The record-union., 1895-09-27

Waves-The Captain of the Wrecked
Vessel the Last to Leave the Ship.
HAVANA. Sept 26.-Following are the
Cuba, when the Spanish war vessel
Sanchez Barcaiztegui sank:
The Sanchez Barcaiztegui left the Bay
of Havana with Admiral Manuel Delgado
y. Pareio and his staff. He was about TO
make circular cruise around the island.
She cleared from her moorings at ll:30
on Wednesday night. steering for the
narrow channel leading to the opeu sea.
She was under easy steam, or half-speed,
when the lookout noticed red and white
| light on the signal station at the entrance
to the harbor, indicating that a steamer
was standing in for the entrance of Ell
Canal, or channel. She was steaning in
from the northeast end of the island. She
was only two cable-lengths away 600
! feeD Instantly Captain IbaneZ of the
Sanchez BarcaiZtegui ordered the helm
! to starboard, thus steering in to his right
and close in on Ell MORO, leaving ample
room for the incoming steamer 10 pass on
his port side. Ho duly announced his
course by d single blast OF the whistle.
| that being the signal under the In;erna-
| tiOnal code.
! Both ships were rapidly nearing each
other, bow to bow. Captain lbanez's
/ signal failing 10 Illicit an instant reply, he
| repeated the signal blast, but as less than
! the usual time interval elapsed between
the two, the incoming steamer, the
| Mortera, Interpreted it as one signal OF
| NTt h1.ls a
answered by two whistles, and changed
her course. This made the collision IN
evItable. They kept bow 10 each other.
Captain IbaneZ, realizing the great and
instant peril. gave the order Tor full
speed aslera, and ordered his wheel hard
over to meet the new and unexpected
! condition OF things. This necessltated
thIrty-1our turns OF the wheel and IN
volved a loss of very valuable time.
During this critical moment. when the
fate OF the snip was in the balance, fire
| man STUN bled against the electric wires
supplying light and dislocated them. ana
in an instant total darkness enveloped
the ship. The side lights on the bridge,
| and forward the usual red and green
lights, were supplied by the electric cur
rent Momentarily the Mortera lost
sight OF her in the darkness. Under such
! circumstances the ship was doomed. In
vain did the Captain OF. the Mortera order
/ his snip iuli speei astern. Ere be could
stop his Roadway the TWO iron steamers
came together with dreadful blow and
crash.
IL was five minutes past II when they
struck Even In the face of instant death,
! full and perfect discipline was nlain-
tanned on board the Sanchez BarcaiZtegui.
With the stoical heroism of the Spanish
sailor, Captain lDanez gave orders to
clear away and lower the boats. Lieu
l., "a try
forward. and he knew that an immense
hole had been Knocked in near the bow
! plates The torecastIe was full OF water
! 1t continued to pour into the snip and she
commenced to sink by the head. Lieuten-
ant Junco, recognizing the danger, in
stautly reported 10 the Admiral as fol-
lows:
admiral, in five minutes the ship will
90 down"
The Admiral. advanced in years and in
poor health, in quiet. self-pOssessed
tone, replied: Report what you have
said to ne TO your Captain, that he may
take any precautions he deems neces-
sary."
Obeying this order, Lieutenant Junco
reported to the Captain. who issued his
final orders. Previously Captain Ibanez
had ordered the loading and firing OF a
cannon as a signal for help. but time did
not permit. She was sinking too rapidly.
All boats were tloated. Lieutenant Gar
cia's orders were loud and clear, and were
heard on the Mortera. She had backed
oil.
Then followed a remarkable Scene-the
rough and ready sailors entered into a
contest OF generosity and heroic selt-de-
NAL. Il Will wait for the last boat, | have
no one to mourn me-" said one. Another
cry was heard: ~ on that have wives
aud children get into the boats"
II "A 10 Err-f
The same spirit actuated all on board,
officers and men alike. They were cool
and self-possessed. The Captain and his
officers surrounded the venerable Adj
miral on the bridge. The latter insisted
on being the last 10 leave the snip.
Admiral" said Lieutenant JuncO. "if
your eXcellency wishes, you can be low
cred into boat" which he declined, say
ing: Thanks, my son; although aged
can help myself. Then the Admiral adj
dressed the crew: Haste men ;let all
save themselves"
The ship was sinking under them into
the deep waters oil FL MORO. Almost
by force the Admiral was placed into o
boat Lieutenant Garcia Junco still re-
NAMED on board, when general cry
went up that the ship was sinking.
The third boat, containing the Admiral,
was still alongside, when an effort was
made TO clear her. When but few yards
away the gallant ship gave q final lurch
and disappeared amid a sea Of creamy
foam. The suction caused by tile sink
, ing OF so large a ship drew in everything
near by. including the boat containing
, the Admiral, who, with al the crew,
, were lost.
, Scenes at such moments are simply in
! desert bable. The surface of the water
, was studded with heads struggling in the
{ waves sweeping in from the Atlantic.
! The air was filled with shrieks, prayers
and cries-feariul, heartreuding cries
! some shouting farewell 10 mothers, wives
and children.
This solemn and dreadful scene was
r made simply awful by the appearance o.
many sharks. The harbor and coast o
3 Cuba Is known for its man-eatine
sharks. Some Of the unfortunate mer
were seized by the legs and drawn under
? others sank beneath the waves.
? While this fearful scene was being en-
acted, the brave and gallant Captain o
l the Mortera, j ose D'Ninoias. had lowered
all OF his boats, and forty-fve officers and
men were rescued that but for his assist
ance would have been drowned within
hundred yards OF a large aud populou'
city. All were loud in their praise o
Captain Vinola.
In drawing this narrowing scene to s
close the gallant Captainsof the Barcaizte
the embarking of every man. aud wa.
lurch he jumped into the sea and disap
. DeareG in the suction that drew under The
D ship's boats and crew.