Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-11-03
X.
 ''' Use : Long : - -==--:.::-:.-:..:. , Distance ; Telephone
 for all business trans-
 actions with corrcs
 spondents in distant < O cities. Direct com munieAtlon wffh ovpr
Southwestern Telegraph& elephone
 Company.

that the Vizcaya and the Aamiranle Oquendo will probably never be rescued and that the Cristobal Colon, if saved at all will not bo brought to the United States by the Merritt and Chapman Wreeking company, of New York, which has been working on theso ves- sels under special contract involving the payment of $S25 25 day since July 90, without visibly improving the chances of that vessels salvage. Tho same company since July C, when 1t ex- co uted the first contract for the prosecuz ton of wrecking operations on the ships of Cervera's squadron has been receiv- ing q separate payment of $500 day, with the single result that the Infanta Maria Teresa is now on her way to Nor folk, where commission will decide what additional compensation, not ex- eeeding $500,000, shall bs paid to tl,e wrecking company on her account.
 The board of construction, to which the matter was referred for consideras ton by Secretary Long after he had virtually decided that the present ar- rangement was becoming intolerable, assumed the responsibility of recon mending that the contract for the sal- wage of the Colon be annulled on Nov. 10, and that new proposals for fighting and raising the vessel be publicly sought by the navy department under restric- tions which would involve tho govern ment in no additional expense unless tho attempt was altogether successful. The department will send cable dis patch to Captain Colby Chester, senior naval officer, on the south coast of Cuba if the recommendation of the board ara approved as they will be, without doubt, directing him to concentrate the wreck ing work for the present altogether on the Reina Mercedes, which is submerged in still water and capable of ready rais- ing, and that no further attention for the present be paid to the Oquendo and the Vizcaya
 Captain Chester will also i'll all proba- bility be directed to proceed at once to destroy the collier Merrimac, utilizing for this purpose the naval vessels under his command and their explosives. this plan being calculated to relieve the gov ernment of additional expense, while at. the same time giving naval seamen de- sirable practice in countermining nnd the removal of channel Instructions.
 Naval officials have not expressed any particular dissatisfaction with the work of the Merritt Chapman Wrecking conn pany, but the experts are thoroughly agreed that little can be accomplished beyond the raising of the Mercedes with the present force at Santiago and they have decided that further expense in other directions is unwarranted.
 This decision has been influenced to some extent by the arrival i'll Washing ton of representatives of a great Swed- ish wrecking corporation, which suc- ceeded in rescuing the British battle ship Howe from q condition compara- lively with that of the Cristobal Colon, | and which points to record of over 500 ships which 1t has extricated from more or less serious positions, nearly all of them submerged at considerable depths. This company, it appears, is 1 not only confident Of it's ability to bring 1 the Cristobal Colon and the other Span. ish vessels to the United States, but is ready to guarantee the delivery of the Maine i'll the big dry dock at the navy. yard in New York The Swedish wreck. CTS propose Co take all risks of failure without expense to the government and rely if they succeed for compensation wholly. on arbitrat!on
 ------