The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-16
THE HEROES GONE
Lieutenants Anderson
and Blue With Us.
SPANISH PRIZE SHIPS.

b. EuArOOR AT u O'clOCA hcbUGEuay AhSCIe
neon-AnAerson and Bbse Receiv u
Great Ovation from the People-Pre-
sentatioa OF the war Trophies Last
Night At the Opera HcU.e-The on
GERS Baaqueted.
In anticipation Of the arrival of the
Spanish prize ships Sahdoval n AL
varado yesterday, the former, under
command Of our townsman. Lieutenant
Edwin A. Anderson, the latter
commanded by Lieutenant Victor Blue,
the vessels in the 'harbor yesterday
strung their bunting and the display
gave the harbor decidedly a holiday
appearance.
The whole town was on the lookout
for tidings from the historic ships
and by the courtesy Of Colonel Walker
Taylor, The Messenger posted the fol-
lowing bulletin q few minutes to 1
o'clock: %s
Southport, Dec. A, 1898, 12:48 p. M
"The gunb0ats are passing. They
should be in the city at 2:3O or 3 p. m.
u. J. ADKINS"
There was great relief to know that
the two ships would certainly arrive.
and by 8 o'clock the wharve were lin
ed with men, ladies' and children, to
watch the arrival of Lieutenants An
derson and Blue. All eyes were strain
ed towards the Dram Tree, and pa
tiently the crowds waited.
Meanwhile, the tug Marion, with
Harbor Master E. D. Williams in COM
mand, was decorated cap a pie, flying
her colors, and looking as pretty as 4
girl or a May-day pic mic. Mr.. James
Sprunt was on board with a number Of
ladies and gentlemen as his guests, n
their intention was to meet the incom-
ing vessels at the Dram Tree. A Mes
ger representative was On the wharf
as she was gracefully gliding down the
harbor, and the Marion kindly came
over and took him aboard. The tug
Navassa was also flying her colors. and
while lying at the wharf Of the Ma
vassa Guano Company, she took on
board Commander George L. Morton,
of the North Carolina Naval Battalion;
Col. Walker Taylor, of First Regiment,
North Carolina State Guard, DR.. c. f.
Wertenbaker, of the Marine Hospital,
and a party Of ladies and gentlemen.
Shortly after 3 o.. m, both steamers
sailed down the Cape Fear towards the
Dram Tree. The Marion was in the
lead and as she neared the Dram Tree
smoke was seen OF the horizon in
Brunswick Bay. Soon the gray prews
OF two vessels were seen, n it was
known that they were the SandOval
and the A1varado.
The Marion passed the Dram Tree
and the wreck of the schooner Katie
E. Clifford below the narrows, ana
--I~l 49,. 80 Yox y ~ nioh
. ers come up. The SandOval was COM
ing ahead Of the Afvarado, and when
she came within 300 yards, Harbor
Master Williams spoke her with his
megaphone. Lieutenant Anderson with
his ~megaphone mad answer, n was
told by the Harbor Master to follow his
lead to the custom house, wharf.
The siren whistle of the Marion
meanwhile saluted the new arrivals,
n salutes were fired from her with d
III from the cargo Of the schooner
John d. Long, which left out Of this
port with a f1llibustering expedition for
Cuba sometime last year. The Span
ish steamers replied to the compliment
with their whistles.
The Marion waited till the Sandoval
got abreast and then steamed towards
the city. The Navassa had headed to
b. and as the Sandoval came between the
two tugs, the Manassas siren whistle
sounded a salute. All four vessels then
steamed to- the city, with the Marion
in the lead. When the vessels got op-
posite the cotton factory the steam
whistles of the factory and of all the
steam plants along the harbor as far
up as Hilton, Is well as the whistles
of all the steam craft in the harbor,
made the .welkin ring with their blasts.
Thousands Of people lined the wharves
men, women and children waved
handkerchiefs as the steamers passed
up.
The Marion cleared, the custom house
wharf for the new arrivals, and the
Sandoval and AlvaraCio were docked at
4 p. m. Great crowds has tied each 9TH
er on the whafves, and as the Sando-
val tied up to the wharf, somebody
caught a glimpse of Lieutenant Ander-
son as his head poked ont of the pilot
house. n shouted, Three cheers for
A~nderson!" The crowd responded with
all its lungs and the 1ieute nant lifted
his cap and bowed his ack knowledge
ments. A mahogany gang plank was
thrown out to the wharf and immedi-
ately hundreds of people went aboard
mis- ship and caused her to lis from
Anderson warmly greeted all his
friends and acquaintance and
teously received everybody. His ship
was soon over-run, and as fast a s one
went through mother went
aboard.
The crowds also went aboard the AL
varado and the gallant Blue recef we'd
them with all the cordiality of his loig
North Carolina heart.
THE SPANIARDS.
The SandovaI and Alvarado are sis.
ter ships and look like two twins to be
sure. They LAY 100 tons displacement. y,
are $50 feet long, Is feet of beam and [
Ira So feet forward and Z feet aft. |
They are equipped with triple expan- |
sion engines and were built on the !
Clyde by George and John Thompson. |
The Sandoval was bottled up by the |
United States steamship Marblehead
in the harbor of Caimanera, Cuba, and
scuttled by the Spaniards before |
h fell into the hands of the Ameri- |
cans. She was forty-two days under |
water. but was raised and Lieutenant |
Anderson was placed in command of |
her in September. All the wood work |
was taken out Of her by Cuban labor |
for sanitary reaSops and che woc Il