The record-union., 1893-06-12
WARSHIP IN A POCKET
How the Spanish Ironclad Arapiles
Was Detained at IL Critical Time.

now inc spanish 1rOnclad AraDileS
Was Detained at II Critical Time.
Speaking of docking at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard OF the huge Spanish ironclad
KeIna Regente, naval officer, who is full
of "reminiscences of the past, told Brook
Ign EugLc man the story ofthe last Spanish
cruiser which awaited itself of the priv
leges OF that dockyard. 1t was in 1873.
ana the ship was the Arapiles. She was
comparatively new ship of about 40 600
tons. ironclad, and at that time equal in
hghtlng strength to a half-doZen of our
wooden men-ot-war, the best ships we
had. The Arapiles had been at the yard
the entire summer, undergoing the most
extensive repairs. Her machinery had
been thoroughly overhauled, and, when
November came, she was in the dry dock
getting her bottom scraped and painted,
and, in short, receiving the finishing
touches which would make her entirely
ready Tor the sea, dangerous cruiser for
an enemy TO meet, armed as she was with
splendid battery OF Armstrong and
Whitworth guns.
But just as she was about finished and
ready to go the capture of the American
steamer Eirginius by the Spanish Gov
eminent and the execution, by shooting,
OF her Captain and forty of his men at
Santiago de Cuba occurred, and i'll an in
slant war was imminent. Geographic
orders were sent from Washington to tit
out at once every available ship at the
yard, and in twenty-four hours the work
ing force was increased to 1000 men,
working, hammer and tongs, night and
day. getting the ships ready for Cuban
waters. the old Colorado, which a few
months before had returned from the
China station and was resting dismantled
III the ordinary" row, was one of the
hrst to be ready, as were also the gun
boat Kansas and the old Wampanoag or
Florida.
The relations between the Spaniards
and ourselves were getting rather awk-
ward. The yard was rapidly fitted up
with war supplies and stores, and among
them large quantities of coal. A hasty
purchase of the latter article was made
late one afternoon, and the barges came
to the yard about dark. 81. Owing to an ac-
cident or blunder, one of the coal barges
was anchored directly in front of the
gate OF the dry dock, where the Span
lsh lronclad lay, and in some unac-
moorlngs that night, making the Ar
aplles helpless prisoner. The weather
was awful, causing rough sea in the
navy-yard waters, and this was one of the
reasons assigned for the barge's i'll luck.
The next day, when it was attempted to
raise her by means OF the yard derrick.
an important part of that machine
HAOAOi am VIC JOO AdN W Dc CCIu
abandoned. The Spaniards raved and
said large and naughty words in their
own dulcet language, but the Colorado
and the Kansas flew de COOP in the
meantime, and before the Arapiles ar
rived at Sandy Hook were down on the
Cuban coast.
Even when the Spanish ship left the
yard the pilot managed to land her on a
rock off the foot of Bridge street, and
after many apologies suggested to the
Captain to go back to the yard to see how
far she was damaged, but the Spanard
turned green at the suggestion, and went
right OFT to sea, stopping long enough at
the battery to send down a diver, who
reported the damages as slight Some
of the boys say that if the Arapiles
had gone back to the yard she would
have been there yet, and her commander
had wise head in going right on his
way. Happily there was no war. The
Secretary of the Navy ordered an investi-
CATION as to the accident to the coal barge.
and it resulted in the reprimanding of an
unfortunate masters mate, who ought to
have known better than to anchor the
barge i'll the spot where he did. The
Spaniards were very angry about it, so
my naval friend says, but time soothed
their wounded feelings.