The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-16
TERESA LOST FOR ALL TINE.
NAVAL EXPERTS CLAIM THE SHIP
TO BE BEYOND RECOVERY.

enc Feet OF Water ON Rocky
Rccf-Engines, Boilers and FOun-
cations Form Part of the Reef
Around which the Ship works.
capt McCaIIa's Opinion COncurred
in by the Board.
Washington Nov. 15.-The navy depart
usnt late to-day received The following:
Nassau, N. r., Nov, 15.-secretary
Navy, Washington: Arrived with Poto-
MAJ. Vulcan at scene of wreck. On ar
rival took charge of Teresa. and hoisted
aag. After careful examination of the
stranded ship and situation and careful
consideration of instructions from depart
ment, and approaching the great interest
taken by the nation and the government
in The fate of the Teresa, 1 regret exceed
ingly TO express the opinion that it Is
hopeless to expect to rescue the ship.
Craven, Blow, Hobson and Crittenden con
firm my opinion. The wreck Is stranded
in from sixteen to twenty-one feet of
water with head TO the northward. With
the exception of a few feet astern and
forward, where cut away. ship rests on a
rocky reef, covered with coral sand. in
terspersed with boulders, nalf a mile south
Of Bird point The line of reef extends
outside of the wreck, both to northwest
and southwark. the ship having been driv-
en- into slight indentation in the reef. Surf
from astern and outside of ship continues
between ship and shore, then runs out
slightly to a point forward and outside
of the ship again to the northward. Small
under stern to lee side. In fairly good
weather I would be possible, think, for
smaT tug drawing ten feel of water In
the hands of very skillful seamen to pass
close under stern of the Teresa. in smooth
sea. to make fast to lee side, for the pur-
pose of supplying power for the wreeking
pumps. If, however, such vessels were
caught inside Teresa by storm, probabiii-
ties are she would be swamped by seas
or thrown on reef. The surf thus cuts
off communication between ship and shore
except at certain stages of the tide, or
when there is very little sea running Dur
ing the heavy seas the breakers would
also be continuous outside the ship. We
passed Sunday on wreck examining care
fully all compartments which were not
flooded, well as ships surroundings ac-
companied by Craven, who had previously
inspected Teresa and Crittenden, who was
perfectly familiar with the ship. The ev.-
dence shows that after striking reef the
maiumast was driven up and broken off
short below spar deck, the military top
mast lying outside bilge under port quar-
ter The seas had gone entirely over her
the inner bottom generally had been driv-
en- upward from one and one-half TO two
feet, patch on bottom abreast forward
turret had disappeared; air ports had been
driven in, and seas had entered through
them and gun ports on starboard side
spar deck and deck houses, had been
crushed in by seas after the ship struck
Large proportion of the lumber in shori
pieces lying on or floating below
berth deck. Tide rises and falls
IN ship below protective deck
abaft engine room buIkhead
Seas which now break over starboard
quarter and enter through ports keep wa
ter in that part of the ship five or six feet
above line of that in engine rooms and
fire rooms. The pumps, which were erect
ed by the wrecking company on the for
ward and after ammunition hosts and Sc
cured to berth deck beams, have been
driven upward from eighteen to twenty
four inches. Both starboard and port en-
gines have been forced upward from one
and one-half to Two feet, and separated lat
orally by from six to eight inches. The
best way TO illustrate the general condition
of the wreck is to say that the two sets
Of engines, boilers and their founda lions,
form part of the reef itself around which
the rest of the ship works laterally and
vertically. The same effect would be pro-
duced, in my opinion, if the ship had set
tied on the pinnacle of rock. Sunday
trade wind was very slight and there was
little difficulty in approaching the wreck
from the Vulcan, but communication with
the shore would have been very difficult
In boat at one stage of the tide. Can best
describe the condition of the ship generally
by stating that she is already telescoped
and my views by expressing the convic-
ton that as rivets are shared by the con-
slant working of the ship the telescope
process must continue. In considering
practcability of rescuing Teresa, the fact
must be considered that she lies upon
coral reef, with but this layer of sand on
the Windward side of an island constantly
exposed to seas due to trade winds and TO
influence of many storms developing to
eastward or southwark. The character of
the bottom makes anchorage off the east
ern coast of the island dangerous. The geo.
graphical position permits force of more
OF less magnitude constantly disintegrating
the ship.
During gales or with very heavy seas,
the wreck would not be tenable for work
ing parties which would be obliged to
leave the ship before communication
should be cut off, with ship anchored out
Side or with shore inside. The board of
officers examined and reported yesterday
upon the question of rescuing the Teresa.
ms board confirms my report. Should
the department determine to attempt to
hoat the stranded ship, we would recon-
mend that an expedition be based on Cat
Island, not from the ships outside reef,
and should be very pleased to command
any organization prepared to work on the
wreck. In addition 10 turret guns there
are four 6-inch guns on the Teresa taken
nom one of the wrecked ships and .e-
mounted at Guantanamo. Awaiting the
apartments further orders. McCalla"
THE BALLOT WAS ALL RIGHT.