The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-09

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Her to NorfOIk-Navy Depart
ment Details Capt. McCaIIa to
Take Charge of the Expedition
That Goes After the Prize.
NORFOLK, Va, Nov. S.-The Mer-
rift Wrecking company has received
information that the Teresa is ashore
at Cat island. Capt. Crittenden will
leave with the steamer Merritt at once.
A telegram came from l. 7. Merritt
from New York, and read about as
follows:
Teresa ashore. Cat Island. Hold Merritt
with and apparatus, also Capt Chitten-
den. Merritt"
The Merritt was to have left for New
York this afternoon, but that order was
revoked, and preparations are now be-
ing made to start for Cat island. The
navy department at Washington has
been notified.
NASSAU, N. p, Nov. S-Reliable
news just received here says a steamer
is ashore on the northeast part of
Cat island. She is painted black, has
two tunnels, two masts and 10 deck
houses. Her name is not known.
WASHINGTON, Nov S-A message
received at the navy department today
from Capt. Crowninshield, chief Of the
navigation bureau, who is in New York,
called attention to the report that the
Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa had been
seen stranded off Cat island.
The captain expressed his belief in
the accuracy of the report, and sug-
gested to the department that the re-
pair ship Vulcan, now at Norfolk, be
sent at once to make search for the
derelict. The department acted at
once upon the suggestion. A telegram
was sent to the commandment of the
Norfolk navy yard directing him to
place the Vulcan in command of Capt.
McCalla, the captain of the yard, and
send her with all dispatch to look for
the Teresa. A similar order was ca
bled to Capt. Converse, at Guanta-
namo, directing him to send the wreck
ing tug Potomac from that place
nCrthWard on the same quest. She
gees in charge of Commander ]. E.
Craven, and the department believes
that she will be in the vicinity of Cat
island within thirty six hours. The
Vulcan was one Of the vessels which
was towing the Teresa when she was
supposed to have foundered, and the
department believes that she will reach
the scene of the wreck in about forty
eight hours after leaving Norfolk
SGI 1SNduQ lies dDOuI Thirty lilies
southwest of the spot where the Teresa
was last seen, and it is said at the
department, if the vessel did not
founder outright within a very few
hours after having been cut adrift she
would almost certainly have fetched
UP on the shoal beach off Cat island,
for the wind and tide set directly on
that beach. If So the location is much
more favorable for saving the ship
than the position occupied by her Off
San dago, where the bottom was COW
cred with rocks and the wreckers
worked at a great disadvantage. Capt.
McCalla was selected for the task be-
cause Of his great energy and ability
for this particular class Of work and
the officers declare that if any man
can bring the Teresa into port he can.
1t is the belief of naval constructors
that the Teresa took water aboard al
most altogether through the decks and
not through the hull, as would appear
from the first accounts Of the loss Of
the ship. These decks were rude tenn
porary constructions, and were entire
ly unsuitable for rough weather. The
fact that the reports indicate that the
ship settled by the head and that
water ran into the coal bunkers and
thence into the fire rooms goes to
bear out the constructors theory. 1t
also tends to give color to the report
that the ship may not have foundered
at once, but drifted ashore on Cat ISL
and. It is presumed that the wreck
ing company which had the vessel in
hand will take immediate steps to re-
cover the ship If possible, in order to
secure the large salvage which was al
nlcst within it's grasp when the ship
was cast off.