The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03
STEAMER COMMODORE SINKS.
GOES DOWN OFF NEW SMYRNA BAR
WITH ALI HER CARGO.

while on Her Way to Sea From
FiIibuster Band Talks About the
Disaster.
ST Augustine, Fla, Jan. 2.-The filibus-
tering steamer Commodore, which left
Jacksonville yesterday evening was sunk
off New Smyrna bar this morning at $3.50
o'clock, carrying her precious cargo of
arms, etc., to the Cuban army, consisting
of 5000 cartridges, 1000 pounds of giant
powder, forty bundles of rifles, two cleo
tric batteries, 300 machetes, fourteen cases
of drugs, four bundle of clothes, valued
at "a, 465 to the ocean bottom, twenty faith
oms deep. Not an article was saved.
The Morning News correspondent inter-
viewed Mai r. A. Delgado, who, with
eleven others of the crew, came ashore at
New Symrna to-day, himself and his COM
rades barely getting into the boats with
their lives. Before boarding the train at
New Symrna the Morning News corre-
/ spondent questioned the men and learned
from Maj. Delgado that when the Com
modore struck inside the st. Johns bar
3 yesterday the strain resulting from the
revenue cutter Boutwell, pulling her off
was possibly the first cause for the sink
ing, and the second cause was the Com
4 modore's striking on an outer reef.
Maj. Delgado says that at midnight she
was discovered leaking so fast that Capt
s. Murphy intended making New Smyrna
8 but when about seventeen miles north of
& that harbor the water rose so rapidly that
5 the pumps were disabled. She was set
3 Ting and the sea broke over her, and fill
q ing her, put out the fires and she sank.
Maj. Delgado says he lost many valu-
q able papers he was conveying from the
q junta to Gomez. He also lost a priced
pair of field glasses, the personal gift Of
Maceo, and all his effects, which for safe
4 ty he placed in the pilot house, but was
prevented saving owing to the almost sud-
den sinking of the Commodore.
The crew were ordered to take to the
boats by the gallant Capt. Murphy and
Delgado and the others are confident that
the three large boats contained every man.
Fl At o'clock this afternoon nothing had
been heard of the other two boats, which
likely made for the beach near by the
wreck to await relief
Capt. Murphy, when finding his sturdy
little craft sinking. cast over anchors to
hold the wreck in place.
Maj. Delgado was specially sent by Ma
Geo to New York to secure arms and am
munition, which he says are sorely need
ed and he was enthusiastic in the sue
cess of his trip until his misfortune to-
day. He says he and his comrades viii
get another cargo and boat and join the
struggling Cubans, who, he said, are
hon fN -, %1aA frAA z1w,, 5E CN,.t,,
die to the last man. There is every possi-
bility that the Commodore will be raised
and her cargo saved.
Maj. Delgado says he and the officers
of the junta are positive that Maceo is
& dead
The men were in a pitiful condition
mentally at the sinking of the Cornmo-
dore and her cargo and their valuable ef-
fects, as their hearts beat. high in the
hope of successfully landing the cargo
and rejoining their comrades.
Maj. Delgado and his companions went
to Jacksonville tonight.
The officers of the steamer consisted of
Capt. Edward Murphy, as master of the
vessel; Frank P. Grain, as first mate;
Felix Delos Rios, as second mate, James
Redding, as chief engineer, and Ed b.
Ritter as assistant engineer.
The crew was as follows: Franco Banco,
e. B. Montgomery, Paul K. Il. Rojo, Julio
'euuudrs ramon t1eTnduueZs j. IleEnduueI,
William Higgins, Jose Fernandez, Murray
Mobiles Manuel Donzalez, Miguel Fernan-
dez, Jose Alvarez, Buenafestusa Singy,
Emelio Marquis, Joseph Delaney, Gravier
Marbury, Modesto Leon, Santiago Riaz,
Luis Surra, p. d. Pernercousi, w. A. G.
Smith, r. A. Delgado and Stephen Crane,
newspaper correspondent.
Maj. Delgado is a grandson of the late
Gen. Hernandez of st. Augustine, who
captured Osceola during the Seminole In
dian war.
A small steamer has been lying outside
st. Augustine bar since last night. Its
position gives 1t a mysterious aspect.
The second of the Commodore's boats
came ashore near New Smyrna inlet to-
hight 1t was empty and without ap-
pearances of having been prepared for
carrying men. 1t is not known whether
was occupied by part of the Commo-
Cores crew or was washed off the ship.
There are hopes that such is the case,
although the two boats with Capt Muir
Dhy and the rest of the crew have not
been heard from. 1t is feared, from the
condition of the boat, that it was swamp
d in the heavy surf and its occupants
drowned or cast up on the beach else
where.
Jacksonville, Fla, Jan. 2.-The steamer
Commodore sunk in twenty fathoms of
Fater, twenty miles northeast of Mosquito
Met at clock this morning.
All Of the men on board were saved,
fnd twelve of them reached Jacksonville
Ao-night
The story of the accident, as told by one
Pf the men. is as follows. The steamer
pressed the st. Johns bar at O'Clock Fri
pay afternoon and at midnight was zoo
niles down the coast One OF the men
vent into the hold for something and
found it half full of water. Great ex-
ltement prevailed, but the pumps were
arted, and every one on board was put
T. work bailing. The water gained stead
W and at O'Clock the steamer was
eserted, r. A. Delgado taking command
one boat with eleven other men In It,
nj Capt Murphy commanding the other.
he Delgado party landed on the beach
Aear New Smyrna this morning at lO:So
clock, but Capt. Murphy's boat load did
lot land until 0 o'clock tonight. The
oat is said TO have been overloaded with
oal when II left here, and 1t Is thought
l't she sprung her seams when she
rounded on Commodores Point In going
own the st. Johns.
4 b. atf..r. II. All LEI n