Evening star., 1895-03-19
HUNDREDS PERISHED
The Reina Regente Found to Have
Sunk.
TOPS OF HER MASB DISCOVERED
All on E'oard, 42O, Believed to Re
Lost.
EFFORTS TO RESCUE HER

CADIZ, Spain, March 19.-The Spanish
cruiser Alfonzo XII has returned here af-
ter a search for the missing cruiser Reina
Regente, and reports having found the lat
ter vessel sunk near Bajo Aceitanos. not
far from the Straits of Gibraltar. Only
twenty inches Of the Reina Regente's 8
masts were above water.
The AlfonZo XII has returned to the
scene of the wreck with a number of
recover the bodies Of the crew of the
sunken warshfp.
Her Last Cruise.
The Reina Regente was reported missing
on March u. She had just conveyed from
Cadiz to Tangier the returning Moorish
mission to Spain. The cruiser left Tan
gier on March 10 for Cadiz, and her
whereabouts have not been definitely as
certained until today. Pieces of one of
her boats and semaphores were reported
to have been picked up along the shore
near Ceuta and Tarifa. She carried a
crew of 40 officers and men. and all
hands are believed to have perished.
So soon as the reports of the disaster
became current number Of Spanish and
British warships put to sea in search Of
her. A French steamship, on March IA, ar
seen a big vessel, supposed to have been
the Reina Regente, ashore in Aceitunos
bay (probably Bajo Aceitanos). The COM
mander of the French craft added that
he was unable to assist the warship on
account of heavy weather.
When Last Seen.
On March Is the steamer Mayfair arrived
at Barcelona and reported sighting YES
sci believed to be- the Spanish cruiser Reina
-
tween Tarifa and Cape Espartel. The war;
ship had lost her tunnels and bridge, and
was laboring heavily in the high seas and
fierce gale which prevailed. Although she
was apparently unmanageable, the cruiser
did not ask for assistance, and therefore
the Mayfair did not offer her any. But the
captain of the Mayfair added that he was
of the opinion that she could not long have
survived the storm in the condition in
which she appeared to be at the time he
saw her,
Later the Spanish cruisers Isla de Luzon
having searched the Spanish and African
coasts and the straits without any news Of
the missing warship.
The Vessel Unscaworthy.
Deputy Diaz Moreu, who was formerly
an officer in the Spanish navy. In the cham
ber OF deputies during the evening Of
March. ii read the statement of a former
commander Of the Reina Regente, in which
the writer described the cruiser as a YES
sci unable to weather a heavy stern, owing
to the increased weight of her armament.
In the senate Admiral Beranger, former
ly minister of marine, said that the Reina
Regente was one of the best ships in her
class She was well appointed in every
heved she must have .coIlided with another
vessel or have gone ashore.
Subsequently. In an interview in regard
to the statement made by Deputy Diaz
overweight of the cruisers deck guns was
rectified two years ago. by his orders, when
he was minister of marine.
The uncertainty as to the fate Of the
vessel caused great public excitement in
Madrid, and the government was accused
of keeping back news of the ship and Of
having ordered the detention by the censors
of all kilograms giving information about
her.
But. when a number of flags, a compass
box and other wreckage known to have be-
longed to the ReiDa Regente were washed
ashore at Tarlfa, she was given up for lost.
the 420 officers and men of the lost cruiser
belonged, there has been great anxiety and
excitement from the moment she was re-
ported missing.
The Columbian Naval Parade.
The Reina Regente, about two years ago,
went to New York as one of the Spanish
squadron which. escorted across the Allan
tic the Columbus caravels. The lnfanta
Isabel, now reported to have fired at an
American schooner eff the coast of Cuba,
and the Nueva Espana were the other
ships of the Spanish squadron. The latter
arrived at Fort Monroe on April 81, 1893,
the Reina Regente having the caravel
Santa Maria in tow; the Pinta was in tow
of the 1nfanta Isabel and the Nina was
to% ed by the Nueva Espana. All three of.
these Spanish Warships took a conspicuous
part In the great Columbian naval parade
in New York harbor April % of the
same year.
The Wrecked Vessel.
The Reina Regente was launched in 1887,
and was one of three second-class deck
protected cruisers of the same build her
sister ships being the Alfonzo XIII and
Lepanto, all of 800 tons, Il, 900 horsepower
and expected to steam 20 knots. The wreck
ed cruiser was 800 feet long, had 50 feet 6
inches beam and a draught of 20 feet 4
inches She was propelled by twin screws
Her protected deck was 34 inches thick
on the slopes, her coming tower had
inches of armor and her gun shields were
3 inches thick.
The armament Of the Reina Regente con-
sisted of four 1-2-inch Henrietta guns, one
on each sidS forward of the central super
structure, one on each side aft; six 3D.
inch Hontoria guns in broadside, the for
ward and after pair in sponsors, middle
pair in recessed ports, and fifteen rapid fire
and machine guns. She was also fitted with
five torpedo tubes.
Spain Informed That Excitement Here