisted upon an immense horse power,
which, according to previous notions, was
out OF all proportions to her displacement
She could MAINTAIN speed of seventeen
knots an hour. Lord Brassey in his naval
annual adversely criticized the vessel. He
said that the economy of weight
had been carried to excess in the construo-
ton OF the ship, that her plating was too
thin and that her armament was overdone.
In a sea way. no said, hor heavy tor weight
would be determined TO her speed, and
would unduly strain the hull The vessel
was S25 feet long. She had a draught Of
only l41E feet.
HER sEAwoRTHINEss DOUBTED.
The relatives of the crew of the Serpent
at Plymouth and the deckyerd people there
are full OF gossip about the lost
cruiser. IL is claimed that she was unsea-
worthy, and that she broke down on all her
trial trips. Commander Ross is said to have
been In the habit Of treating his men with
undue severity. The Serpent started last
Saturday ON her maiden voyage. She was
commissioned for service In Africa last
June, but was detained by several mishaps
to her machinery. She and her cousorts
were cordially disliked by the service.
The Serpent has bad record.
She broke down more tHan once in the
maneuvers Of 1888. Several admirals con-
demned the whole class as cranky.
WHAT LLoYD's AGENT SAYS.
Lloyd's agent at Corunna telegraphs: sit
appears that the Serpent was running for
shelter in one Of the bays north Of Einis-
terre. It il not known whether she
foundered OF grounded on the fearful
reefs that are a cont 1uatiou Of the
Galacia mountains. II she foun-
dered nobody need be surprised
but the admiralty. If she grounded on the
reefs. she could not stand minutes bat
tering in a heavy sea-"
THE THREE SURVIVORS.
MADRID, Nov. 12.-The three persons
saved from the Serpent arc sailors who
swan ashore at Camarinas They express
the belief that all the others on board were
drowned, but only four bodies have been
washed ashore as yet. There is no tele-
graph station at Camarinas
Tho bodies Of three ladies have been
washed ashore.